Shloka 42
Avatāra-kathā — The Puruṣa, the Many Incarnations, and Kṛṣṇa as Svayam Bhagavān
स तु संश्रावयामास महाराजं परीक्षितम् । प्रायोपविष्टं गङ्गायां परीतं परमर्षिभि: ॥ ४२ ॥
sa tu saṁśrāvayām āsa mahārājaṁ parīkṣitam prāyopaviṣṭaṁ gaṅgāyāṁ parītaṁ paramarṣibhiḥ
Kemudian Śukadeva Gosvāmī menyampaikan Bhāgavata itu kepada Mahārāja Parīkṣit, yang duduk di tebing Gaṅgā dalam tapa prāyopaveśa, dikelilingi para resi agung.
All transcendental messages are received properly in the chain of disciplic succession. This disciplic succession is called paramparā. Unless therefore Bhāgavatam or any other Vedic literatures are received through the paramparā system, the reception of knowledge is not bona fide. Vyāsadeva delivered the message to Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and from Śukadeva Gosvāmī, Sūta Gosvāmī received the message. One should therefore receive the message of Bhāgavatam from Sūta Gosvāmī or from his representative and not from any irrelevant interpreter.
FAQs
This verse highlights Bhagavatam as something to be heard—recited to a sincere listener like Mahārāja Parīkṣit—showing that attentive hearing of sacred narration is central to bhakti.
Parīkṣit had accepted prāyopaveśa (fasting until death) and took shelter of the holy Gaṅgā; the foremost sages gathered to witness and support this spiritually pivotal moment and to hear transcendental discourse.
Even without extreme vows, one can follow Parīkṣit’s mood by prioritizing daily hearing of Bhagavatam, seeking saintly association, and using limited time to focus on God-centered wisdom.