Srimad Bhagavatam – 1.12.30 by HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj @ ISKCON Chennai on 29 Jan 2025
ŚB 1.12.30
sa eṣa loke vikhyātaḥ
parīkṣid iti yat prabhuḥ
pūrvaṁ dṛṣṭam anudhyāyan
parīkṣeta nareṣv iha
Translation
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.
Purport
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.
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj :
So this verse explains the meaning of the word Pariksit. And of course, Pariksa means a test. So Pariksit is so called because he tested everybody. And what was he testing? So, he was seeing if anyone that he saw in this world, was equal to who he saw in the womb.
As Srila Prabhupada remarks in the purport, if you happen to see the Lord, that impression is very strong and one could not forget it. If one is a devotee and happens to see the Lord, of course naturally he’ll keep that impression in a favourable way for his whole life. So, Pariksit had the good fortune of seeing the Lord even before his birth. Most fetuses in the womb don’t get that chance [laughs]. Even after they are born, they don’t get a chance to personally see the Lord. However, there is opportunity to see the form of the Lord in the deity. And though we may not see the Lord in the womb, at least if we get exposed to the deity when we are young, this is a good influence. We see that Pariksit himself saw the Lord in the womb, afterwards he was worshipping forms of the Lord when he was a child. And throughout his life, he was always thinking of the Lord.
Prahlada is also famous for smaranam or remembrance. He had the opportunity to get teachings in the womb, he didn’t see the Lord, but he got teachings from a great devotee, Narada Muni, in the womb. And thus he would never forget the Lord, and even when he was 5 years old, he was teaching whatever Narada Muni taught him, to the other school boys and even to his father. So this shows that impressions from early childhood or even in the womb, are very beneficial to influence our devotion.
The case of Krishna is very special. If a demon sees a form of the Lord like Narasimhadeva or Rama, they may not get a good impression. So Hiranyakasipu saw Narasimhadeva, oh this is Vishnu, but he did not remember him at all, he said oh this is an ordinary human being and he tried to kill him. And similarly Ravana saw Ramachandra, very beautiful form, but he did not think of him, this is another form of Vishnu trying to trick me, I will kill him. So even seeing the Lord did not influence these people to become devotional. Nor did they even remember the form of the Lord.
So Krishna is very special. The demons also look at Krishna and they also don’t develop Bhakti. But they cannot forget that form. And they cannot forget the name of Krishna. And thus a person like Kamsa was always absorbed in Krishna. So of course he was absorbed in hatred and fear. But nevertheless, he was absorbed in the form of Krishna [laughs]. So when he was awake, when he was sleeping, when he was dreaming, when he was eating, when he was walking, he was thinking, oh this Krishna, when is he going to come and try to kill me [laughs]. I will try to send these demons like Putana and Agasura to kill Krishna.
Similarly, we see Sishupala, he was always thinking, oh this Krishna, he is my relative, but he is a rascal. Krishna is a cheater, I have to expose him. So these demons, though they hated Krishna, they also became absorbed in thinking of him and uttering his name. This was not so with Hiranyakasipu or Ravana, they did not absorb themselves in thinking of Rama or Narasimhadeva. So why, same demons actually because they were born three times, but why when Krishna was there they became absorbed in Krishna? And the answer is, Krishna is more attractive.
So even they hated Krishna, they became absorbed in Krishna, because of His beautiful form and His attractive name. So though it was remembrance in hatred, because the remembrance was continuous due to Krishna’s attractive qualities and form, gradually they became purified, in spite of themselves [laughs]. So this is an example of purification even with hatred [laughs]. And it has an effect, it purifies the demon. So why? Because of complete absorption in the Lord, even if it is hatred. Consequently, the final result is different.
Of course in Nectar of Devotion, they give some five special qualities of Vishnu as compared to Siva. One of those qualities when the Lord kills a demon, he gets good destination. It does not specify what type of destination, spiritual or material, it is good destination. This means when the Lord kills a demon, he doesn’t go to hell. So when Narasimhadeva killed Hiranyakasipu, where did he go? He was born as Ravana. So he got to enjoy very nicely as a king [laughs]. When Rama killed Ravana, where did he go? He became Sishupala, again he got to enjoy, he didn’t go to hell. When Krishna killed Sishupala, what happened? He also didn’t go to hell, but also he was not born again, he got liberation. Of course he got a form in the spiritual world. So why is that? Because when Krishna was there, Sishupala concentrated on the Lord in hatred, he got purified by that, when he got killed, he was qualified for more than liberation even.
So, therefore, when a person remembers Krishna, even if he is a demon, he gets good results [laughs]. And as Putana, she dressed herself as a Gopi, tried to poison Krishna, Krishna killed her, she also went to the spiritual world. So this shows the special nature of Krishna, which distinguishes him from avatars or forms of Vishnu. So remembrance of Krishna is therefore very very beneficial for the Jiva. Of course, remembering any form is very wonderful, as Prahlada was meditating on Vishnu. But it’s much easier to meditate upon Krishna, because of His all attractive form. It is so easy, that even the demons get absorbed in the Lord, even they don’t like him.
So that is one of the reasons, why the Bhagavatam is recommending, in Kali Yuga, everybody should worship Krishna. It is the easiest form of the Lord to remember. So even though the Lord is not present now personally, we have another form. One is the deity form. So if we see that deity, it is easy to remember Krishna. The other way is through Krishna’s name. Of course, this is also the Yuga Dharma, chanting the name of the Lord. But in our Kali Yuga, we have the extra benediction of not only chanting the name of the Lord, but chanting the name of Krishna. So of all the names of the Lord, the name of Krishna is the most powerful and attractive. So it is said of course that a thousand names of Vishnu is equal to one name of Rama. You chant one name of Rama, you get the effect of chanting a thousand names of Vishnu. How long it takes to chant a thousand names of Vishnu? Maybe an hour [laughs]. So you chant one name of Rama, one hour of meditation is covered already [laughs].
However, Brahma Vaivarta Purana says that three names of Rama is equal to one name of Krishna. So even more powerful than this fact. So, by chanting the name of Krishna, we get the most powerful effect of all. Of course, this is Kirtan, chanting the name of Krishna. Why not Krishna Smaranam? Of course, the two processes go together. But Kirtan is even more powerful than Smaranam. Of course, as I said, they go together.
And Sanatana Goswami explains that, we cannot really separate the two processes. Of course, those who are doing meditation, like the Yogis and Sages etc., they will say, oh meditation, everyone should do meditation. But to just begin meditation also, is very difficult. Of course, you have to go through Yama, Niyama, Asana and Pranayama, and eventually you get to Dhyana. But the name of the Lord, does not require that preparation at all. So chanting the name, is a more direct approach to Krishna. But we also know, that all of the Angas of Bhakti ultimately are to always remember the Lord, and never forget Him. So chanting the name of Krishna, also means ultimately, we remember Krishna.
So if we always chant the name of Krishna but we never remember Him, there is something wrong with our chanting [laughs]. So, chanting the name of Krishna should lead to Smaranam, remembrance of Krishna. And thus Sishupala was always absorbed in uttering the name, Krishna, and by that he began to remember Krishna, even if it was hatred. So the Kirtan, helps us with Smaranam, and when we do Smaranam, that helps us do Kirtan. So when we remember the Lord, then we have a desire to chant His name. When we chant His name, then we remember the Lord more. So the two processes reinforce each other.
So this is the process recommended in Kali Yuga, we cannot immediately begin Smaranam, so we start with Kirtan. And Kirtan of Krishna’s name. And this is available to everyone freely, there is no charge, there is no secret. And through that we should become absorbed in Krishna. That is Smaranam. So in Kali Yuga, the great blessing is that, the form of Krishna is manifested in His name. And though Krishna is not personally present, as He was in Dwapara Yuga, still He is present in the name, and this is how we remember the Lord.
Hare Krishna!
Q&A
1) Maharaj, in sloka 27 it is given, “After hearing about his death, which will be caused by the bite of a snakebird sent by a son of a brāhmaṇa, he will get himself freed from all material attachment and surrender unto the Personality of Godhead, taking shelter of Him.” Does that mean after hearing that snake bite message, then only Pariksit is surrendering to Godhead, or before also He surrendered to Godhead?
So this description is, we could say, superficial, certainly when He got cursed, and whatever, then He gave up all attachment to His kingdom, and He began to fast on the bank of the Ganga, and surrendered to the Lord. So that’s the external appearance, however internally, He was attached to the Lord from childhood, He was already surrendered in the womb [laughs], it did not require a curse to get bit by a snake, and die in seven days, for Him to remember the Lord, He was already Parīkṣit looking for the Lord everywhere [laughs], so he was already surrendered to the Lord, but from an external point of view, he renounced only after he got the curse.
Devotee: From external point of view also, we know that death is going to come at any time, but we are not able to surrender fully like Pariksit, so we can understand we are in ignorance, we have to study the Vedas, and listen to authorities, so even though it is given to us, we are ignoring, how can we understand this, Maharaj?
Depending on our advancement then, we will respond differently to our circumstances in this world. The one who is very advanced spiritually, even without knowing the time of his death, whether it is two weeks, or twenty years, or fifty years away, will detach himself from the world completely, and dedicate himself to the Lord.
A devotee who has great material attachments, if he hears he is going to die in twenty years, or thirty years, he won’t take that into consideration [laughs], however, if he hears that within one year, he is going to die because of a sickness or whatever, then in many cases he becomes very serious, so it will depend on the advancement of the devotee, how he responds to his material circumstances.
2) Hare Krishna Maharaj, Kirtan and chanting are the same or are they different?
So, of course, Kirtan means to glorify the Lord, and more particularly, it means to chant the name loudly, however, it also means chanting the Lord’s name softly, so thus even Japa of the Lord’s name is called Kirtan, so we can do Kirtan, chanting loudly or softly.
3) Hare Krishna Maharaj, in the 8th canto, 22nd chapter, Lord Vamanadeva has given the benediction for Bali Maharaj to go to Sutala Loka, which is also in the material world only, but He has given the benediction that he will not be affected by the materialistic anxieties, so how we can understand this, Maharaj?
So a devotee who is very advanced, even if he is in the material world for a long time, is not affected by that. So therefore the devotee prays, I don’t care whether I am in the material world or spiritual world or hell or whatever, it doesn’t really matter, I just serve the Supreme Lord. Of course, anywhere in the material world has some disadvantage. The material body ultimately is an obstacle for eternal service to the Lord, but the devotees don’t complain, whenever the Lord wills, they give up the body, very willingly, they go to the spiritual world and serve the Lord eternally.
4) How can one identify one’s real attraction to a particular form of Lord?
So, attraction to the Lord is very personal. In fact, even if we have all the forms of the Lord, some people will not be attracted. If they are very unfortunate, they will be attracted to material things. If they are a little more fortunate, they will be attracted to liberation. And even if we say, oh, Krishna is sweeter, they say, no, I like liberation better. Of course, that attraction itself may be influenced by Sanga, who we associate with. And thus, some people strive for liberation, they never change, and they go to Brahman.
Other Impersonalists, they get the association of a devotee, or Supreme Lord, and they change, they become devotees. And so, such is the case, Sukadeva Goswami, he was famous as Atmarama, but then he became attracted to Krishna. How? Association with his father, Vyasadeva, mercy of Krishna. So, those who are devotees, are attracted to the forms of the Lord. But we see, all Sampradayas, like Madhava Sampradaya, Sri Sampradaya, are attracted to Vishnu forms. And then we say, you should worship Krishna, they say, no, I like Vishnu,[laughs]. That, of course, is maybe previous lifetimes of association with devotees who worship Vishnu. Or through association in this lifetime. And once that taste is established, it may be difficult to change.
So, even among Lord Caitanya’s associates, yes, Krishna was propagated by Lord Caitanya, Krishna is absolute, Radha Krishna is the highest, but some of those devotees’ worship Ramachandra. And they didn’t change in spite of the association of Lord Caitanya Himself [laughs]. And similarly, in Lord Caitanya’s movement, Lord Caitanya is emphasizing Madhurya Rasa. But, not all of His devotees are in Madhurya Rasa, some are in Sakhya Rasa, some are in Vatsalya Rasa, some are in Dasya Rasa [laughs].
So, this shows that individuals have their particular taste. Once they have an attraction, they cultivate that, it becomes fixed. And no one can criticize that. And even Srila Visvanatha Chakravarthi says, well, some people are attracted to Jnana, and impersonal liberation, some are attracted to Bhakti. So he says, it’s being attracted to neem juice or grape juice. But if they have an attraction for neem juice, we cannot convince them otherwise, let them drink the neem juice [laughs].
Similarly, Lord Caitanya told Murari Gupta, you should worship Krishna, then Murari Gupta came back the next day and said, I cannot do so, I am dedicated to Rama, Sorry [laughs]. And Lord Caitanya says, very fine, you go on worshiping Rama.
So, in other words, no one can interfere with the individual’s taste. The only thing we should interfere with, of course, is people in the material world, material taste. We should try to influence them to develop spiritual taste [laughs].
5) Is Parikshit Maharaj a Nitya Siddha?
It’s not mentioned clearly, but we can assume he was. Because the Pandavas were Nitya Siddhas, that’s quite explicitly mentioned.
6) Lord Kapila describes the prayers of a conditioned soul in mother’s womb to get out of that state. Do we understand that the Supreme Lord gives remembrance to Jiva? However, immediately after the birth, Jiva forgets about that. So, how do we understand this, Maharaj?
So, this description in 3rd canto of the Jiva in the womb, praying to the Lord, is explained by our Acharyas as not being for everyone, very few get that chance.
So in describing that Jiva, he is called ‘Rishi’ which means very intelligent, wise spiritual person [laughs]. So the reason this explanation is given is that, if you remember the Lord in the womb why would we forget him later on [laughs]? So therefore, rare cases are there where someone remembers in the womb. When he comes out, he does not forget [laughs].
If he is remembering the Lord in the womb, he must have had previous lifetimes of great devotion. Or he must have got great mercy of the Lord. So therefore, this is not a common case, it’s a rare case.
We see in the case of Bharata mahraj, Bharata became a deer, but even as a deer, he could remember his previous life. That’s not a normal case. This is a very special case, mercy of the Lord [laughs]. And when he was born as Jadabaratha, he could also remember everything. So that’s a special case of the Lord.
7) When Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu met Chandkasi, Mahaprabhu spoke about the importance of cow protection and the consequence of killing cows, but at the end of the meeting, Mahaprabhu asked Chandkasi for non-stop Sankirtan. And He didn’t order Chandkasi to stop cow killing. How to understand this, Maharaj?
So the main Dharma is Nama Sankirtan. If that is done properly, everything else follows. So instead of giving many instructions, He gave one simple instruction which covers all instructions.
So He could have said, Okay, you permit Nama Sankirtan, forbid cow killing, prevent liquor, prevent illicit sex, follow all regulated principles. Everybody should do everything. But He just says do Kirtan then, everything else follows from that.
Granthraj Srimad Bhagavatham Ki Jai!!! HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj Ki Jai!!!