Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 25
Parīkṣit’s Final Absorption, Takṣaka’s Bite, Janamejaya’s Snake Sacrifice, and the Vedic Sound-Lineage
जीवितं मरणं जन्तोर्गति: स्वेनैव कर्मणा । राजंस्ततोऽन्यो नास्त्यस्य प्रदाता सुखदु:खयो: ॥ २५ ॥
jīvitaṁ maraṇaṁ jantor gatiḥ svenaiva karmaṇā rājaṁs tato ’nyo nāsty asya pradātā sukha-duḥkhayoḥ
La vida, la muerte y el destino en la próxima existencia del ser encarnado provienen de sus propios actos; oh Rey, por ello nadie más es en verdad el dador de su dicha y su aflicción.
Although King Parīkṣit apparently died by the bite of Takṣaka, it was Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself who brought the King back to the kingdom of God. Bṛhaspati wanted young King Janamejaya to see things from the spiritual point of view.
FAQs
This verse states that no external person is the giver of one’s happiness and distress; they arise from one’s own karma.
Śukadeva instructs Parīkṣit in spiritual clarity and detachment, emphasizing karmic causality so the King can focus on bhakti and liberation rather than blaming others or fearing events.
Take responsibility for your choices, stop blaming others for your circumstances, and respond to सुख- दुःख with steadiness—using every situation to deepen devotion and right action.