2
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 2, Ch. 1]
devotees is hinted. In the first verse, Śukadeva Gosvāmī replies to the questions of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, who asked him about one's duties at the point of his death. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was glad to receive Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and he was proud of being a descendant of Arjuna, the intimate friend of Kṛṣṇa. Personally, he was very humble and meek, but he expressed his gladness that Lord Kṛṣṇa was very kind to the sons of Pāṇḍu, or his grandfathers, especially his own grandfather, Arjuna. And because Lord Kṛṣṇa is always pleased with his family, therefore, at the verge of Mahārāja Parīkṣit's death, Śukadeva Gosvāmī was sent to help him in the process of self-realization. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa from his childhood, so he had natural affection for Kṛṣṇa, and Śukadeva Gosvāmī could understand his devotion to Lord Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, he welcomed the questions about his duty. Because the King hinted that worship of Lord Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate function of every living entity, Śukadeva Gosvāmī welcomed the suggestion and said, "Because you have raised questions about Kṛṣṇa, your question is most glorious." The translation of the first verse is as follows.
TEXT 1
श्रीशुक उवाच
वरीयानेष ते प्रश्नः कृतो लोकहितं नृप ।
आत्मवित्सम्मतः पुंसां श्रोतव्यादिषु यः परः॥ १ ॥
śrī śuka uvāca
varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ
kṛto loka-hitam nṛpa
ātmavit-sammataḥ puṁsāṁ
śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ
śrī śuka uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said:  varīyān —glorious;  eṣa —all these;  te —your;  praśnaḥ —questions;  kṛtaḥ —made by you;  loka-hitam —beneficial for all men;  nṛpa —the king;  ātmavit —transcendentalist;  sammataḥ —approved;  puṁsāṁ —of all men;  śrotavyādiṣu —in the matter of all kinds of hearing;  yaḥ —what is;  paraḥ —the supreme.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, your question is glorious because it is very beneficial to all kinds of people. To hear the answer to this question is the prime subject matter of hearing, and it is approved by all transcendentalists.