Shloka 37
Parīkṣit’s Vow on the Gaṅgā and the Advent of Śukadeva Gosvāmī
अत: पृच्छामि संसिद्धिं योगिनां परमं गुरुम् । पुरुषस्येह यत्कार्यं म्रियमाणस्य सर्वथा ॥ ३७ ॥
ataḥ pṛcchāmi saṁsiddhiṁ yogināṁ paramaṁ gurum puruṣasyeha yat kāryaṁ mriyamāṇasya sarvathā
Darum frage ich dich, höchsten Guru der Yogis: zeige den Weg zur Vollkommenheit. Was soll der Mensch in dieser Welt tun, besonders wenn er dem Tod nahe ist?
Unless one is perfectly anxious to inquire about the way of perfection, there is no necessity of approaching a spiritual master. A spiritual master is not a kind of decoration for a householder. Generally a fashionable materialist engages a so-called spiritual master without any profit. The pseudo spiritual master flatters the so-called disciple, and thereby both the master and his ward go to hell without a doubt. Mahārāja Parīkṣit is the right type of disciple because he puts forward questions vital to the interest of all men, particularly for the dying men. The question put forward by Mahārāja Parīkṣit is the basic principle of the complete thesis of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Now let us see how intelligently the great master replies.
FAQs
This verse shows Parīkṣit Mahārāja asking the ultimate question: the essential duty of a dying person and the highest perfection—setting the stage for hearing and remembering the Supreme with full focus.
Because Parīkṣit was facing imminent death and recognized Śukadeva as the supreme teacher for spiritual perfection, so he sought clear guidance on the most important duty at life’s final moment.
Live in a way that trains the mind for the final test—regular hearing, chanting, and remembrance of the Lord—so that at death one can naturally focus on the highest spiritual perfection.