Text 3] Birth of Emperor Pariksit 609

Maharaja Pariksit. The king is the protector of the helpless citizens,
and their welfare, peace and prosperity depend on him. Unfortunately,
by the instigation of the fallen age of Kali, an unfortunate brahmana’s
son was employed to condemn the innocent Maharaja Pariksit, and so the
King had to prepare himself for death within seven days. Maharaja
Pariksit is especially famous as one whois protected by Visnu, and when he
was unduly cursed by a brahmana’s son, he could have invoked the mercy
of the Lord to save him, but he did not want to because he was a pure
devotee. A pure devotee never asks the Lord for any undue favor. Maharaja
Pariksit knew that the curse of the brahmana’s son upon him was un-
justified, as everyone else knew, but he did not want to counteract it
because he knew also that the age of Kali had begun and that the first
symptom of the age, namely degradation of the highly talented brahmana
community, had also begun. He did not want to interfere with the cur-
rent of the time, but he prepared himself to meet death very cheerfully
and very properly. Being fortunate, he got at least seven days to prepare
himself to meet death, and so he properly utilized the time in the associa-
tion of Sukadeva Gosvami, the great saint and devotee of the Lord.

TEXT 3

ated tafeormn afed af aa |
qe A: ALAA TS AAA TS UI 3 I

tad idam srotum icchamo
gaditurn yadi manyase

bruhi nah sraddadhananam
yasya jriadnam adac chukah

tat—all; idam—this; srotum—to hear; icchadmah—all willing; gaditum—
to narrate; yadi—if; manyase—you think; briihi—please speak, nah—we;
Sraddadhananam—who are very much respectful; yasya— whose; jianam—
transcendental knowledge; adat—delivered; sukah—Sni Sukadeva Gosvami.

TRANSLATION
We all respectfully want to hear about him [Maharaja Pariksit] to

whom Sukadeva Gosvami imparted transcendental knowledge. Please
speak on this matter.
