Shloka 21

Mahārāja Parīkṣit Cursed by a Brāhmaṇa Boy (Śṛṅgi) and the Moral Crisis of Kali-yuga

Devanagari script

अथापि यत्पादनखावसृष्टं जगद्विरिञ्चोपहृतार्हणाम्भ: । सेशं पुनात्यन्यतमो मुकुन्दात् को नाम लोके भगवत्पदार्थ: ॥ २१ ॥

Transliteration

athāpi yat-pāda-nakhāvasṛṣṭaṁ jagad viriñcopahṛtārhaṇāmbhaḥ seśaṁ punāty anyatamo mukundāt ko nāma loke bhagavat-padārthaḥ

Translation

ผู้ใดเล่าจะคู่ควรกับนาม “พระผู้เป็นเจ้าสูงสุด” นอกจากมุกุนทะ ศรีกฤษณะ? น้ำที่ไหลออกจากเล็บพระบาทของพระองค์ พระพรหมได้รวบรวมไว้เพื่อถวายเป็นอรฆยะต้อนรับแด่พระศิวะ และน้ำนั้นเอง (คงคา) ชำระจักรวาลทั้งปวง รวมทั้งพระศิวะด้วย

Synonyms

• atha: then; moreover
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) ‘then/now’

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात)

• yat-pāda-nakha-avasṛṣṭam: that which has fallen from the nails of (his) feet
• yat-pāda-nakha-avasṛṣṭam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yat (सर्वनाम) + pāda (प्रातिपदिक) + nakha (प्रातिपदिक) + ava-√sṛj (धातु) → avasṛṣṭa (कृदन्त)
• Form: Compound qualifying ‘ambhaḥ’; past passive participle (क्त) ‘let fall/issued’; Neuter (नपुं), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• jagat: the world
• jagat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुं), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• viriñca-upahṛta-arhaṇa-ambhaḥ: the worship-water brought by Brahmā
• viriñca-upahṛta-arhaṇa-ambhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viriñca (प्रातिपदिक) + upa-√hṛ (धातु) → upahṛta (कृदन्त) + arhaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + ambhas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुं), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); compound: ‘water of worship brought by Viriñca (Brahmā)’

• sa-īśam: together with Śiva
• sa-īśam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुं), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); ‘together with Īśa (Śiva)’

• punāti: purifies
• punāti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pū (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• anyatamaḥ: anyone (else)
• anyatamaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anyatama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुं), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); ‘any one (among many)’

• mukundāt: than Mukunda
• mukundāt: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukunda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुं), Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (एकवचन)

• kaḥ: who?
• kaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Interrogative pronoun, Masculine (पुं), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• nāma: indeed; at all
• nāma: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) for emphasis/question ‘indeed/at all’

• loke: in the world
• loke: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुं), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhagavat-padārthaḥ: a true devotee/recipient of the Lord’s feet
• bhagavat-padārthaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक) + pada (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुं), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); compound: ‘one who is the object/recipient of the Lord’s feet (i.e., devotion)’

Purport

The conception of many gods in the Vedic literatures by the ignorant is completely wrong. The Lord is one without a second, but He expands Himself in many ways, and this is confirmed in the Vedas. Such expansions of the Lord are limitless, but some of them are the living entities. The living entities are not as powerful as the Lord’s plenary expansions, and therefore there are two different types of expansions. Lord Brahmā is generally one of the living entities, and Lord Śiva is the medium between the Lord and the living entities. In other words, even demigods like Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva, who are the chief amongst all demigods, are never equal to or greater than Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, and all-powerful demigods like Brahmā and Śiva are engaged in the worship of Viṣṇu or Lord Kṛṣṇa; therefore who can be more powerful than Mukunda (Lord Kṛṣṇa) to be factually called the Supreme Personality of Godhead? The goddess of fortune, Lakṣmījī, Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva are not independently powerful; they are powerful as expansions of the Supreme Lord, and all of them are engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, and so also are the living entities. There are four sects of worshipful devotees of the Lord, and the chief amongst them are the Brahma sampradāya, Rudra sampradāya and Śrī sampradāya, descending directly from Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, respectively. Besides the above-mentioned three sampradāyas, there is the Kumāra sampradāya, descending from Sanat-kumāra. All of the four original sampradāyas are still scrupulously engaged in the transcendental service of the Lord up to date, and they all declare that Lord Kṛṣṇa, Mukunda, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and no other personality is equal to Him or greater than Him.

Characters & Entities

• Mukunda
• Brahmā (Viriñca)
• Śeṣa (Ananta)

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam say about the purifying power of water from the Lord’s feet?

This verse says the water issuing from the Lord’s lotus feet—brought and worshiped even by Brahmā—purifies the entire universe, emphasizing its supreme sanctity.

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī glorify Mukunda in Canto 1 Chapter 18?

In the Parīkṣit narrative, Śukadeva highlights that nothing is more worshipable than the Lord; even sacred tīrthas derive their power from Him, directing the listener to exclusive devotion.

How can I apply the teaching of this shloka in modern life?

Prioritize remembrance and worship of the Supreme Lord (Mukunda) as the source of all purity, and treat holy practices (pilgrimage, sacred waters) as aids that point back to devotion to Him.