Shloka 47
Parīkṣit’s Inquiry into Vṛtrāsura’s Bhakti and the Beginning of Citraketu’s Trial
तस्यास्तदाकर्ण्य भृशातुरं स्वरं घ्नन्त्या: कराभ्यामुर उच्चकैरपि । प्रविश्य राज्ञी त्वरयात्मजान्तिकं ददर्श बालं सहसा मृतं सुतम् ॥ ४७ ॥
tasyās tadākarṇya bhṛśāturaṁ svaraṁ ghnantyāḥ karābhyām ura uccakair api praviśya rājñī tvarayātmajāntikaṁ dadarśa bālaṁ sahasā mṛtaṁ sutam
Dans une vive agitation, la servante se frappa la poitrine des deux mains et poussa de grands cris. Entendant cette clameur, la reine accourut auprès de son fils et vit que l’enfant était soudainement mort.
FAQs
This verse depicts how death can come abruptly even to one’s most cherished relations; the Bhagavatam uses such moments to point toward sober understanding of life’s impermanence and the need for spiritual refuge beyond material attachment.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī narrates the episode to King Parīkṣit: hearing a co-wife’s loud lament, the chief queen rushes in and finds the child—Citraketu’s son—suddenly dead.
It reminds a devotee to acknowledge grief honestly yet also reflect on the temporary nature of worldly relationships, strengthening remembrance of the soul’s journey and turning the heart toward prayer, dharma, and steady spiritual practice.