CHAPTER ONE
The Advent of Lord Krṣṇa: Introduction
The summary of the First Chapter is as follows. This chapter describes how Kaṁsa, frightened by hearing an omen about his being killed by the eighth son of Devakī, killed Devakī's sons one after another.
When Śukadeva Gosvāmī finished describing the dynasty of Yadu, as well as the dynasties of the moon-god and sun-god, Mahārāja Parīkṣit requested him to describe Lord Krṣṇa, who appeared with Baladeva in the Yadu dynasty, and how Krṣṇa performed His activities within this world. Krṣṇa is transcendental, the King said, and therefore to understand His activities is the occupation of liberated persons. Hearing of  krṣṇa-līlā  is the boat by which to achieve the ultimate goal of life. Except for an animal killer or one who is following a policy of suicide, every intelligent person must strive to understand Krṣṇa and His activities.
Krṣṇa was the only worshipable Deity for the Pāṇḍavas. When Mahārāja Parīkṣit was in the womb of his mother, Uttarā, Krṣṇa saved him from the attack of the  brahma-śastra . Now Mahārāja Parīkṣit asked Śukadeva Gosvāmī how His Lordship Baladeva, the son of Rohiṇī, could have appeared in the womb of Devakī. Why did Krṣṇa transfer Himself from Mathurā to Vṛndāvana, King Parīkṣit asked, and how did He live there with His family members? What did Krṣṇa do in Mathurā and Vṛndāvana, and why did He kill His maternal uncle Kaṁsa? For how many years did Krṣṇa reside in Dvārakā, and how many queens did He have? Mahārāja Parīkṣit asked Śukadeva Gosvāmī all these questions. He also requested Śukadeva Gosvāmī to describe other activities of Krṣṇa about which he could not inquire.
When Śukadeva Gosvāmī began to speak about Krṣṇa consciousness, Mahārāja Parīkṣit forgot the fatigue brought about by his fasting. Enthusiastic to describe Krṣṇa, Śukadeva Gosvāmī said, "Like the waters of the Ganges, descriptions of the activities of Krṣṇa can purify the entire universe. The speaker, the inquirer and the audience all become purified."
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