10 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 6, Ch. 1
indeed; narakén—all the hellish conditions into which the impious are
put; narah—human beings; nand—varieties of; ugra—terrible;
yatanaén—conditions of suffering; na iyat—may not undergo; tat—
that; me—to me; vyakhydtum arhasi—please describe.
TRANSLATION

O greatly fortunate and opulent Sukadeva Gosvami, now kindly
tell me how human beings may be saved from having to enter
hellish conditions in which they suffer terrible pains.

PURPORT

In the Twenty-sixth Chapter of the Fifth Canto, Sukadeva Gosvami
has explained that people who commit sinful acts are forced to enter
hellish planets and suffer. Now Maharaja Pariksit, being a devotee, is
concerned with how this can be stopped. A Vaisnava is para-duhkha-
duhkhi; in other words, he has no personal troubles, but he is very
unhappy to see others in trouble. Prahlada Maharaja said, ““My Lord, I
have no personal problems, for I have learned how to glorify Your tran-
scendental qualities and thus enter a trance of ecstasy. I do have a
problem, however, for I am simply thinking of these rascals and fools
who are busy with mdyd-sukha, temporary happiness, without knowl-
edge of devotional service unto You.” This is the problem faced by a
Vaisnava. Because a Vaisnava fully takes shelter of the Supreme Per-
sonality of Godhead, he personally has no problems, but because he is
compassionate toward the fallen, conditioned souls, he is always thinking
of plans to save them from their hellish life in this body and the next.
Pariksit Maharaja, therefore, anxiously wanted to know from Sukadeva
Gosvami how humanity can be saved from gliding down to hell.
Sukadeva Gosvami had already explained how people enter hellish life,
and he could also explain how they could be saved from it. Intelligent
men must take advantage of these instructions. Unfortunately, however,
the entire world is lacking Krsna consciousness, and therefore people are
suffering from the grossest ignorance and do not even believe in a life
after this one. To convince them of their next life is very difficult be-
cause they have become almost mad in their pursuit of material enjoy-
ment. Nevertheless, our duty, the duty of all sane men, is to save them.
Maharaja Pariksit is the representative of one who can save them.
