Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 5

Parīkṣit’s Final Absorption, Takṣaka’s Bite, Janamejaya’s Snake Sacrifice, and the Vedic Sound-Lineage

Devanagari script

भगवंस्तक्षकादिभ्यो मृत्युभ्यो न बिभेम्यहम् । प्रविष्टो ब्रह्म निर्वाणमभयं दर्शितं त्वया ॥ ५ ॥

Transliteration

bhagavaṁs takṣakādibhyo mṛtyubhyo na bibhemy aham praviṣṭo brahma nirvāṇam abhayaṁ darśitaṁ tvayā

Translation

My lord, I now have no fear of Takṣaka or any other living being, or even of repeated deaths, because I have absorbed myself in that purely spiritual Absolute Truth, which you have revealed and which destroys all fear.

Synonyms

• भगवन्: O Lord
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• तक्षक-आदिभ्यः: from Takṣaka and others
• तक्षक-आदिभ्यः: Apadana (अपादान/Ablative source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तक्षक + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), बहुवचन; तक्षकादि = 'Takṣaka and others' (आदि-शब्देन समूह)

• मृत्युभ्यः: from deaths (forms of death)
• मृत्युभ्यः: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• बिभेमि: I fear
• बिभेमि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भी (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रविष्टः: having entered
• प्रविष्टः: Karta (कर्ता; predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• ब्रह्म: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; अत्र कर्मरूपे (entered Brahman)

• निर्वाणम्: nirvāṇa, extinction/liberation
• निर्वाणम्: Karma (कर्म; appositional object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ब्रह्म-निर्वाणम् = ब्रह्मणि निर्वाण-स्थितिः

• अभयम्: fearless
• अभयम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्वाणस्य विशेषणम्

• दर्शितम्: shown
• दर्शितम्: Karma (कर्म; predicate of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'shown'

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (करण/Instrument; agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

Characters & Entities

• Takṣaka
• King Parīkṣit
• Śukadeva Gosvāmī

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about fear of death?

In this verse, King Parīkṣit declares he does not fear death—even if it comes as Takṣaka—because realization of brahma-nirvāṇa (the fearless spiritual state) has been revealed to him by Śukadeva.

Why did King Parikshit say he was not afraid of Takshaka?

Parīkṣit had heard Śukadeva Gosvāmī’s Bhagavata teachings and became spiritually established; thus the external cause of death (Takṣaka) no longer disturbed him.

How can I apply this teaching about fearlessness in modern life?

By deepening spiritual hearing and remembrance (śravaṇa and smaraṇa) so identity shifts from the perishable body to the soul—reducing anxiety and bringing steadiness even amid uncertainty.