40 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION
who cursed him was only a boy, yet he was very powerful, and because he
did not know the importance of the great king, the boy foolishly cursed
him to meet death within seven days. This was later lamented by the
boy’s father, whom the king had offended. When the king was informed
of the unfortunate curse, he at once left his palatial home and went to the
bank of the Ganges, which was near his capital, to prepare for his im-
pending death. Because he was a great king, almost all the great sages and
learned scholars assembled at the place where the king was fasting prior
to leaving his mortal body. At last, Sukadeva Goswami, the youngest
contemporary saint, also arrived there, and he was unanimously accepted
to preside at that meeting, although his great father was also present. The
king respectfully offered Sukadeva Goswami the principal seat of esteem
and asked him relevant questions regarding his passing from the mortal
world, which was to take place on the seventh day thenceforward. The
great king, as a worthy descendant of the Pandavas, who were all great
' devotees, placed the following relevant inquiries before the great sage
Sukadeva. ‘‘My dear sir, you are the greatest of the great transcenden-
talists, and therefore I submissively beg to ask you about my duties at
this moment. I am just on the verge of my death. Therefore, what should
I do at this critical hour? Please tell me, my lord—what should I hear,
what should I worship, or whom should I remember now? A great sage
like you does not stay at the home of a householder more than necessary,
and therefore it is my good fortune that you have kindly come here at the
time of my death. Please, therefore, give me your directions at this
critical hour.””

The great sage, having thus been pleasingly requested by the king,
answered his questions authoritatively, for the sage was a great transcen-
dental scholar and was also well equipped with godly qualities, since he
was the worthy son of Badaradyana, or Vydsadeva, the original compiler of
the Vedic literature.

Sukadeva Goswami said, ‘‘My dear king, your inquiry is very much
relevant, and it is also beneficial for all people of all times. Such inquiries,
which are the highest of all, are relevant because they are confirmed by
the teachings of the veddnta-darsana, the conclusion of the Vedic
knowledge, and are datmavit-sammatah; in other words, liberated souls,
who have full knowledge of their spiritual identity, put forward such
relevant inquiries in order to elucidate further information about the
Transcendence.”

The Srimad-Bhagavatam is the natural commentary upon the great Ve-
