Shloka 2
Parīkṣit’s Vow on the Gaṅgā and the Advent of Śukadeva Gosvāmī
ध्रुवं ततो मे कृतदेवहेलनाद् दुरत्ययं व्यसनं नातिदीर्घात् । तदस्तु कामं ह्यघनिष्कृताय मे यथा न कुर्यां पुनरेवमद्धा ॥ २ ॥
dhruvaṁ tato me kṛta-deva-helanād duratyayaṁ vyasanaṁ nāti-dīrghāt tad astu kāmaṁ hy agha-niṣkṛtāya me yathā na kuryāṁ punar evam addhā
ध्रुवं मे कृतदेवहेलनात् नातिदीर्घात् दुरत्ययं व्यसनं भविष्यति; तदस्तु कामं मेऽघनिष्कृताय, यथा पुनरेवमद्धा न कुर्याम्।
The Supreme Lord enjoins that brāhmaṇas and cows must be given all protection. The Lord is Himself very much inclined to do good to brāhmaṇas and cows ( go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca ). Mahārāja Parīkṣit knew all this, and thus he concluded that his insulting a powerful brāhmaṇa was certainly to be punished by the laws of the Lord, and he was expecting something very difficult in the very near future. He therefore desired the imminent calamity to fall on him and not on his family members. A man’s personal misconduct affects all his family members. Therefore Mahārāja Parīkṣit desired the calamity to fall on him alone. By suffering personally he would be restrained from future sins, and at the same time the sin which he had committed would be counteracted so that his descendants would not suffer. That is the way a responsible devotee thinks. The family members of a devotee also share the effects of a devotee’s service unto the Lord. Mahārāja Prahlāda saved his demon father by his personal devotional service. A devotee son in the family is the greatest boon or blessing of the Lord.
FAQs
In this verse, Parīkṣit Mahārāja accepts the coming suffering as the result of his offense and prays that it serve as true expiation, reforming his heart so he never repeats the mistake.
Hearing of the curse, Parīkṣit recognizes his fault—disrespect toward a saintly person—and responds with humility, choosing purification over protest and preparing himself for spiritual completion.
Own mistakes without excuses, accept fair consequences, and focus on inner correction—using hardship as a catalyst to become more respectful, self-controlled, and spiritually serious.