48 Krsna Consciousness: the Topmost Yoga System
parrot. The parrot’s body is green, and his beak is red. The
specific qualification of the parrot is that whatever you say he
can imitate. That parrot bird is touching the ripened fruit, and,
naturally, if the fruit is ripened on the tree, it becomes very
tasteful. Again, if the fruit is tasted by the parrot, it becomes
still more tasteful. That is nature’s way. So, here, it is said that
this Srimad-Bhagavatam is just like the ripened fruit of Vedic
knowledge, and at the same time it is touched by Sukadeva
Gosvami, Siita’s spiritual master. Suka means parrot in
Sanskrit.

This Srimad-Bhagavatam was first explained by Sukadeva
Gosvami, though the author is his father, Vyasa. Sukadeva
was only sixteen years old when he was taught the Bhagavatam,
and he was illuminated. He was already liberated in the
impersonal concept of the Absolute, but after hearing the
Bhagavatam from his father, he became attracted by the
pastimes of Krsna, and he became a preacher of the Bhagavatam.
First he explained it before Maharaja Pariksit, the great king.
A short history of Maharaja Pariksit is that he was a very pious
king, but unfortunately by some of his acts he was cursed by
a brahmana boy to die within seven days. In those days if a
brahmana should curse someone it would come true. They had
the power to curse or give benediction.

So Pariksit understood that within a week he would have to
die, and he prepared himself. He gave up his kingdom, entrust-
ing it to his son, Maharaja Janamejaya, and he detached himself
from the family and sat down on the banks of the Ganges near
Delhi. It was not exactly the Ganges, it was actually the
Yamuna. There, because he was a great emperor, many learned
sages came.

Pariksit now inquired from all the great sages present there:
“What is my duty? I am going to die within seven days; now
what is my duty? You are all learned sages; please just prescribe
for me.” So someone said to practice yoga, someone said to
