Text 30] Birth of Emperor Pariksit 651

engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, and thus
Srimad-Bhagavatam, which is the science of devotional service, is very
dear to the Vaisnavas. And as explained in the beginning of the Srimad-
Bhagavatam, it is the mature fruit of Vedic knowledge and is superior
subject matter, above the three kdndas, namely karma, jiiana and upasana.

Amongst the karma-kanda experts, the jataka expert vipras were good
astrologers who could tell all the future history of a born child simply by
the astral calculations of the time (lagna), and such expert jétaka-vipras
were present during the birth of Maharaja Pariksit, and his grandfather,
Maharaja Yudhisthira, awarded the vipras sufficiently with gold, land,
villages, grains and other valuable necessaries of life, which also include
cows. There is a need of such vipras in the social structure, and it is the
duty of the state to maintain them comfortably, as designed in the Vedic
procedure. Such expert vipras, being sufficiently paid by the state, could
give free service to the people in general, and thus this department of
Vedic knowledge could be available for all.

TEXT 30

AI Vlh fawara: Thalata Tew: |
Cay CUR TT TU IZM

sa esa loke vikhyatah
pariksid iti yat prabhuh

pirvan drstam anudhydyan
parikseta naresviha

sah—he; esah—in this; loke—world; vikhyatah—famous; pariksit—one
who examines; iti—thus; yat— what; prabhuh—O my King; purvan—before;
drstam—seen; anudhyayan—constantly contemplating; parikseta—shall
examine; naresu—unto every man; iha—here.

TRANSLATION

So his son would become famous in the world as Pariksit [examiner }
because he would come to examine all human beings in his search after
that personality whom he saw before his birth. Thus he would come to
constantly contemplate Him.
