Shloka 5
The Birth of Mahārāja Parīkṣit and Prophecies of His Greatness
सम्पद: क्रतवो लोका महिषी भ्रातरो मही । जम्बूद्वीपाधिपत्यं च यशश्च त्रिदिवं गतम् ॥ ५ ॥
sampadaḥ kratavo lokā mahiṣī bhrātaro mahī jambudvīpādhipatyaṁ ca yaśaś ca tri-divaṁ gatam
Die Kunde von Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhiras Reichtum, von den Opfern, die ihm eine höhere Bestimmung verliehen, von seiner Königin, seinen tapferen Brüdern, seinem weiten Land, seiner Herrschaft über Jambūdvīpa und seinem Ruhm gelangte sogar bis in die himmlischen Welten.
Only a rich and great man’s name and fame are known all over the world, and the name and fame of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira reached the higher planets because of his good administration, worldly possessions, glorious wife Draupadī, the strength of his brothers Bhīma and Arjuna, and his solid sovereign power over the world, known as Jambudvīpa. Here the word lokāḥ is significant. There are different lokas or higher planets scattered all over the sky, both material and spiritual. A person can reach them by dint of his work in the present life, as stated in Bhagavad-gītā (9.25) . No forceful entrance is allowed there. The tiny material scientists and engineers who have discovered vehicles to travel over a few thousand miles in outer space will not be allowed entrance. That is not the way to reach the better planets. One must qualify himself to enter into such happy planets by sacrifice and service. Those who are sinful in every step of life can expect only to be degraded into animal life to suffer more and more the pangs of material existence, and this is also stated in Bhagavad-gītā (16.19) . Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira’s good sacrifices and qualifications were so lofty and virtuous that even the residents of the higher celestial planets were already prepared to receive him as one of them.
FAQs
This verse lists prosperity, successful sacrifices, and even heavenly fame as outcomes associated with righteous order—implying that dharmic rule and yajña support abundance and auspicious results.
The verse refers to the royal attainment connected with Mahārāja Parīkṣit—his opulence, reputation, and dominion are being summarized in the narrative of Canto 1, Chapter 12.
Prioritize dharma—integrity, duty, and offerings of gratitude (the spirit of yajña). The Bhagavatam’s lesson is that lasting honor and well-being arise from principled conduct, not mere acquisition.