Text 42] Krsna Is the Source of All Incarnations 185
sah—the son of Vyasadeva; tu—again; samésrdvaya€masa—made them
audible; mahdarajam—unto the emperor; pariksitam—of the name Pariksit;
praya-upavistam—who sat until death without food or drink; gangayam—
on the bank of the Ganges; paritam—being surrounded; parama-rsibhih—
by great sages.
TRANSLATION
Sukadeva Gosvami, the son of Vyasadeva, in his turn delivered the
Bhagavatam to the great Emperor Pariksit, who sat surrounded by sages on
the bank of the Ganges, awaiting death without taking food or drink.
PURPORT

All transcendental messages are received properly in the chain of
disciplic succession. This disciplic succession is called parampara. Unless
therefore Bhagavatam or any other Vedic literatures are received through
the parampard system, the reception of knowledge is not bona fide.
Vyasadeva delivered the message to Sukadeva Gosvami, and from Sukadeva
Gosvami Sita Gosvami received the message. One should, therefore, receive
the message of Bhagavatam from Sita Gosvami or from his representative
and not from any irrelevant interpreter.

Emperor Pariksit received the information of his death in time, and he
at once left his kingdom and family and sat down on the bank of the
Ganges to fast till death. All great sages, rsis, philosophers, mystics, etc.,
went there due to his imperial position. They offered many suggestions
about his immediate duty, and at last it was settled that he would hear
from Sukadeva Gosvami about Lord Krsna, and thus the Bhagavatam was
spoken to him.

Sripada Sankaracarya, who preached Mayavada philosophy and stressed
the impersonal feature of the Absolute, also recommended that one must
take shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna, for there is no hope of gain
from debating. Indirectly Sripad Sankaracarya admitted that what he had
preached in the flowery grammatical interpretations of the Veddanta-siitra
cannot help one at the time of death. At the critical hour of death one
must recite the name of Govinda. This is the recommendation of all great
transcendentalists. Sukadeva Gosvami had long stated the same truth, that
at the end one must remember Narayana. That is the essence of all spiritual
activities. In pursuance of this eternal truth, Srimad-Bhagavatam was heard
by Emperor Pariksit, and it was recited by the able ‘Sukadeva Gosvami.
