Shloka 18
Parīkṣit’s Vow on the Gaṅgā and the Advent of Śukadeva Gosvāmī
एवं च तस्मिन्नरदेवदेवे प्रायोपविष्टे दिवि देवसङ्घा: । प्रशस्य भूमौ व्यकिरन् प्रसूनै- र्मुदा मुहुर्दुन्दुभयश्च नेदु: ॥ १८ ॥
evaṁ ca tasmin nara-deva-deve prāyopaviṣṭe divi deva-saṅghāḥ praśasya bhūmau vyakiran prasūnair mudā muhur dundubhayaś ca neduḥ
یوں نر دیو-دیو مہاراجہ پریکشت جب پرایوپویشن کرکے موت تک کے روزے میں بیٹھ گئے تو اعلیٰ لوکوں کے دیوتاؤں نے اُن کے اس عمل کی ستائش کی۔ خوشی سے وہ بار بار زمین پر پھول برساتے رہے اور آسمانی نقارے گونج اٹھے۔
Even up to the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit there were interplanetary communications, and the news of Mahārāja Parīkṣit’s fasting unto death to attain salvation reached the higher planets in the sky where the intelligent demigods live. The demigods are more luxurious than human beings, but all of them are obedient to the orders of the Supreme Lord. There is no one in the heavenly planets who is an atheist or nonbeliever. Thus any devotee of the Lord on the surface of the earth is always praised by them, and in the case of Mahārāja Parīkṣit they were greatly delighted and thus gave tokens of honor by scattering flowers over the earth and by beating celestial drums. A demigod takes pleasure in seeing someone go back to Godhead. He is always pleased with a devotee of the Lord, so much so that by his adhidaivic powers he may help the devotees in all respects. And by their actions, the Lord is pleased with them. There is an invisible chain of complete cooperation between the Lord, the demigods and the devotee of the Lord on earth.
FAQs
Because Parīkṣit’s renunciation and turning fully toward hearing the Lord’s glories was seen as a supremely auspicious act of dharma and devotion, worthy of celebration by the devas.
This verse highlights that meeting death with conscious surrender—through disciplined renunciation and absorption in spiritual hearing—is honored as a noble, God-centered conclusion to life.
Cultivate daily remembrance—regularly hear and study Bhagavatam, reduce distractions, and consciously prioritize devotion so that life’s inevitable end is met with clarity rather than fear.