1002 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 19
order, is worse than suicide for one who desires to go back to Godhead. In
other words, the transcendentalists do, not generally associate with men
who are too enamored by the external beauty of God’s creation. By
advanced knowledge in spiritual realization, the transcendentalist knows
that this beautiful material world is nothing but a shadowy reflection of
the reality, the kingdom of God. They are not, therefore, very -much
captivated by royal opulence or anything like that. But in the case of
Maharaja Panksit, the situation was different. Apparently the King was
condemned to death by an inexperienced brahmana boy, but factually he
was called by the Lord to return to Him. Other transcendentalists, the great
sages and mystics who assembled together because of Maharaja Pariksit’s
fasting unto death, were quite anxious to see him, for he was going back to
Godhead. Maharaja Pariksit also could understand that the great sages: who
assembled there were all kind to his forefathers, the Pandavas, because of
their devotional service of the Lord. He felt, therefore, grateful to the
sages for being present there at the last stage of his life, and he felt that it
was all due to the greatness of his late forefathers or grandfathers. He felt
proud, therefore, that he happened to be the descendant of such great
devotees. Such pride for the devotees of the Lord is certainly not equal to
the puffed up sense of vanity for material prosperity. The first is reality,
whereas the other is false and vain.
TEXT 14
Ta Asa Wt
MAH AAA TESTA |
Raat = farTET
TA waht ATTY ge l2vil
tasyaiva me’ghasya paravareso
vyasak ta-cittasya grhesv abhiksnam
nirveda-mulo dvija-sapa-rupo
yatra prasakto bhayam asu dhatte
tasya—his; eva—certainly; me—mine; aghasya—of the sinful; para—tran-

scendental; avara— mundane; isah—controller, the Supreme Lord; vyasak ta—
overly attached; cittasya—of the mind; grhesu—to family affairs;
abhiksnam—always; nirveda-mulah—the source of detachment; dvija-sapa—
cursing by the brahmana; rupah— form of; yatra—whereupon; prasaktah—
