Parīkṣit’s Questions and the Prelude to Kṛṣṇa’s Advent
Earth’s Burden, Viṣṇu’s Order, and Kaṁsa’s Fear
एतदन्यच्च सर्वं मे मुने कृष्णविचेष्टितम् । वक्तुमर्हसि सर्वज्ञ श्रद्दधानाय विस्तृतम् ॥ १२ ॥
etad anyac ca sarvaṁ me mune kṛṣṇa-viceṣṭitam vaktum arhasi sarvajña śraddadhānāya vistṛtam
O großer Muni, der du alles über Kṛṣṇa weißt, bitte schildere mir ausführlich all Seine Taten — sowohl die, nach denen ich fragte, als auch die, nach denen ich nicht fragte. Ich bin voller Glauben und brenne vor Verlangen zu hören.
This verse shows that a faithful listener should hear Kṛṣṇa’s līlās in detail from a realized, all-knowing sage—hearing is treated as a primary path of bhakti (śravaṇam).
Because Parīkṣit, facing imminent death, sought complete spiritual fulfillment through devoted hearing; he recognized Śukadeva as qualified (sarva-jña) to narrate Kṛṣṇa’s divine activities expansively.
Approach authentic scripture with receptive faith, choose trustworthy teachers, and commit to consistent listening/reading of Krishna-katha to deepen devotion and clarity.