# SB 1.3.42 > स तु संश्रावयामासमहाराजं परीक्षितम् । > प्रायोपविष्टं गङ्गायां परीतं परमर्षिभिः ॥४२॥ ## Text > sa tu saṁśrāvayām āsa > mahārājaṁ parīkṣitam > prāyopaviṣṭaṁ gaṅgāyāṁ > parītaṁ paramarṣibhiḥ ## Synonyms *saḥ*—the son of Vyāsadeva; *tu*—again; *saṁśrāvayām āsa*—make them audible; *mahā-rājam*—unto the emperor; *parīkṣitam*—of the name Parīkṣit; *prāya-upaviṣṭam*—who sat until death without food or drink; *gaṅgāyām*—on the bank of the Ganges; *parītam*—being surrounded; *parama-ṛṣibhiḥ*—by great sages. ## Translation **Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the son of Vyāsadeva, in his turn delivered the Bhāgavatam to the great Emperor Parīkṣit, who sat surrounded by sages on the bank of the Ganges, awaiting death without taking food or drink.** ## Purport All transcendental messages are received properly in the chain of disciplic succession. This disciplic succession is called *paramparā.* Unless therefore *Bhāgavatam* or any other Vedic literatures are received through the *paramparā* system, the reception of knowledge is not bona fide. Vyāsadeva delivered the message to Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and from Śukadeva Gosvāmī, Sūta Gosvāmī received the message. One should therefore receive the message of *Bhāgavatam* from Sūta Gosvāmī or from his representative and not from any irrelevant interpreter. Emperor Parīkṣit received the information of his death in time, and he at once left his kingdom and family and sat down on the bank of the Ganges to fast till death. All great sages, *ṛṣis,* philosophers, mystics, etc., went there due to his imperial position. They offered many suggestions about his immediate duty, and at last it was settled that he would hear from Śukadeva Gosvāmī about Lord Kṛṣṇa. Thus the *Bhāgavatam* was spoken to him. Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya, who preached Māyāvāda philosophy and stressed the impersonal feature of the Absolute, also recommended that one must take shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, for there is no hope of gain from debating. Indirectly Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya admitted that what he had preached in the flowery grammatical interpretations of the *Vedānta-sūtra* cannot help one at the time of death. At the critical hour of death one must recite the name of Govinda. This is the recommendation of all great transcendentalists. Śukadeva Gosvāmī had long ago stated the same truth, that at the end one must remember Nārāyaṇa. That is the essence of all spiritual activities. In pursuance of this eternal truth, *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* was heard by Emperor Parīkṣit, and it was recited by the able Śukadeva Gosvāmī. And both the speaker and the receiver of the messages of *Bhāgavatam* were duly delivered by the same medium.