Text 31] Appearance of Sukadeva Gosvamt 1021

prasantam asinam akuntha-medhasam
munim nrpo bhagavato ’bhyupetya

pranamya murdhnavohitah krtanjalir
natva gira sunrtayanvaprcchat

prasantam— perfectly pacified; asinam—sitting; akuntha— without hesita-
tion; medhasam—one who has sufficient intelligence; munim—unto the
great sage; nrpah—the King (Maharaja Pariksit); bhagavatah—the great
devotee; abhyupetya—approaching him; pranamya— bowing down;
murdhna—his head; avahitah—properly; krta-afijalih—with folded hands;
natva—politely, by words; gira sunrtaya—in sweet voices; anvaprcchat—
inquired.

TRANSLATION

The sage Sri Sukadeva Gosvami sat perfectly pacified, intelligent and
ready to answer any question without hesitation. The great devotee,
Maharaja Pariksit, approached him, offered his respects by bowing before
him, and politely inquired with sweet words and folded hands.

PURPORT

The gesture now adopted by Maharaja Pariksit of questioning a master
is quite befitting in terms of scriptural injunctions. The scriptural injunc-
tion is that one should humbly approach a spiritual master to understand
the transcendental science. Maharaja Pariksit was now prepared for meeting
his death, and within the very short time of seven days he was to know the
process of entering the kingdom of God. In such important cases, one is
required to approach a spiritual master. There is no necessity of approach-
ing a spiritual master unless one is in need of solving the problems of life.
One who does not know how to put questions before the spiritual master
has no business to see him. And the qualification of the spiritual master is
perfectly manifested in the person of falcata Gosvami. Both the spiritual
master and the disciple, namely Sri Sukadeva Gosvami and Maharaja
Pariksit, attained perfection through the medium of Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Sukadeva Gosvami learned Srimad-Bhagavatam from his father Vyasadeva,
but he had no chance to recite it. Before Maharaja Pariksit he recited
Srimad-Bhdgavatam and answered the questions of Maharaja Pariksit un-
hesitatingly, and thus both the master and the disciple got salvation.
