Shloka 36
Parīkṣit’s Vow on the Gaṅgā and the Advent of Śukadeva Gosvāmī
अन्यथा तेऽव्यक्तगतेर्दर्शनं न: कथं नृणाम् । नितरां म्रियमाणानां संसिद्धस्य वनीयस: ॥ ३६ ॥
anyathā te ’vyakta-gater darśanaṁ naḥ kathaṁ nṛṇām nitarāṁ mriyamāṇānāṁ saṁsiddhasya vanīyasaḥ
มิฉะนั้น—หากมิใช่ด้วยแรงดลใจจากพระศรีกฤษณะ—ท่านผู้ดำเนินอย่างเร้นลับต่อคนทั่วไป จะเสด็จมาปรากฏแก่พวกเราผู้ใกล้ความตาย ณ ที่นี้ด้วยความสมัครใจได้อย่างไร?
The great sage Śukadeva Gosvāmī was certainly inspired by Lord Kṛṣṇa to appear voluntarily before Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the great devotee of the Lord, just to give him the teachings of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. One can achieve the nucleus of the devotional service of the Lord by the mercy of the spiritual master and the Personality of Godhead. The spiritual master is the manifested representative of the Lord to help one achieve ultimate success. One who is not authorized by the Lord cannot become a spiritual master. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī is an authorized spiritual master, and thus he was inspired by the Lord to appear before Mahārāja Parīkṣit and instruct him in the teachings of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. One can achieve the ultimate success of going back to Godhead if he is favored by the Lord’s sending His true representative. As soon as a true representative of the Lord is met by a devotee of the Lord, the devotee is assured a guarantee for going back to Godhead just after leaving the present body. This, however, depends on the sincerity of the devotee himself. The Lord is seated in the heart of all living beings, and thus he knows very well the movements of all individual persons. As soon as the Lord finds that a particular soul is very eager to go back to Godhead, the Lord at once sends His bona fide representative. The sincere devotee is thus assured by the Lord of going back to Godhead. The conclusion is that to get the assistance and help of a bona fide spiritual master means to receive the direct help of the Lord Himself.
FAQs
This verse shows Parīkṣit valuing Śukadeva’s audience as a rare mercy—especially for one facing imminent death—because contact with a perfected sage enables direct guidance toward liberation through devotion and hearing.
Parīkṣit had only seven days to live and recognized Śukadeva as a fully perfected, unattached sage whose presence was extraordinary; thus he expresses gratitude and wonder at receiving such a rare opportunity.
Seek genuine sādhus and authentic spiritual instruction without delay; life is uncertain, and sincere association and hearing about Bhagavān are presented as the most urgent and transformative priorities.