Shloka 4
Parīkṣit’s Vow on the Gaṅgā and the Advent of Śukadeva Gosvāmī
स चिन्तयन्नित्थमथाशृणोद् यथा मुने: सुतोक्तो निऋर्तिस्तक्षकाख्य: । स साधु मेने न चिरेण तक्षका- नलं प्रसक्तस्य विरक्तिकारणम् ॥ ४ ॥
sa cintayann ittham athāśṛṇod yathā muneḥ sutokto nirṛtis takṣakākhyaḥ sa sādhu mene na cireṇa takṣakā- nalaṁ prasaktasya virakti-kāraṇam
ขณะที่พระราชาทรงสำนึกผิดอยู่นั้น พระองค์ได้รับข่าวเรื่องความตายที่กำลังจะมาถึง ซึ่งเกิดจากการถูกงูทักษกะกัด ตามคำสาปของบุตรแห่งฤาษี พระราชาทรงยอมรับเรื่องนี้ว่าเป็นข่าวดี เพราะมันจะเป็นสาเหตุให้พระองค์คลายความยึดติดในทางโลก
Real happiness is achieved by spiritual existence or by cessation of the repetition of birth and death. One can stop the repetition of birth and death only by going back to Godhead. In the material world, even by attaining the topmost planet (Brahmaloka), one cannot get rid of the conditions of repeated birth and death, but still we do not accept the path of attaining perfection. The path of perfection frees one from all material attachments, and thus one becomes fit to enter into the spiritual kingdom. Therefore, those who are materially poverty-stricken are better candidates than those who are materially prosperous. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was a great devotee of the Lord and a bona fide candidate for entering into the kingdom of God, but even though he was so, his material assets as the Emperor of the world were setbacks to perfect attainment of his rightful status as one of the associates of the Lord in the spiritual sky. As a devotee of the Lord, he could understand that the cursing of the brāhmaṇa boy, although unwise, was a blessing upon him, being the cause of detachment from worldly affairs, both political and social. Śamīka Muni also, after regretting the incident, conveyed the news to the King as a matter of duty so that the King would be able to prepare himself to go back to Godhead. Śamīka Muni sent news to the King that foolish Śṛṅgi, his son, although a powerful brāhmaṇa boy, unfortunately had misused his spiritual power by cursing the King unwarrantedly. The incident of the King’s garlanding the muni was not sufficient cause for being cursed to death, but since there was no way to retract the curse, the King was informed to prepare for death within a week. Both Śamīka Muni and the King were self-realized souls. Śamīka Muni was a mystic, and Mahārāja Parīkṣit was a devotee. Therefore there was no difference between them in self-realization. Neither of them was afraid of meeting death. Mahārāja Parīkṣit could have gone to the muni to beg his pardon, but the news of imminent death was conveyed to the King with so much regret by the muni that the King did not want to shame the muni further by his presence there. He decided to prepare himself for his imminent death and find out the way to go back to Godhead.
FAQs
This verse shows Parīkṣit Mahārāja viewing imminent death as auspicious, because it can quickly awaken detachment in one who is otherwise attached to worldly life.
He understood that the curse would soon bring a decisive turning away from material attachment and push him toward spiritual absorption and liberation.
Keeping life’s impermanence in mind helps reduce unhealthy attachment and prioritizes sincere spiritual practice, hearing, and devotion over temporary pursuits.