सूत उवाच
ततः परीक्षिद्द्विजवर्यशिक्षया महीं महाभागवतः शशास ह ।
यथा हि सूत्यामभिजातकोविदाः समादिशन्विप्र महद्गुणस्तथा ॥१॥

sūta uvāca
tataḥ parīkṣid dvija-varya-śikṣayā
mahīṁ mahā-bhāgavataḥ śaśāsa ha
yathā hi sūtyām abhijāta-kovidāḥ
samādiśan vipra mahad-guṇas tathā

sūtaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsutah

a son (born of Lord Brahmā's mind); a son; as Your son (you wanted a son exactly like Me); her son; his son; one son; son (Baladeva, born of Rohiṇī); son; the soma-yajña; the son (Prahlāda); the son; was the son. uvācaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_biguvāca

answered; described; explained; he recited; he said; inquired; prayed; replied; said; she said; she spoke; spoke; talked with them.—Sūta Gosvāmī said; tataḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtatah

after Kṛṣṇa took action to kill the demon's body from within the mouth; after purifying the seven planets of the seven great sages; after that; after that incident; after this; again from King Udgītha; among them; and there; and thereafter; as such; at that; at this time; because of that; because of this; because of this self-realization; beyond the brahmajyoti, or in His own Vaikuṇṭha planet; beyond whom; by such activities; by such duality; father; from Abhimanyu; from Agniveśya; from Bālika; from Citrakṛt; from Devadatta; from Devadyumna; from Divāka; from him (Ayu); from him (Ayutāyu); from him (Bhīmaratha); from him (Budha); from him (Cyavana); from him (Deva-ṛṣabha); from him (Dharma); from him (Dhundhumān); from him (Dhṛti); from him (Jaya); from him (Mīḍhvān); from him (Nandivardhana); from him (Pracinvān); from him (Ripuñjaya); from him (Ruṣadratha); from him (Sahasrānīka); from him (Satkarmā); from him (Satyaratha); from him (Skanda); from him (Suratha); from him (Svarga); from him (Sārvabhauma); from him (Vahni); from him (Vasu); therefore; therefore, because of this; therein; thereof; thereupon; whereby.—thereafter; parīkṣitplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigparīkṣit

King Parīkṣit; King Parīkṣit, known also as Viṣṇurāta, or one who is protected by Lord Viṣṇu; Mahārāja Parīkṣit; one who examines; the King.—Mahārāja Parīkṣit; dvijaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigdvija

brāhmaṇa; brāhmaṇas; birds; O brāhmaṇa (Śaunaka); O brāhmaṇa; O twice-born; of birds; of the brāhmaṇas; of the brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas; of the brahminical culture or the brāhmaṇas; of the twice-born; teeth; the brāhmaṇa; the brāhmaṇas; the birds; the twice-born; the twice-born birds; twice-born.-varyaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigvarya

of the chief; the best; the chief.—the great twice-born brāhmaṇas; śikṣayāplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsiksaya

by the will of; by their instructions.—by their instructions; mahīmplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigmahim

the glories; the principle of matter.—the earth; mahāplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigmaha

my.-bhāgavataḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigbhagavatah

about the Personality of Godhead; beyond the Personality of Godhead; from the Personality of Godhead; godly; greatly powerful; of Lord Śiva; of the great personality; of the great saintly person; of the greatly powerful; of the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; of the lord (Brahmā); of the Lord; of the most powerful; of the most powerful being; of the most powerful demigod; of the most powerful Lord Brahmā; of the Personality of Godhead; of the possessor of all opulences; of the Supreme; of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (who is the support); of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa; of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu; of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva; of You (the Supreme Personality of Godhead); of you, my lord; of you, the most powerful; of You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; of you, who are powerful; of Your Lordship; of your powerful self; of your worshipable self; than the Supreme Personality of Godhead; the most powerful; the Supreme Personality of Godhead; unto the Personality of Godhead; unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead.—the great devotee; śaśāsaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigśaśāsa

ruled; ruled over.—ruled; haplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigha

alas; as he did it; certainly; clearly; completely manifested; have been; in fact; in that way; in the past; indeed; it is evident; it so happened; of course; oh; positively; so celebrated; so he did; so they did; still; then; there were; thus; very clearly.—in the past; yathāplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigyathā

according to; accordingly as; and as; anywhere; as (He likes); as; as advised by his father; as also; as far as possible; as far as; as follows; as has; as He desires; as if; as if it were; as is; as it; as it is; as it is now; as it should have been; as it was; as it was done; as it were; as many; as much; as much as (deserved); as much as; as requested; as they are; as they told it; as they were; as well as; as you; by which; development of austerity and penance; duly; even as; exactly as; exactly like; fittingly; for the forefathers and the Supreme Personality of Godhead; how; in any manner; in order that; in the matter of; in what way; in which manner; in which way; in whichever manner; inasmuch as; just as; just as if; just like; like; like Him; or just as; properly; since; so; so that; so you inform me; the manner in which; where; wherever; without deviation.—as they told it; hiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bighi

addressed; all; also; and above all; and exactly; as a matter of fact; assuredly; because; because of which; certainly; certainly are; exactly; exactly like; for; for this reason; from which; in deed; in fact; indeed (You can be realized by the devotees); indeed; is certainly; only; positively; reason of; since; surely; than; though; thus; undoubtedly; without fail.—certainly; sūtyāmplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsūtyām

at the time of his birth.—at the time of his birth; abhijātaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigabhijāta

expert astrologers at the time of birth.-kovidāḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigkovidah

expert; one who is learned and intelligent; one who is philosophically inclined.—expert astrologers at the time of birth; samādiśanplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsamādiśan

gave their opinions.—gave their opinions; vipraplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigvipra

brahmaṇas; brāhmaṇa; brāhmaṇas; a brāhmaṇa; all the brāhmaṇas; and the brāhmaṇa; brāhmaṇa; brāhmaṇas; by brāhmaṇas; by such brāhmaṇas; especially the brāhmaṇas; incarnations as brāhmaṇas like Vāmanadeva; My dear brāhmaṇa; O brāhmaṇa; O brāhmaṇas; O holy brāhmaṇa; O learned brāhmaṇa; of a brāhmaṇa; of Lord Paraśurāma; of the brāhmaṇas; one brāhmaṇa; one brāhmaṇa; the brāhmaṇa (Gopāla Cāpāla); the brāhmaṇa; the brāhmaṇa Kṛṣṇadāsa; the brāhmaṇa of Deccan; the brāhmaṇas; the brāhmaṇa,; the brāhmaṇas; the elderly brāhmaṇa; the Mahārāṣṭrian brāhmaṇa; the word vipra.—O brāhmaṇas; mahatplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigmahat

a great; a great personality; a Vaiṣṇava; all-perfect; astounding; by great personalities; exalted; glorious; great; great soul; insurmountable; into a gigantic body; most exalted; of an exalted personality; of great devotees; of great saintly persons; of great souls; of the great devotees; severely; supreme; the best; the great; the greatest; the total material energy; the total material existence; thick; to a great personality; to great personalities; very big; very great; very great, exalted; very, very great.-guṇaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_biggunah

a great quality; good quality; material quality; modes of nature; objects of sense perception; perfections; possessing qualities; qualities; quality; quality or intelligence; the object of sense perception; the three qualities; transcendental qualities; who has transcendental qualities; whose property of the intelligence.—great qualities; tathāplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtatha

so.—true to that.

Sūta Gosvāmī said: O learned brāhmaṇas, Mahārāja Parīkṣit then began to rule over the world as a great devotee of the Lord under the instructions of the best of the twice-born brāhmaṇas. He ruled by those great qualities which were foretold by expert astrologers at the time of his birth.

At the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit’s birth, the expert astrologer-brāhmaṇas foretold some of his qualities. Mahārāja Parīkṣit developed all those qualities, being a great devotee of the Lord. The real qualification is to become a devotee of the Lord, and gradually all the good qualities worthy of possession develop. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was a mahā-bhāgavata, or a first-class devotee, who was not only well versed in the science of devotion but also able to convert others to become devotees by his transcendental instructions. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was, therefore, a devotee of the first order, and thus he used to consult great sages and learned brāhmaṇas, who could advise him by the śāstras how to execute the state administration. Such great kings were more responsible than modern elected executive heads because they obliged the great authorities by following their instructions left in Vedic literatures. There was no need for impractical fools to enact daily a new legislative bill and to conveniently alter it again and again to serve some purpose. The rules and regulations were already set forth by great sages like Manu, Yājñavalkya, Parāśara and other liberated sages, and the enactments were all suitable for all ages in all places. Therefore the rules and regulations were standard and without flaw or defect. Kings like Mahārāja Parīkṣit had their council of advisers, and all the members of that council were either great sages or brāhmaṇas of the first order. They did not accept any salary, nor had they any necessity for such salaries. The state would get the best advice without expenditure. They were themselves sama-darśī, equal to everyone, both man and animal. They would not advise the king to give protection to man and instruct him to kill the poor animals. Such council members were not fools or representatives to compose a fool’s paradise. They were all self-realized souls, and they knew perfectly well how all living beings in the state would be happy, both in this life and in the next. They were not concerned with the hedonistic philosophy of eat, drink, be merry and enjoy. They were philosophers in the real sense, and they knew well what is the mission of human life. Under all these obligations, the advisory council of the king would give correct directions, and the king or executive head, being himself a qualified devotee of the Lord, would scrutinizingly follow them for the welfare of the state. The state in the days of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira or Mahārāja Parīkṣit was a welfare state in the real sense of the term because no one was unhappy in that state, be he man or animal. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was an ideal king for a welfare state of the world.

स एष लोके विख्यातः परीक्षिदिति यत्प्रभुः ।
पूर्वं दृष्टमनुध्यायन्परीक्षेत नरेष्विह ॥३०॥

sa eṣa loke vikhyātaḥ
parīkṣid iti yat prabhuḥ
pūrvaṁ dṛṣṭam anudhyāyan
parīkṣeta nareṣv iha

saḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsaḥ

mahat-tattva; a person (Kaṁsa); a son; Aghāsura; all; anyone; Bharata Mahārāja; Brahmā; child Parīkṣit; Dakṣa; Dhruva; Dhruva Mahārāja; Dhṛtarāṣṭra; Durvāsā Muni; he (Agastya); he (Aghāsura); he (Ajāmila); he (Ambarīṣa Mahārāja); he (Aṅgirā Ṛṣi); He (Baladeva); he (Bali Mahārāja); he (Brahmā); he (Brahmājī); he (Budha); he (Citraketu); he (Dakṣa); he (Devāpi); he (Dhruva Mahārāja); he (Dhruva); he (Droṇa); he (Durvāsā); he (Emperor Manu); he (Gajendra); he (Garuḍa); he (Hiraṇyakaśipu); he (Hiraṇyakaśipu, the King of the Daityas); he (Indra); he (Jamadagni); he (Janamejaya); he (Jaḍa Bharata); he (Kardama); he (Kaṁsa); he (King Citraketu); he (King Hūhū); he (King Indra); he (King Kaṁsa); he (King Nīpa); he (King Pṛthu); he (King Rantideva); he (King Āgnīdhra); he (Kārtavīryārjuna); He (Kṛṣṇa); He (Lakṣmaṇa, the brother of Lord Rāmacandra); he (Lord Brahmā); He (Lord Kṛṣṇa); He (Lord Rāmacandra); He (Lord Viṣṇu); he (Lord Śiva); he (Mahārāja Ambarīṣa); he (Mahārāja Bharata); he (Mahārāja Priyavrata); he (Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa); he (Maitreya Muni); he (Manu); he (my father); he (Nahuṣa); he (Nābhāga); he (one who is not self-controlled); he (Prahlāda Mahārāja); he (Purūravā); he (Rantideva); he (Sarvatejā); He (Satyasena); he (Soma, the moon-god); he (Svāyambhuva Manu); he (that hunter); he (that uncivilized Kaṁsa); he (the muni); he (the conditioned soul); he (the devotee); he (the great man); he (the individual soul); he (the King); he (the leader of the elephants); He (the Lord); He (the Personality of Godhead); he (the serpent); he (the sun-god); He (the Supreme Lord); He (the Supreme Person); He (the Supreme Personality of Godhead); he (Vasudeva); he (Vasudeva, also known as Ānakadundubhi); he (Venus); he (Vidura); he (Viśvarūpa); He (Vāmanadeva); he (Vāsudeva); he (Vīrabhadra); he (Vṛtra); he (Vṛtrāsura); he (Śukadeva Gosvāmī); he (Śukrācārya); he (Śūra); he (Ṛcīka); he (Ṛṣyaśṛṅga); he; He alone; he is; he, Durvāsā Muni; he, Hariścandra; he, Jamadagni; he, King Purūravā; he, Kārtavīryārjuna; he, Lord Paraśurāma; He, Lord Rāmacandra; he, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa; he, Mahārāja Sagara; he, Prahlāda Mahārāja; he, Purañjaya; he, Purūravā; he, Rohita; he, Rāvaṇa; he, Saubhari Muni; he, Saubhari Ṛṣi; he, so celebrated; he, Soma; he, the brāhmaṇa; he, the King; He, the Lord; he, Varuṇa; he, Vasiṣṭha; he, Vidura; He, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; Hiraṇyakaśipu; Hiraṇyākṣa; His Lordship; His Lordship the Supreme Personality of Godhead; his son Utkala; I am the same powerful person; is he; it; Jambhāsura; Kardama Muni; Kaśyapa; Kaśyapa Muni; King Dakṣa; King Indra; King Malayadhvaja; King Purañjana; King Pṛthu; King Vena; King Yayāti; Kṛṣṇa; Kṛṣṇa Himself; Lord Brahmā; Lord Kṛṣṇa; Lord Śiva; Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; Mahārāja Bharata; Mahārāja Ikṣvāku; Mahārāja Yayāti; Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira; myself; one such as your good self; one who does so; Prahlāda Mahārāja; Prajāpati Dakṣa; Revata; so myself; someone; such; such a devotee; such a person; such a person as I am; such a personality; Sudyumna; Svāyambhuva Manu; that (great demon Maya Dānava); that (having the above symptoms); that (Supreme Personality of Godhead); that (Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa); that brāhmaṇa; that yoga system; that; that Ajāmila; that arrow; that banyan tree; that boy of the name Vena; whether that person; which; You; Your Lordship; yourself.—he; eṣaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigeṣaḥ

all of them; all these; all these bodies; all these creations; all this; Bali Mahārāja; certainly; he (Śiva); He; here is; in this; it is; Kṛṣṇa; of all of them; of Him; of this; of those; positively; Purañjana; such; that jealous person; the Vedas; the; the Lord; the same Supreme Personality of Godhead; the sun globe; the very; these; these are; this (brahmacārī); this (Bali Mahārāja); this (boy in the form of a dwarf); this (child); this (Kṛṣṇa); this (Supreme Person); this (the sun); this (Śunaḥśepha); this; this Bali Mahārāja; this child; this demon; this dynasty; this king; this King Pṛthu; this living entity; this Lord Indra; this male; this man; this one; this person (the performer of sacrifice); this person falsely appearing as a brahmacārī; this third one; this Vena; this young man; Śunaḥśepha.—in this; lokeplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigloke

all people; all the people; among people; among the general people; among the people; among the residents; duration of life; everyone; for the people; in all people; in all the planets; in human society; in the locations; in the material world; in the self; in the society; in the universe; in the world; in this life; in this material world; in this world; messengers; of the cosmic manifestation; people; people in general; persons; the general populace; the people; the people in general; the planets; the world; this world; throughout the whole world; to social behavior; to the people; to the people in general; to this world; unto the people; unto the people in general; when all the people; within the three worlds; within the world; within this universe; within this world; world.—world; vikhyātaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigvikhyātaḥ

celebrated; famous; is celebrated; was celebrated.—famous; parīkṣitplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigparīkṣit

King Parīkṣit; King Parīkṣit, known also as Viṣṇurāta, or one who is protected by Lord Viṣṇu; Mahārāja Parīkṣit; one who examines; the King.—one who examines; itiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigiti

thus; all these; also; and so on; as; as such; considering all these things; considering in that way; here; in this way (after giving everything to the brāhmaṇas); in this way; it is thus; known by these names; like that; like this; so it is; such; taking it as; that; therefore; they; this; thus (Hariścandra said); thus (saying out of contempt); thus (thinking in the above-mentioned way); thus (thinking); thus; thus accepted; thus accepting the words of Lord Brahmā; thus deciding; thus stated; thus thinking; thus vituperating.—thus; yatplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigyat

which; about whom; all these; all those; although; and as; and whichever; anything; as; as a matter of fact; as it is; as its; as much as; as they are; because; because of; because of which; because of whom; by the result of which; by the Supreme Lord; by which; by which way; by whom (the Supreme Lord); by whom; by whose; by whose merciful; even though; everything that was required; fixed under Your direction; for; for which; from both of whom; from him; from which; from whom; from whose; from Yuyudha; he whose; his; His eternal form which; his son; if; in which; in whom; inasmuch as; Kṛṣṇa; now further; of him (Somāpi); of him; of Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune; of the fire-gods; of the Lord; of the Supreme Lord; of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; of which (the intermediate space); of which; of whom (of the Supreme Lord); who; who is; whom; whose; whose form; Your.—what; prabhuḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigprabhuḥ

being able or potent; capable; controller; fully able; Lord; Lord Brahmā; Lord Rāmacandra; Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; master; O father; O my King; one is able; one who was in full knowledge (Kaṁsa); protector; quite competent; Saubhari, the greatly powerful mystic; the bestower; the controller; the King; the Lord; the lord of beings; the lord of his senses; the lord of the living beings (Brahmā); the master; the master of the city of the body; the master of the demigods; the proprietor; the Supreme Lord; the Supreme Lord, Paraśurāma; the supreme master, Mahārāja Bharata; to become an independent master; very powerful; who was the master or king of the world; you, the master of everything; Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.—O my King; pūrvamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigpurvam

as it was before; at first; before; before Him; before this; beginning; first; formerly; in front; in the beginning; previously; the past body.—before; dṛṣṭamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigdṛṣṭam

being seen; experienced by direct perception; is seen; personally seen; seen; the material enjoyment we experience in our present life; visible.—seen; anudhyāyanplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_biganudhyāyan

constantly contemplating; or by meditating upon.—constantly contemplating; parīkṣetaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigparīkṣeta

shall examine.—shall examine; nareṣuplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bignareṣu

among men; unto every man.—unto every man; ihaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigiha

as a matter of fact; at the present moment; at this place; by this; during this span of life; here (in this body); here (in this life); here (in this universe); here (on this water); here; here in Jagannātha Purī; here in the spiritual world; here in this world; here in Vṛndāvana; here, in this arena of sacrifice; herein; herewith; in material sense gratification; in the foolish species of life; in the material world; in the matter of this offense; in the sacrifice; in the universe; in this (material world); in this (the holy name); in this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; in this; in this battle; in this body; in this case; in this connection; in this existence; in this human society; in this land of Bhārata-varṣa; in this life; in this material world (especially in this pious land of Bhārata-varṣa, India); in this material world; in this matter of creation; in this millennium; in this narration; in this place; in this place, in this spot; in this situation; in this universe; in this very life; in this water; in this world; in this world of mortality; in this world or in this life; in Vaikuṇṭha; in which house; it; now; on this planet; on this subject; this; within the universe; within this life; within this material world; within this world.—here.

So his son would become famous in the world as Parīkṣit [examiner] because he would come to examine all human beings in his search after that personality whom he saw before his birth. Thus he would come to constantly contemplate Him.

Mahārāja Parīkṣit, fortunate as he was, got the impression of the Lord even in the womb of his mother, and thus his contemplation on the Lord was constantly with him. Once the impression of the transcendental form of the Lord is fixed in one’s mind, one can never forget Him in any circumstance. Child Parīkṣit, after coming out of the womb, was in the habit of examining everyone to see whether he was the same personality whom he first saw in the womb. But no one could be equal to or more attractive than the Lord, and therefore he never accepted anyone. But the Lord was constantly with him by such examination, and thus Mahārāja Parīkṣit was always engaged in the devotional service of the Lord by remembrance.

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī remarks in this connection that every child, if given an impression of the Lord from his very childhood, certainly becomes a great devotee of the Lord like Mahārāja Parīkṣit. One may not be as fortunate as Mahārāja Parīkṣit to have the opportunity to see the Lord in the womb of his mother, but even if he is not so fortunate, he can be made so if the parents of the child desire him to be so. There is a practical example in my personal life in this connection. My father was a pure devotee of the Lord, and when I was only four or five years old, my father gave me a couple of forms of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. In a playful manner, I used to worship these Deities along with my sister, and I used to imitate the performances of a neighboring temple of Rādhā-Govinda. By constantly visiting this neighboring temple and copying the ceremonies in connection with my own Deities of play, I developed a natural affinity for the Lord. My father used to observe all the ceremonies befitting my position. Later on, these activities were suspended due to my association in the schools and colleges, and I became completely out of practice. But in my youthful days, when I met my spiritual master, Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, again I revived my old habit, and the same playful Deities became my worshipful Deities in proper regulation. This was followed up until I left the family connection, and I am pleased that my generous father gave the first impression which was developed later into regulative devotional service by His Divine Grace. Mahārāja Prahlāda also advised that such impressions of a godly relation must be impregnated from the beginning of childhood, otherwise one may miss the opportunity of the human form of life, which is very valuable although it is temporary like others.