Shloka 18
The Birth of Mahārāja Parīkṣit and Prophecies of His Greatness
श्रीराजोवाच अप्येष वंश्यान् राजर्षीन् पुण्यश्लोकान् महात्मन: । अनुवर्तिता स्विद्यशसा साधुवादेन सत्तमा: ॥ १८ ॥
śrī-rājovāca apy eṣa vaṁśyān rājarṣīn puṇya-ślokān mahātmanaḥ anuvartitā svid yaśasā sādhu-vādena sattamāḥ
The noble King asked: “O great souls, will he follow the path of the saintly royal sages of this exalted dynasty—renowned for piety, celebrated for deeds, and praised by the sādhus?”
The forefathers of King Yudhiṣṭhira were all great saintly kings, pious and glorified by their great achievements. They were all saints on the royal throne. And therefore all the members of the state were happy, pious, well-behaved, prosperous and spiritually enlightened. Under strict guidance of the great souls and spiritual injunctions, such great saintly kings were trained up, and as a result the kingdom was full of saintly persons and was a happy land of spiritual life. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was himself a replica of his ancestors, and he desired that the next king after him become exactly like his great forefathers. He was happy to learn from the learned brāhmaṇas that by astrological calculations the child would be born a first-grade devotee of the Lord, and more confidentially he wanted to know whether the child was going to follow in the footsteps of his great forefathers. That is the way of the monarchical state. The reigning king should be a pious, chivalrous devotee of the Lord and fear personified for the upstarts. He must also leave an heir apparent equally qualified to rule over the innocent citizens. In the modern setup of the democratic states, the people themselves are fallen to the qualities of the śūdras or less, and the government is run by their representative, who is ignorant of the scriptural mode of administrative education. Thus the whole atmosphere is surcharged with śūdra qualities, manifested by lust and avarice. Such administrators quarrel every day among themselves. The cabinet of ministers changes often due to party and group selfishness. Everyone wants to exploit the state resources till he dies. No one retires from political life unless forced to do so. How can such low-grade men do good to the people? The result is corruption, intrigue and hypocrisy. They should learn from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam how ideal the administrators must be before they can be given charge of different posts.
FAQs
This verse highlights the ideal of anuvartana—continuing the legacy of rājarṣis (saintly kings) by one’s own pure reputation and by earning the approval of virtuous persons.
In the narrative of Canto 1, the king is eager to know the future character and dharma of the newly born heir—whether he will uphold the Kuru line’s saintly standards and be praised by sādhus.
Live in a way that withstands the scrutiny of the wise—cultivate integrity, self-control, and devotion—so that your actions naturally invite the respect of genuinely principled people.