34 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1

drinking water; api—also; bédhate—does not hinder; pibantam—while
drinking; tvat-mukha-ambhoja-cyutam—emanating from your lotus
mouth; hari-kathéd-amrtam—the nectar of topics concerning Krsna. _

TRANSLATION

Because of my vow on the verge of death, I have given up even
drinking water, yet because I am drinking the nectar of topics
about Krsna, which is flowing from the lotus mouth of Your Lord-
ship, my hunger and thirst, which are extremely difficult to bear,
cannot hinder me.

PURPORT

To prepare to meet death in seven days, Maharaja Pariksit gave up all
food and drink. As a human being, he was certainly both hungry and
thirsty, and therefore Sukadeva Gosvami might have wanted to stop nar-
rating the transcendental topics of Krsna; but despite his fast, Maharaja
Pariksit was not at all fatigued. “The hunger and thirst from my fast do
not disturb me,” he said. “Once when I felt very thirsty, I went to the
asrama of Samika Muni to drink water, but the muni did not supply it. I
therefore wrapped a dead snake over his shoulder, and that is why I was
cursed by the brahmana boy. Now, however, I am quite fit. I am not at
all disturbed by my hunger and thirst.” This indicates that although on
the material platform there are disturbances from hunger and thirst, on
the spiritual platform there is no such thing as fatigue.

The entire world is suffering because of spiritual thirst. Every living
being is Brahman, or spirit soul, and needs spiritual food to satisfy his
hunger and thirst. Unfortunately, however, the world is completely
unaware of the nectar of krsna-kathaé. The Krsna consciousness move-
ment is therefore a boon to philosophers, religionists and people in
general. There is certainly a charming attraction in Krsna and krsna-
katha. Therefore the Absolute Truth is called Krsna, the most attractive.

The word amrta is also an important reference to the moon, and the
word ambuja means “‘lotus.” The pleasing moonshine and pleasing
fragrance of the lotus combined to bring pleasure to everyone hearing
krsna-kathaé from the mouth of Sukadeva Gosvami. As it is said:

matir na krsne paratah svato va
mitho ’bhipadyeta grha-vratanadm
