Shloka 1
Parīkṣit’s Questions and the Prelude to Kṛṣṇa’s Advent
Earth’s Burden, Viṣṇu’s Order, and Kaṁsa’s Fear
श्रीराजोवाच कथितो वंशविस्तारो भवता सोमसूर्ययो: । राज्ञां चोभयवंश्यानां चरितं परमाद्भुतम् ॥ १ ॥
śrī-rājovāca kathito vaṁśa-vistāro bhavatā soma-sūryayoḥ rājñāṁ cobhaya-vaṁśyānāṁ caritaṁ paramādbhutam
श्रीराजोवाच—भवता सोमसूर्ययोर्वंशविस्तारः कथितः, उभयवंश्यानां राज्ञां परमाद्भुतं चरितं च विस्तरेण वर्णितम्॥
At the end of the Ninth Canto, Twenty-fourth Chapter, Śukadeva Gosvāmī summarized the activities of Kṛṣṇa. He spoke of how Kṛṣṇa had personally appeared to reduce the burden on the earth, how He had manifested His pastimes as a householder, and how, soon after His birth, He had transferred Himself to His Vrajabhūmi-līlā. Parīkṣit Mahārāja, being naturally a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, wanted to hear more about Lord Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, to encourage Śukadeva Gosvāmī to continue speaking about Kṛṣṇa and give further details, he thanked Śukadeva Gosvāmī for having described the activities of Kṛṣṇa in brief. Śukadeva Gosvāmī had said:
FAQs
In this verse, King Parīkṣit acknowledges that Śukadeva has already narrated the विस्तारित genealogies of the Soma (Moon) and Sūrya (Sun) dynasties and the wondrous deeds of their kings—setting the stage for the Krishna-centered narration of Canto 10.
Parīkṣit is affirming the completeness and marvel of the prior narrations (earlier cantos) and, by this appreciative summary, transitions the discussion toward the forthcoming Krishna-līlā beginning in the Tenth Canto.
A student of bhakti learns to hear attentively, appreciate sacred history as purposeful, and use that gratitude to deepen eagerness for the central message—devotional absorption in Śrī Kṛṣṇa.