In this part:

Mahārāja Parīkṣit cursed by Śṛṅgi, the Brāhmaṇa Boy (chapter 18)
The auspicious age of Kali
The sages want to hear more
The Bhagavatam can purify anyone
Pariksit ofends Śamīka Ṛṣi
The downfall of the Brahmana class
The determination of Pariksit Maharaja (chapter 19)
Pariksit Maharaja takes a firm vow
The meeting with the sages
The Appearance of Śukadeva Gosvāmī
A timeline of recent and future events, as described in the Srimad Bhagavatam

Mahārāja Parīkṣit cursed by Śṛṅgi, the Brāhmaṇa Boy (chapter 18)

As long as Pariksit was on the planet, there was no chance Kali could flourish. However, at the same time, Kali-yuga is part of the universal cosmic order. The degradation of Kali-yuga creates an opportunity for the most degraded souls, who don’t have enough pious merits to take birth in other eras, to take birth and have the opportunity of receiving the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Another factor is that Pariksit was Krsna’s pure devotee, and Krsna wanted him back. We often think that living a long life is a blessing, but this is not exactly true for a pure devotee, because a long life means staying more time in this world. Krsna allows His pure devotees to stay for some time amongst us to give us association, but this is only for a limited time. Pure devotees don’t belong to this world, and eventually, Krsna takes them back.

To reconcile all these different factors, Krsna organized the pastime of Pariksit Maharaja being cursed by a Brahmana boy, and thus renouncing the kingdom and going to the banks of the Ganges (or Yamuna). This led to his meeting with Sukadeva Goswami and the descent of the Srimad Bhagavatam, which is the lighthouse that can guide all the fallen souls of Kali-yuga back to Godhead.

The benefits of the age of Kali

The death of Maharaja Pariksit was thus a pastime organized to fulfill many purposes:

a) Bring Pariksit back to Godhead.
b) Allow Kali to momentarily spread his influence and pave the path for the appearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
c) Creating the conditions for the meeting of Pariksit and Sukadeva Goswami and the descent of the Srimad Bhagavatam.
d) Creating opportunity for Pariksit giving us the perfect example of how to leave this world.

Verse 7 describes the point that despite all faults, Kali-yuga is actually an auspicious opportunity for practicing spiritual life:

“Mahārāja Parīkṣit was a realist, like the bees who only accept the essence [of a flower]. He knew perfectly well that in this Age of Kali, auspicious things produce good effects immediately, whereas inauspicious acts must be actually performed [to render effects]. So he was never envious of the personality of Kali.”

We may be attracted to the Vedic societies of the past, but the reality is that with our level of qualification, we would not be accepted in them. We would be considered outcasts and forced to live in the forest. Kali-yuga is the opportunity for souls like us to take birth and get in contact with Krsna Consciousness.

Not only do we have access to the most powerful process of self-realization, the chanting of the holy names, but we also have access to the conclusion of all Vedic scriptures in the form of the Srimad Bhagavatam, and the commentaries of Prabhupada make this knowledge even more accessible. In previous eras, not only people had to take the trouble of following very complicated and comparatively ineffective processes of self-realization, but the knowledge of the scriptures would not be so easily available.

Another advantage we have is that we are not punished by our mental sins. In previous eras, people would become degraded by just thinking about some sinful action, while in Kali-yuga we only degrade ourselves by effectively doing it. Our minds may be disturbed, but as long as we can refrain from physically doing sinful actions, we don’t become implicated. On the other hand, just for thinking about doing some service or some auspicious activity, we get benefits. In this way, even the most lethargic persons can advance by just desiring to serve Krsna.

Kali can remain only in places where there is meat eating, illicit sex, gambling, and intoxication. Therefore, by carefully avoiding these activities by strictly following the four principles, we can remain aloof from his influence. We can see that the process of Krsna Consciousness was carefully created to give us the best opportunity to go back to Godhead. By following the four principles, daily chanting the holy names, offering our food to Krsna, studying the scriptures, worshiping the deities, regularly going to the temple, etc. enjoy all the benefits of the age of Kali, while simultaneously avoiding its negative sides.

The age of Kali is thus a great opportunity for us. It’s especially tailored for our deficiencies. We would not be fit to live in Satya-Yuga, Treta-Yuga, or even Dwapara-Yuga, but due to the mercy of the Lord, we have the best opportunity to escape the cycle of birth and death right now.

In verse 8, Suta Goswami concludes:

“Mahārāja Parīkṣit considered that less intelligent men might find the personality of Kali to be very powerful, but that those who are self-controlled would have nothing to fear. The King was powerful like a tiger and took care for the foolish, careless persons.”

The sages want to hear more

With this, Suta Goswami finished his description of the activities of Maharaja Pariksit. However, the sages want to hear more. They had come to Naimisharanya to execute a one-thousand-year sacrifice, but are now unsure about the result due to imperfections in its execution. Their bodies have become covered by smoke but they found something of real value in the narration of the Srimad Bhagavatam by Suta Goswami. Deeply pleased with the great sage, they pledge:

“The value of a moment’s association with the devotee of the Lord cannot even be compared to the attainment of heavenly planets or liberation from matter, and what to speak of worldly benedictions in the form of material prosperity, which are for those who are meant for death.
The Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa [Govinda], is the exclusive shelter for all great living beings, and His transcendental attributes cannot even be measured by such masters of mystic powers as Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā. Can anyone who is expert in relishing nectar [rasa] ever be fully satiated by hearing topics about Him?
O Sūta Gosvāmī, you are a learned and pure devotee of the Lord because the Personality of Godhead is your chief object of service. Therefore please describe to us the pastimes of the Lord, which are above all material conception, for we are anxious to receive such messages.” (SB 1.18.13-15)

In particular, they want to hear how Pariksit Maharaja attained perfection after hearing the Srimad Bhagavatam from Sukadeva Goswami.

At the beginning of the 4th chapter, the sages of Naimisharanya asked five questions to Suta Goswami. In the following chapters, he answered the first three (When and how did Vyasadeva compile the Srimad Bhagavatam? How and why did Sukadeva become interested in studying the Srimad Bhagavatam? Why did he spend time describing it to Pariksit, although he was a king?) In chapters 18 and 19 the remaining two questions will be finally answered:

• Why did Pariksit renounce everything to hear the Srimad Bhagavatam and fast until death? Even if he was detached, how could he abandon his duty as a king?
• How was Sukadeva Goswami recognized as the qualified speaker by the king and all the sages who assembled around him?

The Bhagavatam can purify anyone

Suta Goswami starts by describing the effects of transcendental knowledge in his own life. Although born in a mixed caste, a birth not as exalted as most of the sages who were present in the assembly, he was promoted by hearing the Srimad Bhagavatam from Sukadeva Goswami, and now, by speaking it to the sages he was having yet another opportunity for purification. In his purport to 1.18.18, Srila Prabhupada explains that this is the process for all of us. All the contaminations of a low birth and a sinful past can be washed off if one becomes conversant with the spiritual science. One may be accepted even as a guru, or acarya.

“Sūta Gosvāmī did not take his birth in a brāhmaṇa family. He was born in a family of mixed caste, or an uncultured low family. But because of higher association, like Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī and the great ṛṣis of Naimiṣāraṇya, certainly the disqualification of inferior birth was washed off. Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu followed this principle in pursuance of the Vedic usages, and by His transcendental association He elevated many lowborn, or those disqualified by birth or action, to the status of devotional service and established them in the position of ācāryas, or authorities. He clearly stated that any man, whatever he may be, whether a brāhmaṇa or śūdra by birth, or a householder or mendicant in the order of society, if he is conversant with the science of Kṛṣṇa, he can be accepted as an ācārya or guru, a spiritual master.”

Nowadays there is a lot of discussion about whether women can or not become spiritual masters, based on sociological factors and other arguments. However, when we speak about the philosophy of Mahaprabhu, the conclusion is very clear. It’s not about birth, but about one’s spiritual qualification: “Whether one is a brāhmaṇa, a sannyāsī or a śūdra — regardless of what he is — he can become a spiritual master if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa.” (CC Madhya 8.128)

Suta Goswami then prepares to describe the final part of the pastimes of Maharaja Pariksit, including his renunciation and his meeting with Srila Sukadeva Goswami, events that will lead us to all the other topics of the Srimad Bhagavatam.

“O ṛṣis, who are as powerfully pure as the sun, I shall try to describe to you the transcendental pastimes of Viṣṇu as far as my knowledge is concerned. As the birds fly in the sky as far as their capacity allows, so do the learned devotees describe the Lord as far as their realization allows. (SB 1.18.23)

Pariksit ofends Śamīka Ṛṣi

The pastime of Maharaja Pariksit renouncing his kingdom, hearing the Srimad Bhagavatam from Sukadeva Goswami, and going back to Godhead starts with him hunting in the forest.

It may sound strange to hear about a pure devotee going to the forest to kill animals, but this was actually one of the duties of Ksatriyas. Apart from people living in villages, there were many sages living in the forests, and thus one of the responsibilities of the Ksatriyas was to hunt dangerous animals such as lions and thus check their populations, reducing the risk for the people. These hunting excursions also served as an opportunity for the warriors to perfect their military skills by hunting stags and others, which was also connected with their duties. While hunting, Pariksit Maharaja became extremely thirsty, which led him to the hermitage of the great sage Śamīka Ṛṣi, from whom he expected to receive a little water.

“Once upon a time Mahārāja Parīkṣit, while engaged in hunting in the forest with bow and arrows, became extremely fatigued, hungry and thirsty while following the stags. While searching for a reservoir of water, he entered the hermitage of the well-known Śamīka Ṛṣi and saw the sage sitting silently with closed eyes.
The muni’s sense organs, breath, mind and intelligence were all restrained from material activities, and he was situated in a trance apart from the three [wakefulness, dream and unconsciousness], having achieved a transcendental position qualitatively equal with the Supreme Absolute. (SB 1.18.24-26)

However, the sage was in deep meditation, and when the king arrived, he didn’t hear. Normally, a sage would offer a reception to a saintly king like Maharaja Pariksit, with kind words, a place to sit, and some water to drink, but being absorbed in Samadhi the sage was not aware of his surroundings and was not able to do so.

Even though Pariksit asked for water repeatedly, the sage didn’t answer. The king thought that the sage was pretending to be in samadhi just to avoid receiving him, who was by social position inferior, being a Ksatriya, while the sage was a Brahmana. Therefore, to reciprocate the cold reception, Maharaja Pariksit used his bow to collect a dead snake that was lying on the floor and put it around the neck of the sage, like a garland. As Prabhupada mentions: “By the will of the Lord, the King, while going away, found a dead snake in front of him, and he thought that the sage, who had coldly received him, thus might be coldly rewarded by being offered a garland of a dead snake.”

In his purport, Prabhupada comments that becoming angry in this situation, when he needed water so badly and was not able to obtain it due to the negligence of the sage, was not unnatural even for a great devotee such as Maharaja Pariksit, but the fact that he acted on his anger instead of being able to control it was astonishing. In normal circumstances, hunger and thirst would not be able to disturb such a great devotee, much less to the point of disrespecting a Brahmana. Pariksit had already demonstrated his amazing tolerance by being able to tolerate the heat of the Brahmnastra of Aswattama while still in the womb.

He concludes that all happened under the supreme will of the Lord. The Lord was present both inside the heart of the sage and in the heart of the king, and thus he inspired both to act in a way that would lead to the revelation of the Srimad Bhagavatam. As he mentions in his purport to 1.18.28:

“So it must be accepted that it was so ordained by the supreme will of the Lord. The King was a great devotee of the Lord, and the saint was also as good as the King. But by the will of the Lord, the circumstances were so created that they became ways to the King’s becoming unattached to family connection and governmental activities and thus becoming a completely surrendered soul unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The merciful Lord sometimes creates such awkward positions for his pure devotees in order to drag them towards Himself from the mire of material existence.”

The meeting of Pariksit and the sage is better described in verses 27 to 30:

“The sage, in meditation, was covered by the skin of a stag, and long, compressed hair was scattered all over him. The King, whose palate was dry from thirst, asked him for water.
The King, not received by any formal welcome by means of being offered a seat, place, water and sweet addresses, considered himself neglected, and so thinking he became angry.
O brāhmaṇas, the circumstances having distressed him with extreme hunger and thirst, the King directed toward the sage his anger and envy, which he had never before directed toward a brāhmaṇa.
While leaving, the King, being so insulted, picked up a lifeless snake with his bow and angrily placed it on the shoulder of the sage. Then he returned to his palace.” (SB 1.18.27-30)

However, being a Vaishnava, Pariksit soon started to regret his actions. As soon as the momentary anger passed, he started to contemplate if the sage was not actually in deep meditation. As Prabhupada mentions, “Repentance comes in the mind of a good soul as soon as he commits something wrong.”

Both Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura and Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī agree that the actions of the king were not due to the influence of karma. Being a pure Vaishnava he was above that. They both agree that this was arranged by the Lord to bring him back to Godhead. Prabhupada explains this point more thoroughly in his purport to verses 24-25:

“Mahārāja Parīkṣit was a pure devotee of the Lord, and there was no reason for him to become extremely fatigued, hungry and thirsty because a devotee of the Lord never becomes perturbed by such bodily demands. But by the desire of the Lord, even such a devotee can become apparently fatigued and thirsty just to create a situation favorable for his renunciation of worldly activities. One has to give up all attachment for worldly relations before one is able to go back to Godhead, and thus when a devotee is too much absorbed in worldly affairs, the Lord creates a situation to cause indifference. The Supreme Lord never forgets His pure devotee, even though he may be engaged in so-called worldly affairs. Sometimes He creates an awkward situation, and the devotee becomes obliged to renounce all worldly affairs. The devotee can understand by the signal of the Lord, but others take it to be unfavorable and frustrating. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was to become the medium for the revelation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, as his grandfather Arjuna was the medium for the Bhagavad-gītā. Had Arjuna not been taken up with an illusion of family affection by the will of the Lord, the Bhagavad-gītā would not have been spoken by the Lord Himself for the good of all concerned. Similarly, had Mahārāja Parīkṣit not been fatigued, hungry and thirsty at this time, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam would not have been spoken by Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the prime authority of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.”

Here Prabhupada makes the point that pure devotees are sometimes put in apparent illusion by the Lord, to fulfill some higher purpose. This is however not the same type of illusion we are subjected to, because it is not disconnected from the Lord. In this case, the pure devotee is just acting under the dictation of the Lord, surrendered to His will. The so-called illusion thus happens under the spiritual potency, Yoga-Maya, and not as a result of material conditioning.

The downfall of the Brahmana class

The catalyst for the renunciation of Maharaja Pariksit was the curse of Śṛṅgi, the son of the sage, who cursed Maharaja Pariksit to die in seven days, bitten by a winged snake, after hearing that he had disrespected his father. Despite his young age, he had been trained by his father as a brahmacary and was thus already powerful as a qualified Brahmana. Prabhupada mentions that this was a testament to the good governance of the king, who managed the world so well that even a child playing with other small boys was already so powerful that he could curse a king. However, under the influence of Kali-yuga, this power was mixed with pride and led to him ignorantly cursing the King.

This was the beginning of the downfall of the Brahminical order. As Prabhupada mentions: “Hatred of the lower orders of life began from this brāhmaṇa boy, under the influence of Kali, and thus cultural life began to dwindle day after day.” Under the influence of the age of Kali, Brahmanas became proud and this led them to lose their powers and Brahminical culture and eventually create the caste system, which is a demoniac system. The caste system in turn led to the abolition of the Varnasrama system and the establishment of democracy, which is also not a very good form of government. Prabhupada makes the point that one should remove the deviations in the Varnasrama system introduced by the degraded Brahmanas of Kali-yuga, such as the caste system, and not reject the system as a whole.

Prabhupada mentions that in the Varāha Purāṇa is mentioned that demons who acted inimically toward the Lord but were not killed by him were allowed to take birth in the families of brāhmaṇas to take advantage of the Age of Kali. The Lord gave them a chance to have their births in the families of pious brāhmaṇas so that they could progress in spiritual life. The demons, however, became proud of taking birth as Brahmanas and misused the opportunity.

Śṛṅgi himself felt he had made a mistake, and thus he went back to his father and started to cry, breaking his meditation. Coming to his external senses, the sage noticed the dead snake around his neck but didn’t give it much importance, just throwing it away. The whole incident was not very serious. The sage failed to properly receive the king, and Pariksit put the dead snake around the neck of the sage. It would be inconsequential if not for the curse of the boy.

Seeing his son crying, the sage asked if anyone had done him harm. When the child finally explained what happened, the sage became very sorry, saying: “Alas! What a great sinful act was performed by my son. He has awarded heavy punishment for an insignificant offense.”

The sage then explained to the boy the consequences of his acts, describing things that happen when monarchical regimes conducted by saintly kings are abolished. These are all symptoms that have become common in our age:

a) The whole world becomes filled with thieves who harass the general population.
b) Great social disruption due to the plundering of the people’s wealth by rogues and thieves.
c) People are killed and injured.
d) Animals are stolen and women kidnapped.
e) People in general fall systematically from the path of a progressive civilization following the Varnasrama system.
f) People become more attracted to economic development and sense gratification, adopting a hedonistic lifestyle that results in unwanted children on the level of dogs and monkeys.

In Kali-yuga, the degradation started with the Brahmanas becoming proud and demanding respect and privileges based on their birth. As a result, the Ksatriyas rebelled against the degraded Brahamnas and started to rule independently from their advice. As a result, the headless Ksatriya class also became degraded, adopting a hedonistic lifestyle and living opulently due to the exploitation of the merchant class and peasants, misusing the resources of the state for wars and vanity projects. This led the merchants to rebel, establishing the capitalist system, becoming greedy, and exploiting the working classes. This eventually led to the workers rebelling and implementing the communist system, which is the diametrically opposite of the Varnasrama system, resulting in the spread of atheism and the greatest miseries.

Lamenting, again and again, the unjust curse of such a saintly king, the rsi prayed to the Lord, so his son could be excused:

“Then the ṛṣi prayed to the all-pervading Personality of Godhead to pardon his immature boy, who had no intelligence and who committed the great sin of cursing a person who was completely free from all sins, who was subordinate and who deserved to be protected.” (1.18.47)

Different from Pariksit Maharaja, Śṛṅgi was not a soul surrendered to the Lord. He was proud and propense to anger. The Lord just used his tendency to facilitate the pastime and inspired the father to pray for the son, so he could be excused. In his purport, Prabhupada mentions that “all the foolish sons of brāhmaṇas are warned hereby not to become as foolish as Śṛṅgi and to be always on guard against the demoniac qualities which they had in their previous births. The foolish boy was, of course, excused by the Lord, but others, who may not have a father like Śamīka Ṛṣi, will be put into great difficulty if they misuse the advantages obtained by birth in a brāhmaṇa family.”

The determination of Pariksit Maharaja (chapter 19)

While returning to his palace, Pariksit Maharaja lamented his offense to Śamīka Ṛṣi. He “felt that the act he had committed against the faultless and powerful brāhmaṇa was heinous and uncivilized. Consequently, he was distressed.”

Prabhupada mentions that the process of regretting sins committed in the past, as well as by weakness or accident is very important for devotees since this repentance is like a fire that, by the grace of the Lord, burns these sins to ashes.

He started desiring the reaction for it would come quickly, so he would become free from the sinful reaction.

“[King Parīkṣit thought:] Due to my neglecting the injunctions of the Supreme Lord I must certainly expect some difficulty to overcome me in the near future. I now desire without reservation that the calamity come now, for in this way I may be freed of the sinful action and not commit such an offense again.
I am uncivilized and sinful due to my neglect of brahminical culture, God consciousness and cow protection. Therefore I wish that my kingdom, strength and riches burn up immediately by the fire of the brāhmaṇa’s wrath so that in the future I may not be guided by such inauspicious attitudes.” (SB 1.19.2-3)

It didn’t take long for him to receive the news of the curse of the Brahmana boy. Śamīka Ṛṣi came personally to him and conveyed news of the curse with great regret. Pariksit was going to die in seven days, after being bitten by a winged snake, Taksaka. Pariksit however accepted it as good news, seeing it as a blessing in disguise that would result in his ultimate renunciation of everything material. As Prabhupada mentions:

“Mahārāja Parīkṣit was a great devotee of the Lord and a bona fide candidate for entering into the kingdom of God, but even though he was so, his material assets as the Emperor of the world were setbacks to perfect attainment of his rightful status as one of the associates of the Lord in the spiritual sky. As a devotee of the Lord, he could understand that the cursing of the brāhmaṇa boy, although unwise, was a blessing upon him, being the cause of detachment from worldly affairs, both political and social.”

After receiving the news, Pariksit immediately left the kingdom and sat at the banks of the river, determined to concentrate his mind on the Lord, becoming fully Krsna Consciouss until the time of death.

Although Prabhupada translates the sanskrit “amartya-nadyām” (transcendental river) mentioned in verse 5 as the river Ganges, in verse 6 he mentions that it was most probably the Yamuna, since Hastinapura was much closer to the Yamuna than the Ganges. It would not make sense for the king to travel a long distance in such a situation. This version is confirmed by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī.

“Mahārāja Parīkṣit sat down firmly on the banks of the Ganges to concentrate his mind in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, rejecting all other practices of self-realization, because transcendental loving service to Kṛṣṇa is the greatest achievement, superseding all other methods.
The river [by which the King sat to fast] carries the most auspicious water, which is mixed with the dust of the lotus feet of the Lord and tulasī leaves. Therefore that water sanctifies the three worlds inside and outside and even sanctifies Lord Śiva and other demigods. Consequently everyone who is destined to die must take shelter of this river. (SB 1.19.5-6)

In the 17th chapter, in the conversation between Pariksit and Dharma, the point of accepting not only pleasant things but also reverses as the mercy of Krsna is emphasized. A devotee sees everything as connected with Krsna; thus, even the most trying situations can help a devotee remember Krsna and become more engaged in His service. Now we will see how Pariksit Maharaja applied this principle in his personal life, after receiving the news of the curse.

Death is the combination of all material loss. One may lose money, a car, a house, social reputation, a limb, or even a child, but death means losing all of this simultaneously. Pariksit however received the news of his imminent death with happiness, understanding that this was the arrangement of the Lord for bringing him back home, back to Godhead. Instead of lamenting the loss, he prepared to spend the last seven days of his life absorbed in hearing the message of Srimad Bhagavatam, free from administrative responsibilities.

Everyone has to face death one day. The point thus is not to avoid death, which is impossible, but to die in an auspicious circumstance, where we can remember Krsna and depart back to our original position, back to Godhead.

Our next destination is determined by how we leave this world. Our next body, be it material or spiritual, is achieved based on our consciousness at the time of death, as a continuation of the current flow of thoughts and desires. One who leaves his body while attached to the material, lamenting the loss of family and possessions attains another material body, where he may continue pursuing them. However one who leaves his body with his consciousness fixed on the the Lord attains the spiritual planets, where he can continue to serve the Lord eternally.

Thanks to the curse of the Brahmana boy, Pariksit was able to pass away in the most favorable circumstances, surrounded by devotees and in perfect Krsna Consciousness after having heard the message of the Srimad Bhagavatam. By his glorious example, we may also get inspiration on how to deal with material losses and reverses.

How can we be sure we will be able to remember Krsna at the moment of death? The best assurance we can have is by remembering Krsna during our lives since our thoughts at the time of death are just a result of our thoughts during our lifetime. Hearing the Srimad Bhagavatam, in special, plays an essential role and brings us special blessings. As mentioned at the beginning of the 18th chapter:

“This was so because those who have dedicated their lives to the transcendental topics of the Personality of Godhead, of whom the Vedic hymns sing, and who are constantly engaged in remembering the lotus feet of the Lord, do not run the risk of having misconceptions even at the last moment of their lives.”(1.18.4)

Pariksit Maharaja takes a firm vow

From the moment he received notice of his imminent death, Pariksit decided not to eat, drink, or sleep. In other words, he made a firm vow to not waste even one more second of his life in material activities. From that point onwards, he decided to be fully Krsna Conscious, abandoning all material attachment, and any effort of maintaining his body.

Prabhupada mentions that “When Mahārāja Parīkṣit sat down on the bank of the Ganges, the news spread in all directions of the universe, and the great-minded sages, who could follow the importance of the occasion, all arrived there on the plea of pilgrimage. Actually, they came to meet Mahārāja Parīkṣit and not to take a bath”.

Not only were the sages impressed with the determination of Maharaja Pariksit to abandon everything and fast until death, but they also could foresee that the Srimad Bhagavatam would be spoken by Sukadeva Goswami. Apart from great sages, even demigods and other kings appeared, all under the excuse of doing a peregrination.

It’s also interesting to note that the story of the death of Maharaja Pariksit is described in a completely different way in the Mahabharata. There, instead of going to the Ganges or Yamuna and fasting, Pariksit took shelter in a protected palace built by his ministers. Srila Jiva Goswami explains that the Mahabharata describes the events of a different Kalpa. Vyasadeva wrote the Mahabharata based on his yogic meditation before the death of Pariksit took place. He was thus able to see events from the past, that occurred in another iteration of the pastime in a different era or universe when the Srimad Bhagavatam was not spoken. The Srimad Bhagavatam, a later composition of Srila Vyasadeva, describes the factual events that happened 5000 years ago from the perspective of pure devotional service to the Lord.

In general, every time there are contradictions between the events narrated in different Puranas, or other scriptures, it’s safe to conclude that it is because they narrate different iterations of the pastime, that happened in different kalpas, or different universes. In any case, from all scriptures the Bhagavatam is the highest, so even if there is some contradiction, the information given in the Srimad Bhagavatam should be taken as the correct and precise version.

The meeting with the sages

“After all the ṛṣis and others had seated themselves comfortably, the King, humbly standing before them with folded hands, told them of his decision to fast until death.
The fortunate King said: Indeed, we are the most grateful of all the kings who are trained to get favors from the great souls. Generally you [sages] consider royalty as refuse to be rejected and left in a distant place.” (SB 1.19.12-13)

Maharaja Pariksit valued the presence of the sages, understanding that this was the special mercy of the Lord. Normally, such great sages don’t associate with kings and others involved in worldly affairs, but these sages were anxious to associate with Maharaja Pariksit due to his spiritual stature and his firm vow.

He also humbly submitted to them his decision of fasting until death. As Prabhupada mentions, “Any important decision, however firmly fixed, should be confirmed by some authority. That makes the matter perfect.”

No matter how correct a decision may appear to be, the principle is that we should confirm it with some authority, because such authorities are representatives of Krsna, and thus by presenting the matter we give Krsna a chance to intervene in case necessary. Although Krsna is inside our hearts as Paramamtma, we often can’t hear Him due to our material contaminations, but by consulting different authorities we give Him the chance to speak to us in a form we may be able to hear.

“In perfect self-control, Mahārāja Parīkṣit sat down on a seat of straw, with straw-roots facing the east, placed on the southern bank of the Ganges, and he himself faced the north. Just previously he had given charge of his kingdom over to his son.
Thus the King, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, sat to fast until death. All the demigods of the higher planets praised the King’s actions and in pleasure continually scattered flowers over the earth and beat celestial drums.
All the great sages who were assembled there also praised the decision of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, and they expressed their approval by saying “Very good.” Naturally the sages are inclined to do good to common men, for they have all the qualitative powers of the Supreme Lord. Therefore they were very much pleased to see Mahārāja Parīkṣit, a devotee of the Lord, and they spoke as follows.
[The sages said:] O chief of all the saintly kings of the Pāṇḍu dynasty who are strictly in the line of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa! It is not at all astonishing that you give up your throne, which is decorated with the helmets of many kings, to achieve eternal association with the Personality of Godhead.
We shall all wait here until the foremost devotee of the Lord, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, returns to the supreme planet, which is completely free from all mundane contamination and all kinds of lamentation.” (SB 1.19.17-21)

After welcoming the sages and receiving their blessings, Pariksit inquired from them about two questions: what is the duty of everyone in all circumstances, and what is the specific duty of one who is to die very shortly? He specifically adds the word śuddha, or perfectly correct, urging the sages to give him directly the ultimate process, without making him lose time with lower processes of self-realization.

We may think that Pariksit had a very short span of life ahead, just seven days, but Prabhupada mentions that in reality, everyone is a dying man. Everyone has a very limited span of life ahead, and in fact, we are in a worse position than Maharaja Pariksit because he was sure he had seven days to live, while we can’t be sure of it. We can leave at any moment. Therefore, the question posed by Maharaja Pariksit is the most relevant question for all of us, and the Bhagavatam itself is the answer.

The sages however had different opinions and couldn’t agree unanimously on a single answer. Sridhara Swami comments that some recommended the king to give charity, others for him to practice meditation, others for him to perform sacrifices of practice austerity, and so on. This paved the way for the appearance of Sukadeva Goswami, who was qualified to give the ultimate answer:

The Appearance of Śukadeva Gosvāmī

“At that moment there appeared the powerful son of Vyāsadeva, who traveled over the earth disinterested and satisfied with himself. He did not manifest any symptoms of belonging to any social order or status of life. He was surrounded with women and children, and he dressed as if others had neglected him.”
This son of Vyāsadeva was only sixteen years old. His legs, hands, thighs, arms, shoulders, forehead and the other parts of his body were all delicately formed. His eyes were beautifully wide, and his nose and ears were highly raised. He had a very attractive face, and his neck was well formed and beautiful like a conchshell.
His collarbone was fleshy, his chest broad and thick, his navel deep and his abdomen beautifully striped. His arms were long, and curly hair was strewn over his beautiful face. He was naked, and the hue of his body reflected that of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
He was blackish and very beautiful due to his youth. Because of the glamor of his body and his attractive smiles, he was pleasing to women. Though he tried to cover his natural glories, the great sages present there were all expert in the art of physiognomy, and so they honored him by rising from their seats.” (SB 1.19.25-28)

Sukadeva Goswami had never accepted a formal spiritual master. He ran away from Vyasadeva as soon as he took birth, and came back briefly just to hear the Srimad Bhagavatam. Prabhupada mentions that the formal process, starting with initiation is intended to gradually elevate one to the stage of liberation, but Sukadeva Goswami didn’t need it since he was already liberated from birth. Not only was he self-realized, but completely aloof from social customs. Although he looked like a young man, he was naked, and surrounded by various women and children who were following him out of curiosity. Materially speaking there was no way to recognize him as being part of any specific social class, much less as being such an elevated soul, but the sages present were able to understand who he was by studying his physical features.

The gross body is created in the womb around the subtle body, just like a piece of cloth. In this way, by studying certain features of the physical body and facial expressions one can understand the consciousness of a person. This is a Vedic art on which the sages were experts, and therefore they were able to recognize Sukadeva Goswami and unanimously agreed is hear from him. They all offered him respect by rising from their seats, together with Maharaja Pariksit, who bowed his head. At this moment, all the women and children who were following him went away and the atmosphere became grave and filled with anticipation.

“Śukadeva Gosvāmī was then surrounded by saintly sages and demigods just as the moon is surrounded by stars, planets and other heavenly bodies. His presence was gorgeous, and he was respected by all.
The sage Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī sat perfectly pacified, intelligent and ready to answer any question without hesitation. The great devotee, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, approached him, offered his respects by bowing before him, and politely inquired with sweet words and folded hands.” (SB 1.19.30-31)

When both the spiritual master and the disciple are qualified, the most elevated spiritual discussions can take place. In this case, there was the most auspicious combination, which led to the descending of the most auspicious scripture. As Prabhupada mentions in his purport to 1.19.31:

“Both the spiritual master and the disciple, namely Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī and Mahārāja Parīkṣit, attained perfection through the medium of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śukadeva Gosvāmī learned Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from his father, Vyāsadeva, but he had no chance to recite it. Before Mahārāja Parīkṣit he recited Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and answered the questions of Mahārāja Parīkṣit unhesitatingly, and thus both the master and the disciple got salvation.”

Before renouncing his kingdom, Pariksit Maharaja was engaged in the performance of duties and material auspicious activities, as it is generally recommended by householders, but now, having renounced all responsibilities of royal life, he was ready to hear the highest knowledge. The Bhagavatam is the spotless Purana because it deals only with devotional service, and this was possible only because both the speaker and the hearer were fully in the liberated platform.

“Simply by our remembering you, our houses become instantly sanctified. And what to speak of seeing you, touching you, washing your holy feet and offering you a seat in our home?
Just as the atheist cannot remain in the presence of the Personality of Godhead, so also the invulnerable sins of a man are immediately vanquished in your presence, O saint! O great mystic!
Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is very dear to the sons of King Pāṇḍu, has accepted me as one of those relatives just to please His great cousins and brothers.
Otherwise [without being inspired by Lord Kṛṣṇa] how is it that you have voluntarily appeared here, though you are moving incognito to the common man and are not visible to us who are on the verge of death?
You are the spiritual master of great saints and devotees. I am therefore begging you to show the way of perfection for all persons, and especially for one who is about to die.
Please let me know what a man should hear, chant, remember and worship, and also what he should not do. Please explain all this to me.” (SB 1.19.33-37)

With this, the scenario for the recitation of the Srimad Bhagavatam is complete. In the first verses of the second canto, Sukadeva Goswami will begin his reply.

A timeline of recent and future events, as described in the Srimad Bhagavatam

• Vyasadeva writes the Vedas, restoring the Vedas after they were almost lost during Dwapara-yuga. His disciples spread the knowledge of the different branches to their disciples. (1st canto, 12th canto)
• The appearance of Krsna. (10th canto)
• Krsna executes his childhood pastimes and kills Kansa. (10th canto)
• While living in Mathura, Krsna fights Jarasanda 21 times. To protect the Yadhus from his repeated attacks He creates the city of Dwaraka in the middle of the ocean. (10th canto)
• Yudhisthira becomes the king and executes several great sacrifices. (1st canto)
• The Pandavas lose everything in the dice game and are forced to go into exile. (Mahabharata)
• Krsna meets with Vyasadeva and blesses Sukadeva Goswami (inside the womb) so that he will never be captured by the material energy.
• The Pandavas return and demand their kingdom back, as previously agreed. Duryodhana refuses. (Mahabharata)
• Vidhura leaves the palace and goes on a pilgrimage after being insulted by Duryodhana. (1st canto, Mahabharata)
• Dissension between the Kurus and the Pandavas, both sides prepare for war. Balarama goes on a pilgrimage for one year. (10th canto)
• Balarama kills Romaharsana and blesses Suta Goswami to recite the Puranas. (10th canto)
• Krsna speaks the Bhagavad-Gita to Arjuna. The Battle of Kuruksetra starts.
• After 18 days, the battle finishes. The Pandavas win.
• Aswatama tries to kill Pariksit in the womb and is cursed by Krsna. (1st canto)
• The birth of Pariksit Maharaja, prayers of Queen Kunti. (1st canto)
• Yudhisthira becomes the king. (1st canto)
• Bhismadeva passes away in the presence of Krsna, after instructing king Yudhistira. (1st canto)
• After establishing the Pandavas as the rulers, Krsna departs for Dwaraka. (1st canto)
• Birth of Sukadeva Goswami. He runs from home, but later hears the Srimad Bhagavatam from Vyasadeva. (1st canto)
• The Yadhus fight between themselves and the dynasty is destroyed, 36 years after the battle of Kuruksetra, following the curse of Gandhari (11th canto).
• Krsna instructs Uddhava and Maitreya and orders Uddhava to remain on the planet after His departure to bring a message to the sages in Badrarikasrama and give them association. (11th canto)
• The disappearance of Lord Krsna after being hit by the arrow of the hunter. (11th canto)
• Vidhura meets Uddhava when he was on the way. Uddhava tells him to get instructions from Maitreya, who is nearby (3rd canto).
• Conversation between Vidhura and Maitreya (3rd and 4th canto).
• Vidhura returns to the palace and preaches to Dhrtarastra (1st canto).
• Dhrtarastra attains impersonal liberation. Vidhura goes again on pilgrimage.
• Arjuna goes to Dwaraka but finds that Krsna has already left.
• Arjuna escorts the wives of Krsna and is defeated by the cowherds on the way.
• Arjuna returns to the palace and describes everything to king Yudhisthira.
• The Pandavas accept the renounced order and leave the palace.
• Pariksit becomes the king.
• Pariksit meets Kali, Dharma, and Bhumi (in the form of a sudra, a bull, and a cow).
• Pariksit is cursed by Shringi, the Brahmana boy.
• Pariksit abandons the kingdon, goes to the banks of the Ganges or Yamuna, and prepares to fast until death, surrounded by all great sages.
• Sukadeva Goswami appears in the assembly and, requested by Maharaja Pariksit, recites the Srimad Bhagavatam. Suta Goswami is present in the assembly.
• Pariksit narrates the Brhad Bhagavatamrta to his mother. (Brhad Bhagavatamrta)
• Pariksit is bitten by the snake and passes away. (12th canto)
• Kali-yuga starts in force.
• Janamejaya becomes king and performs the sacrifice to kill all the snakes (12th canto).
• Suta Goswami narrates the Srimad Bhagavatam to the sages in Naimisharanya (1st canto).
• The different dynasties of kings described in the 12th canto of Srimad Bhagavatam.
• Fall of Vedic culture, people use the Vedas as an excuse to kill animals.
• Lord Buddha comes to preach ahimsa. Rejects the Vedas in the process. (2500 years ago)
• Sankaracarya revives the study of the Vedas preaching a form of Buddhism based on the Vedic literature.
• Madhvacarya restores the proper theistic conclusion of the Vedas.
• Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appears in the Madhva sampradaya and gives the ultimate conclusion of the Vedas in the form of the sankirtan movement.
• Different Vaishnava acaryas culminating with Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.
• Srila Prabhupada comes to the West, writes his books, and starts our society.
• We are here.
• Krsna Consciousness spreads to all towns and villages, and the Golden Age starts.
• About 5,000 years later, the Golden Age reaches its peak. Everyone on the planet is a devotee.
• There is a gradual decline and after about 10,000 years after Mahaprabhu, the last pure Vaishnavas go back to Godhead. Ahead there is just the degradation of the remaining years of Kali-yuga.
• After about 417,000 years more, Kalki comes to destroy the atheists. After a transition of 1,000 years a new Satya-yuga begins. (12th canto)

Extra notes:

Krsna’s disappearance, happened in His 125th year on our planet, a total of 36 years after the battle of Kuruksetra. At this time, Pariksit Maharaja was about 35 years old.

The Pandavas renounced their kingdom and went to the Himalayas after receiving the news of the departure of Krsna and the Yadu dynasty, which happened a few weeks or months after the departure of Krsna.

By the time Pariksit was cursed, he had an adult son, Janamejaya, so this must have happened several years after the Pandavas left.

• Sukadeva Goswami, as well as Vyasadeva, were present when Bhismadeva was leaving his body, therefore Sukadeva Goswami is older than Pariksit. On SB 1.19.26 it’s described that “taṁ dvyaṣṭa-varṣaṁ”, Sukadeva Goswami was only sixteen years old when he met Pariksit Maharaja, but this appears to refer to his appearance, not to the chronological age. Because he was so pure, he had the appearance of a sixteen-year-old boy when he spoke the Srimad Bhagavatam.

Suta Goswami was five years old when Balarama killed Romahashana, which also happened around the time of the battle of Kuruksetra. Suta Goswami was thus five or six years older than Maharaja Pariksit. He was present when Sukadeva Goswami narrated the Bhagavatam to Pariksit and later narrated it to the sages in the forest of Naimisharanya.