the-speaker-and-listener-of-bhagavatam

# The speaker and listener of Bhāgavatam > [!summary] > *The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was spoken by Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Mahārāja Parīkṣit in a remarkable seven-day discourse. Their relationship exemplifies the perfect dynamic between guru and disciple, speaker and hearer. Understanding their unique circumstances illuminates the urgency and depth of the Bhāgavatam's message.* ## The Unique Circumstances ### Parīkṣit's Curse King Parīkṣit, grandson of Arjuna and emperor of the world, was cursed to die in seven days by the son of a sage he had offended. Rather than trying to counteract the curse, he renounced everything and went to the bank of the Ganges to hear about Kṛṣṇa: ![[sb/1/19/4]] ![[sb/1/19/15]] ### Śukadeva's Arrival Śukadeva Gosvāmī, son of Vyāsadeva, was a liberated soul from birth. Though he had no material attachments, he was attracted to the narrations of Kṛṣṇa's pastimes. He arrived at the assembly and was chosen to speak: ![[sb/1/19/25]] ![[sb/1/19/31]] ## The Perfect Speaker ### Śukadeva's Qualifications Śukadeva was uniquely qualified — liberated yet devoted, learned yet humble: ![[sb/2/1/8]] ![[sb/1/7/11]] ### His Method of Speaking He spoke continuously for seven days without eating or sleeping, covering all topics related to Kṛṣṇa: ![[sb/2/10/1#translation]] ## The Perfect Listener ### Parīkṣit's Qualifications Parīkṣit was the ideal listener — attentive, submissive, and asking relevant questions: ![[sb/1/19/38#translation]] ![[sb/2/8/24]] ### His Focused Questions Throughout the discourse, Parīkṣit asked questions that drew out the most essential teachings: ![[sb/2/1/1]] ![[sb/6/1/6]] ## Their Relationship Dynamic ``` ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ SUKADEVA PARIKSHIT │ │ (Speaker) (Listener) │ │ │ │ • Liberated soul • Cursed king │ │ • Son of Vyasa • Grandson of │ │ • Renounced at birth Arjuna │ │ • Attracted to Krishna • Seven days │ │ pastimes to live │ │ │ │ ───────────────────── │ │ BHAGAVATAM │ │ ───────────────────── │ │ │ │ Perfect transmission of knowledge: │ │ • Urgency (limited time) │ │ • Purity (no material motive) │ │ • Completeness (all topics) │ │ • Devotion (love for Krishna) │ │ │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ``` ## The Result Parīkṣit achieved perfection by hearing, while Śukadeva achieved perfection by speaking. Both were liberated through the Bhāgavatam: %%![[sb/12/13/18]]%%  ![[sb/1/7/10]] ## Their Legacy This seven-day discourse became the model for all Bhāgavata-saptāha (seven-day recitations). The example shows: - **For speakers** — Speak from realization, not merely scholarship - **For listeners** — Hear with faith and attention, asking relevant questions ## Related Articles - [[wiki/articles/sukadeva-goswami|Śukadeva Gosvāmī]] — The narrator's full biography - [[wiki/articles/king-pariksit|King Parīkṣit]] — The hearer's full biography - [[wiki/articles/vyasadeva|Vyāsadeva]] — Śukadeva's father - [[wiki/articles/the-glories-of-srimad-bhagavatam|The glories of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam]] — What they discussed - [[wiki/articles/the-importance-of-hearing|The importance of hearing]] — The process Parīkṣit perfected ## From the Index - [[index/entries/sukadeva-gosvami|Śukadeva Gosvāmī]] — The speaker - [[index/entries/pariksit-maharaja|Parīkṣit Mahārāja]] — The listener - [[index/entries/srimad-bhagavatam|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam]] — The text they transmitted - [[index/entries/hearing|Hearing]] — The primary process