॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
॥ एकोनविंशोऽध्यायः ॥
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Discourse XIX
Parīkṣit takes a vow of fasting till death and Śuka pays a visit to him (Preamble)
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सूत उवाच ।
महीपतिस्त्वथ तत्कर्म गर्ह्यं
विचिन्तयन्नात्मकृतं सुदुर्मनाः ।
अहो मया नीचमनार्यवत्कृतं
निरागसि ब्रह्मणि गूढतेजसि ॥ १॥
ध्रुवं ततो मे कृतदेवहेलना-
द्दुरत्ययं व्यसनं नातिदीर्घात् ।
तदस्तु कामं त्वघनिष्कृताय मे
यथा न कुर्यां पुनरेवमद्धा ॥ २॥
अद्यैव राज्यं बलमृद्धकोशं
प्रकोपितब्रह्मकुलानलो मे ।
दहत्वभद्रस्य पुनर्न मेऽभू-
त्पापीयसी धीर्द्विजदेवगोभ्यः ॥ ३॥
स चिन्तयन्नित्थमथाशृणोद्यथा
मुनेः सुतोक्तो निरृतिस्तक्षकाख्यः ।
स साधु मेने न चिरेण तक्षका-
नलं प्रसक्तस्य विरक्तिकारणम् ॥ ४॥
अथो विहायेमममुं च लोकं
विमर्शितौ हेयतया पुरस्तात् ।
कृष्णाङ्घ्रिसेवामधिमन्यमान
उपाविशत्प्रायममर्त्यनद्याम् ॥ ५॥
या वै लसच्छ्रीतुलसीविमिश्र-
कृष्णाङ्घ्रिरेण्वभ्यधिकाम्बुनेत्री ।
पुनाति लोकानुभयत्र सेशान्
कस्तां न सेवेत मरिष्यमाणः ॥ ६॥
इति व्यवच्छिद्य स पाण्डवेयः
प्रायोपवेशं प्रति विष्णुपद्याम् ।
दध्यौ मुकुन्दाङ्घ्रिमनन्यभावो
मुनिव्रतो मुक्तसमस्तसङ्गः ॥ ७॥
तत्रोपजग्मुर्भुवनं पुनाना
महानुभावा मुनयः सशिष्याः ।
प्रायेण तीर्थाभिगमापदेशैः
स्वयं हि तीर्थानि पुनन्ति सन्तः ॥ ८॥
अत्रिर्वसिष्ठश्च्यवनः शरद्वा-
नरिष्टनेमिर्भृगुरङ्गिराश्च ।
पराशरो गाधिसुतोऽथ राम
उतथ्य इन्द्रप्रमदेध्मवाहौ ॥ ९॥
मेधातिथिर्देवल आर्ष्टिषेणो
भारद्वाजो गौतमः पिप्पलादः ।
मैत्रेय और्वः कवषः कुम्भयोनि-
र्द्वैपायनो भगवान्नारदश्च ॥ १०॥
अन्ये च देवर्षिब्रह्मर्षिवर्या
राजर्षिवर्या अरुणादयश्च ।
नानार्षेयप्रवरान् समेता-
नभ्यर्च्य राजा शिरसा ववन्दे ॥ ११॥
सुखोपविष्टेष्वथ तेषु भूयः
कृतप्रणामः स्वचिकीर्षितं यत् ।
विज्ञापयामास विविक्तचेता
उपस्थितोऽग्रेऽभिगृहीतपाणिः ॥ १२॥
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Sūta continued : Now the king too felt much troubled at heart at the thought of his reproachful conduct, and said to himself: "Oh! like a vulgar man I have behaved very ignobly with that innocent Brāhmaṇa of hidden spiritual power. (1)
As a result of the disrespect shown by me to the Lord Himself (in the form of that saint) some calamity, hard to overcome, will surely befall me not long afterwards. Let it come directly on me by all means for the expiation of my sin, so that I may not have the courage to repeat it. (2)
Let fire in the shape of the angered Brāhmaṇa race consume this very day the kingdom, the army and the rich treasury of my accursed self, so that I may not harbour a sinful thought with regard to the Brāhmaṇas, the gods and the cows hereafter." (3)
While thus reflecting, he presently heard how death impelled by (the curse of) the sage's son awaited him under the appellation of Takṣaka. He looked upon the fire-like poison of Takṣaka as a blessing; for he thought the same would speedily arouse dispassion in him who was deeply attached to the world. (4)
Now renouncing this as well as the other world, both of which he had already concluded as worth rejecting, and recognizing the adoration of Śrī Kṛṣṇa's feet as superior to everything else, he sat down on the bank of the Gaṅgā (the river of the immortals) with a resolve to fast till death. (5)
The Gaṅgā carries in it the water which excels all other waters due to its contact with the dust of Śrī Kṛṣṇa's feet mixed with lovely Tulasi leaves borne on them, and sanctifies all the worlds both above and below along with their guardian deities (Indra and others). What dying man would not resort to this holy river ? (6)
Having thus resolved upon fasting till death on the bank of the Gaṅgā (which flows from the feet of Lord Viṣṇu), and shaken off all attachment (to the world), king Parikṣit (a scion of Pāṇḍu) took a vow to lead the life of a hermit and fixed his mind on the feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the Bestower of Liberation) with undivided devotion. (7)
There arrived with their pupils sages of great spiritual power, who brought sanctity to the whole world. Under the pretext of visiting holy places the saints generally consecrate the places of pilgrimage themselves. (8)
(There came) Atri, Vasiṣṭha, Cyavana, Śaradvān, Ariṣṭanemi, Bhrgu and Aṅgirā, Parāśara (the father of Vedavyāsa), Viśwāmitra (the son of Gādhi) and Rāma (more popularly known as Paraśurāma), Utathya, Indrapramada and Idhmavāha, Medhātithi, Devala, Ārṣṭiṣeṇa, Bhāradwāja, Gautama, Pippalāda, Maitreya, Aurva, Kavaṣa, the jar-born sage Agastya, the island-born Vedavyāsa and the divine sage Nārada as well as other distinguished celestial and Brāhmaṇa sages and eminent royal sages besides other sages such as Aruṇa. Seeing the foremost of many Rṣi families gathered there, the king received them with due honour and bowed his head to them. (9—11)
When they were all comfortably seated, he made obeisance to them once more and, standing before them with joined palms, told them with a guileless heart what he intended to do. (12) (1-12)
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राजोवाच ।
अहो वयं धन्यतमा नृपाणां
महत्तमानुग्रहणीयशीलाः ।
राज्ञां कुलं ब्राह्मणपादशौचा-
द्दूराद्विसृष्टं बत गर्ह्यकर्म ॥ १३॥
तस्यैव मेऽघस्य परावरेशो
व्यासक्तचित्तस्य गृहेष्वभीक्ष्णम् ।
निर्वेदमूलो द्विजशापरूपो
यत्र प्रसक्तो भयमाशु धत्ते ॥ १४॥
तं मोपयातं प्रतियन्तु विप्रा
गङ्गा च देवी धृतचित्तमीशे ।
द्विजोपसृष्टः कुहकस्तक्षको वा
दशत्वलं गायत विष्णुगाथाः ॥ १५॥
पुनश्च भूयाद्भगवत्यनन्ते
रतिः प्रसङ्गश्च तदाश्रयेषु ।
महत्सु यां यामुपयामि सृष्टिं
मैत्र्यस्तु सर्वत्र नमो द्विजेभ्यः ॥ १६॥
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The king said : We are the most blessed of all monarchs, possessing as we do a character which has deserved the grace of the noblest souls. Alas ! the race of kings (the ruling class) is generally far removed from (deprived of the privilege of bearing on their head) the water in which the feet of the Brāhmaṇas have been washed: their doings are so reproachful. (13)
To me, so sinful and ever so deeply attached to the home, the Lord Himself, who is the Ruler of the entire universe, has come in the form of a Brāhmaṇa's curse, that has aroused in me a feeling of aversion to worldly enjoyments; for under such a curse one who is deeply attached to the world speedily develops dispassion. (14)
May the Brāhmaṇas (assembled here) as well as goddess Gaṅgā know me as a devotee who has approached them for protection, having fixed his mind on the Lord. Urged by the Brāhmaṇa, let someone who has cunningly assumed the form of Takṣaka or Takṣaka himself bite me at will. Meanwhile I implore you to sing the stories of Lord Viṣṇu. (15)
Bowing once more to you, the Brāhmaṇas, I pray : in every birth I take hereafter may I be blessed with devotion to the immortal Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, strong attachment for noble souls depending on Him and friendship for all. (16) (13-16)
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इति स्म राजाध्यवसाययुक्तः
प्राचीनमूलेषु कुशेषु धीरः ।
उदङ्मुखो दक्षिणकूल आस्ते
समुद्रपत्न्याः स्वसुतन्यस्तभारः ॥ १७॥
एवं च तस्मिन् नरदेवदेवे
प्रायोपविष्टे दिवि देवसङ्घाः ।
प्रशस्य भूमौ व्यकिरन् प्रसूनै-
र्मुदा मुहुर्दुन्दुभयश्च नेदुः ॥ १८॥
महर्षयो वै समुपागता ये
प्रशस्य साध्वित्यनुमोदमानाः ।
ऊचुः प्रजानुग्रहशीलसारा
यदुत्तमश्लोकगुणाभिरूपम् ॥ १९॥
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Thus resolved, and having placed the kingly responsibilities on the shoulders of his own eldest son (Janamejaya), the wise king sat down on the southern bank of the Gaṅgā (a spouse of the deity presiding over the oceans), on the blades of Kuśa with their roots turned to the east, himself facing the north. (17)
When that king of kings (Emperor Parikṣit ) had thus taken his seat with a vow to fasting till death, hosts of gods in heaven shouted applause and joyfully rained down flowers on him on the earth, while drums were sounded again and again. (18)
The great Ṛṣis who had assembled there were benevolent to the people by their very disposition and spent all their energy in conferring benefits on them. They too applauded the king and approved of his resolve exclaiming "Splendid !" and spoke words which fitted well with the king, who was deeply impressed with the virtues of the Lord of excellent renown:—(19) (17-19)
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न वा इदं राजर्षिवर्य चित्रं
भवत्सु कृष्णं समनुव्रतेषु ।
येऽध्यासनं राजकिरीटजुष्टं
सद्यो जहुर्भगवत्पार्श्वकामाः ॥ २०॥
सर्वे वयं तावदिहास्महेऽद्य
कलेवरं यावदसौ विहाय ।
लोकं परं विरजस्कं विशोकं
यास्यत्ययं भागवतप्रधानः ॥ २१॥
आश्रुत्य तदृषिगणवचः परीक्षि-
त्समं मधुच्युद्गुरु चाव्यलीकम् ।
आभाषतैनानभिनन्द्य युक्तान्
शुश्रूषमाणश्चरितानि विष्णोः ॥ २२॥
समागताः सर्वत एव सर्वे
वेदा यथा मूर्तिधरास्त्रिपृष्ठे ।
नेहाथवामुत्र च कश्चनार्थ
ऋते परानुग्रहमात्मशीलम् ॥ २३॥
ततश्च वः पृच्छ्यमिमं विपृच्छे
विश्रभ्य विप्रा इति कृत्यतायाम् ।
सर्वात्मना म्रियमाणैश्च कृत्यं
शुद्धं च तत्रामृशताभियुक्ताः ॥ २४॥
तत्राभवद्भगवान् व्यासपुत्रो
यदृच्छया गामटमानोऽनपेक्षः ।
अलक्ष्यलिङ्गो निजलाभतुष्टो
वृतश्च बालैरवधूतवेषः ॥ २५॥
तं द्व्यष्टवर्षं सुकुमारपाद-
करोरुबाह्वंसकपोलगात्रम् ।
चार्वायताक्षोन्नसतुल्यकर्ण-
सुभ्र्वाननं कम्बुसुजातकण्ठम् ॥ २६॥
निगूढजत्रुं पृथुतुङ्गवक्षस-
मावर्तनाभिं वलिवल्गूदरं च ।
दिगम्बरं वक्त्रविकीर्णकेशं
प्रलम्बबाहुं स्वमरोत्तमाभम् ॥ २७॥
श्यामं सदापीच्यवयोऽङ्गलक्ष्म्या
स्त्रीणां मनोज्ञं रुचिरस्मितेन ।
प्रत्युत्थितास्ते मुनयः स्वासनेभ्य-
स्तल्लक्षणज्ञा अपि गूढवर्चसम् ॥ २८॥
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"O chief of royal sages, this is no wonder in you (the scions of Pāṇḍu), devoted as you are to Śrī Kṛṣṇa; for, in your eagerness to attain proximity to the Lord you have speedily renounced the imperial throne against which kings robbed their crowns. (20)
Now we shall all remain here till this king, who is foremost among the devotees of the Lord, has cast off his mortal coil and ascended to the highest abode (of the Lord), which is beyond the reach of Māyā and free from sorrow." (21)
On hearing these words of the sages—impartial, sweet, full of deep significance and true—Parikṣit greeted the sages, who had all become one with the Supreme Spirit; and, eager to hear the stories of Lord Viṣṇu (Śrī Kṛṣṇa), replied to them as follows :— (22)
"Shining like the Vedas, that abide in visible form in the highest heaven (the Satyaloka, Brahmā's abode), you have all come together from every quarter. And you have no purpose of your own (to achieve) in this world or the next, except doing good to others, which is your innate disposition. (23)
Reposing faith in you, therefore, O Brāhmaṇas, I ask you this question—which is the only question worth asking—in regard to my duty. Tell me, O learned sages, after due deliberation, what innocent course should be pursued by all under every circumstance and in particular, by those who are about to die*" (24)
Meanwhile there arrived on the scene wandering about on the earth at will, the divine Śuka (the son of Vyāsa) who was indifferent to the world and had no visible marks of any particular Varṇa (grade of society) or Āśrama (stage of life) on his person, who was contented with the realization of his own Self and was surrounded by women and children and who wore the appearance of an ascetic that had renounced all worldly attachments and connections. (25)
Sixteen years of age, with tender feet, hands, thighs, arms, shoulders, cheeks and frame, he had a lovely countenance with large eyes, a prominent nose, symmetrical ears, beautiful eyebrows and a conch-like shapely neck. (26)
His collar-bone was hidden within a fleshy frame; his chest was broad and prominent, his navel deep and spiral like an eddy and his belly looked charming with its three folds. He was stark naked, with hair flung about his face, had long arms and shone like one of the highest gods. (27)
He possessed a swarthy complexion and captivated the heart of women by his charming youth, graceful limbs and winsome smiles. Although he had concealed his spiritual glow (behind a crazy appearance), the sages (present there) recognized him by his characteristic features and rose from their seats to receive him. (28)
- King Parikṣit asks here the following two questions:—
(1)
What should a mortal do at all times and under all circumstances ?
(2)
What is the duty of a man who is about to die ?
He puts these very question to the sage Śuka later on; and as a matter of fact, it is these two questions that have been answered at length by the latter in the course of the following eleven books of the Śrīmad Bhāgavata.
(20-28)
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स विष्णुरातोऽतिथय आगताय
तस्मै सपर्यां शिरसाऽऽजहार ।
ततो निवृत्ता ह्यबुधाः स्त्रियोऽर्भका
महासने सोपविवेश पूजितः ॥ २९॥
स संवृतस्तत्र महान् महीयसां
ब्रह्मर्षिराजर्षिदेवर्षिसङ्घैः ।
व्यरोचतालं भगवान् यथेन्दु-
र्ग्रहर्क्षतारानिकरैः परीतः ॥ ३०॥
प्रशान्तमासीनमकुण्ठमेधसं
मुनिं नृपो भागवतोऽभ्युपेत्य ।
प्रणम्य मूर्ध्नावहितः कृताञ्जलि-
र्नत्वा गिरा सूनृतयान्वपृच्छत् ॥ ३१॥
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King Viṣṇurāta (Parikṣit, so-called because his life had been preserved by Lord Viṣṇu i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself), of whom we have spoken before, bowed his head to the stranger who had called on him (of his own accord), and did homage to him. The ignorant women and children thereupon withdrew and, worshipped by all, the sage occupied an exalted seat. (29)
Surrounded by hosts of Brāhmaṇa sages, royal sages and celestial sages, the divine Śuka, who was greatest among the great, shone most resplendent even as the moon in the midst of other planets, constellations and stars. (30)
When that sage of unfailing wisdom had taken his seat, fully composed, the king, who was a devotee of the Lord, approached him and, touching his feet with his head, stood attentive before him. Then, bowing (again) with joined palms, he questioned the sage in sweet accents. (31) (29-31)
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परीक्षिदुवाच ।
अहो अद्य वयं ब्रह्मन् सत्सेव्याः क्षत्रबन्धवः ।
कृपयातिथिरूपेण भवद्भिस्तीर्थकाः कृताः ॥ ३२॥
येषां संस्मरणात्पुंसां सद्यः शुध्यन्ति वै गृहाः ।
किं पुनर्दर्शनस्पर्शपादशौचासनादिभिः ॥ ३३॥
सान्निध्यात्ते महायोगिन् पातकानि महान्त्यपि ।
सद्यो नश्यन्ति वै पुंसां विष्णोरिव सुरेतराः ॥ ३४॥
अपि मे भगवान् प्रीतः कृष्णः पाण्डुसुतप्रियः ।
पैतृष्वसेयप्रीत्यर्थं तद्गोत्रस्यात्तबान्धवः ॥ ३५॥
अन्यथा तेऽव्यक्तगतेर्दर्शनं नः कथं नृणाम् ।
नितरां म्रियमाणानां संसिद्धस्य वनीयसः ॥ ३६॥
अतः पृच्छामि संसिद्धिं योगिनां परमं गुरुम् ।
पुरुषस्येह यत्कार्यं म्रियमाणस्य सर्वथा ॥ ३७॥
यच्छ्रोतव्यमथो जप्यं यत्कर्तव्यं नृभिः प्रभो ।
स्मर्तव्यं भजनीयं वा ब्रूहि यद्वा विपर्ययम् ॥ ३८॥
नूनं भगवतो ब्रह्मन् गृहेषु गृहमेधिनाम् ।
न लक्ष्यते ह्यवस्थानमपि गोदोहनं क्वचित् ॥ ३९॥
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Parikṣit said : Oh, how blessed are we today, O holy sage, in that we, vile Kṣatriyas, have been considered worthy of a visit by saints and have been so graciously consecrated by you by calling on us as our guest. (32)
Men's houses are instantly purified by your remembrance, much more by your sight and touch, by washing your feet, offering a seat to you and so on. (33)
Men's worst sins, O great Yogi, are wiped out at once by your very presence, even as the demons are by the presence of Lord Viṣṇu. (34)
I presume Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the friend of the Pāṇḍavas, is pleased with me. It is for the pleasure of His cousins (the Pāṇḍavas) that He has acted in a friendly manner even towards me, their scion. (35)
otherwise how could we, human beings much less those who are about to die, obtain the privilege of seeing you, whose movements are so obscure, and who have fully realized the object of human life and live in a lonely forest ? (36)
Therefore, I enquire of you, the greatest preceptor of the Yogis, the character and the means of the highest realization. Nay, what should be done under all circumstances by a man who is on the verge of death ? (37)
Again, tell me, my lord, what should be done by men in general—what should they hear, what should they repeat (with their tongue), what should they keep in their mind, what should they resort to and what should they avoid ? (38)
For, nowhere, O divine sage, are you seen to stay at the door of householders even for the brief space of time taken in milking a cow. (39) (32-39)
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सूत उवाच ।
एवमाभाषितः पृष्टः स राज्ञा श्लक्ष्णया गिरा ।
प्रत्यभाषत धर्मज्ञो भगवान् बादरायणिः ॥ ४०॥
इति श्रीमद्भागवते महापुराणे वैयासक्यामष्टादशसाहस्र्यां
पारमहंस्यां संहितायां प्रथमस्कन्धे शुकागमनं नामैकोनविंशोऽध्यायः ॥ १.१९॥
॥ इति प्रथमस्कन्धः समाप्तः ॥
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Sūta continued : Thus addressed and questioned by the king in soft accents, the divine Śuka (the son of Bādarāyaṇa), who was conversant with Dharma, made answer (as follows): (40)
Thus ends the nineteenth discourse entitled "The visit of Śuka", in Book One of the great and glorious Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahārṣa-Sarhhitā, composed by the sage Vyāsa and consisting of eighteen thousand Ślokas. (40)
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