Text 18]
Birth of Emperor Parīkṣit
629
be in any of these categories is automatically qualified by all good qualities, and thus a  mahābhāgavata  devotee like Mahārāja Parīkṣit is certainly perfect in all respects. And because Mahārāja Parīkṣit took his birth in the family of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, he is addressed herein as the  mahābhāgavata , or the greatest of the fortunates. The family in which a  mahābhāgavata  takes his birth is fortunate because due to the birth of a first-grade devotee, the members of the family, past, present and future up to one hundred generations, become liberated by the grace of the Lord, out of respect for His beloved devotee. Therefore, the highest benefit is done to one's family simply by becoming an unalloyed devotee of the Lord.
TEXT 18
यथिष्ठिर उवाच
अप्येष वंश्यान् राजषीन् पुण्यश्लोकान् महात्मनः। अनुवर्तिता स्विधशसा साधुवादेन सत्तमाः ॥१८॥
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca apy eṣa vaṁśyān rājarṣīn puṇya-ślokān mahātmanaḥ anuvartitā svid yaśasā sādhu-vādena sattamāḥ
śrī rājā —the all-good king (Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira);  uvāca —said;  api —whether;  eṣaḥ —this;  vaṁśyān —family;  rājarṣīn —of saintly kings;  puṇya-ślokān —pious by the very name;  mahā-ātmanaḥ —all great souls;  anuvartitā —follower;  svit —it will be;  yaśasā —by achievements;  sādhu-vādena —by glorification;  sattamāḥ —great souls.
TRANSLATION
The good King [Yudhiṣṭhira] inquired: O great souls, will he become as saintly a king, as pious in his very name and as famous and glorified in his achievements, as others who appeared in this great royal family?
PURPORT
The forefathers of King Yudhiṣṭhira were all great saintly kings, pious and glorified by their great achievements. They were all saints on the royal throne. And, therefore, all the members of the state were happy, pious, well behaved, prosperous and spiritually enlightened. Under strict