Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Verses Spoken by King Parīkṣit - Cantos 10, 11 and 12

This article presents a thematic survey of the glories of Lord Kṛṣṇa and the attainment of fearlessness spoken by King Parīkṣit in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Cantos 10, 11 and 12. It organizes the quotes found in the Vaniquotes category Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Verses Spoken by Parīkṣit Mahārāja.

Mahārāja Parīkṣit is the exalted emperor of the world and a pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. In these specific verses, he represents the perfect, eager listener, posing profound questions about Lord Kṛṣṇa's intimate pastimes in Vṛndāvana and Dvārakā, ultimately achieving absolute fearlessness and liberation at the moment of death.

Parīkṣit Mahārāja is the 8th top speaker of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with 202 verses at Vanisource. He speaks in all cantos except the 4th canto. He speaks in the 1st (38 verses), 2nd (33 verses), 3rd (3 verses), 5th (12 verses), 6th (26 verses), 7th (3 verses), 8th (14 verses), 9th (12 verses), 10th (50 verses), 11th (5 verses), and 12th canto (8 verses).

The Eagerness for Kṛṣṇa-kathā

After hearing the vast cosmic manifestations, Mahārāja Parīkṣit passionately hungers for the intimate, nectarean pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa. He understands that hearing about the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the only authorized medicine to cure the disease of repeated birth and death.

The Deliverer of the Yadu Dynasty

Parīkṣit Mahārāja acknowledges the great kings of the Solar and Lunar dynasties, but his heart is exclusively captivated by the Yadu dynasty because the Supreme Lord personally appeared within it. He eagerly begs to hear the complete, unadulterated history of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma.

"King Parīkṣit said: My dear lord, you have elaborately described the dynasties of both the moon-god and the sun-god, with the exalted and wonderful character of their kings."
"O best of munis, you have also described the descendants of Yadu, who were very pious and strictly adherent to religious principles. Now, if you will, kindly describe the wonderful, glorious activities of Lord Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa, who appeared in that Yadu dynasty with Baladeva, His plenary expansion."
"The Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the cause of the cosmic manifestation, appeared in the dynasty of Yadu. Please tell me elaborately about His glorious activities and character, from the beginning to the end of His life."

The Medicine for the Conditioned Soul

Glorification of the Supreme Lord through the paramparā system is the ultimate rescue boat for the conditioned soul. Drinking this immortal nectar flowing from Śukadeva Gosvāmī’s lips, Parīkṣit entirely forgets his severe physical thirst, proving that Kṛṣṇa-kathā sustains the pure spirit soul.

"Glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is performed in the paramparā system; that is, it is conveyed from spiritual master to disciple. Such glorification is relished by those no longer interested in the false, temporary glorification of this cosmic manifestation. Descriptions of the Lord are the right medicine for the conditioned soul undergoing repeated birth and death. Therefore, who will cease hearing such glorification of the Lord except a butcher or one who is killing his own self?"
"Taking the boat of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, my grandfather Arjuna and others crossed the ocean of the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, in which such commanders as Bhīṣmadeva resembled great fish that could very easily have swallowed them. By the mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa, my grandfathers crossed this ocean, which was very difficult to cross, as easily as one steps over the hoofprint of a calf. Because my mother surrendered unto Lord Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, the Lord, Sudarśana-cakra in hand, entered her womb and saved my body, the body of the last remaining descendant of the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas, which was almost destroyed by the fiery weapon of Aśvatthāmā. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, appearing within and outside of all materially embodied living beings by His own potency in the forms of eternal time—that is, as Paramātmā and as virāṭ-rūpa—gave liberation to everyone, either as cruel death or as life. Kindly enlighten me by describing His transcendental characteristics."
"Because of my vow on the verge of death, I have given up even drinking water, yet because I am drinking the nectar of topics about Kṛṣṇa, which is flowing from the lotus mouth of your Lordship, my hunger and thirst, which are extremely difficult to bear, cannot hinder me."

The Inconceivable Pastimes of the Lord

The Supreme Lord's descents into the material world are entirely transcendental, untouched by the laws of karma. Mahārāja Parīkṣit poses essential inquiries to highlight that Kṛṣṇa’s body is strictly spiritual and His childhood activities are flawlessly designed to captivate and purify the conditioned souls.

The Appearance and Childhood Activities

To dispel the doubts of ordinary men, the King asks why the Lord seemingly took birth and transferred from Mathurā to Vṛndāvana. He emphasizes that simply hearing these attractive, childhood pastimes automatically eradicates material attachment and awakens dormant devotional service.

"My dear Śukadeva Gosvāmī, you have already explained that Saṅkarṣaṇa, who belongs to the second quadruple, appeared as the son of Rohiṇī named Balarāma. If Balarāma was not transferred from one body to another, how is it possible that He was first in the womb of Devakī and then in the womb of Rohiṇī? Kindly explain this to me."
"Why did Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, leave the house of His father, Vasudeva, and transfer Himself to the house of Nanda in Vṛndāvana? Where did the Lord, the master of the Yadu dynasty, live with His relatives in Vṛndāvana?"
"Lord Kṛṣṇa lived both in Vṛndāvana and in Mathurā. What did He do there? Why did He kill Kaṁsa, His mother's brother? Such killing is not at all sanctioned in the śāstras."
"Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has no material body, yet He appears as a human being. For how many years did He live with the descendants of Vṛṣṇi? How many wives did He marry, and for how many years did He live in Dvārakā?"
"O great sage, who know everything about Kṛṣṇa, please describe in detail all the activities of which I have inquired and also those of which I have not, for I have full faith and am very eager to hear of them."
"King Parīkṣit said: My lord, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, all the various activities exhibited by the incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are certainly pleasing to the ear and to the mind. Simply by one's hearing of these activities, the dirty things in one's mind immediately vanish. Generally we are reluctant to hear about the activities of the Lord, but Kṛṣṇa's childhood activities are so attractive that they are automatically pleasing to the mind and ear. Thus one's attachment for hearing about material things, which is the root cause of material existence, vanishes, and one gradually develops devotional service to the Supreme Lord, attachment for Him, and friendship with devotees who give us the contribution of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you think it fit, kindly speak about those activities of the Lord."

The Fortune of Nanda and Yaśodā

Parīkṣit Mahārāja marvels at the unprecedented, staggering fortune of Nanda and Yaśodā, who enjoyed the Lord's intimate childhood pastimes even more fully than Vasudeva and Devakī. He eagerly asks about the deep spiritual causes behind these magnificent, ecstatic exchanges.

"Please describe other pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality, who appeared on this planet earth, imitating a human child and performing wonderful activities like killing Pūtanā."
"Having heard of the great fortune of mother Yaśodā, Parīkṣit Mahārāja inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī: O learned brāhmaṇa, mother Yaśodā's breast milk was sucked by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What past auspicious activities did she and Nanda Mahārāja perform to achieve such perfection in ecstatic love?"
"Although Kṛṣṇa was so pleased with Vasudeva and Devakī that He descended as their son, they could not enjoy Kṛṣṇa's magnanimous childhood pastimes, which are so great that simply chanting about them vanquishes the contamination of the material world. Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodā, however, enjoyed these pastimes fully, and therefore their position is always better than that of Vasudeva and Devakī."
"King Parīkṣit inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī: O great and powerful saint, what was the cause of Nalakūvara's and Maṇigrīva's having been cursed by Nārada Muni? What did they do that was so abominable that even Nārada, the great sage, became angry at them? Kindly describe this to me."
"Mahārāja Parīkṣit inquired: O great sage, how could things done in the past have been described as being done at the present? Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa performed this pastime of killing Aghāsura during His kaumāra age. How then, during His paugaṇḍa age, could the boys have described this incident as having happened recently?"
"O greatest yogī, my spiritual master, kindly describe why this happened. I am very much curious to know about it. I think that it was nothing but another illusion due to Kṛṣṇa."

The Unprecedented Love of Vṛndāvana

The pastimes of Vṛndāvana represent the absolute zenith of pure, unmotivated love of God. Mahārāja Parīkṣit inquires deeply into the unparalleled devotion of the gopīs and the Lord's merciful chastisement of envious elements like the serpent Kāliya.

The Exalted Gopīs and Kāliya

Although the gopīs approached Kṛṣṇa with the apparent mood of mundane lovers, their intense attachment completely severed their material bondage. The King asks how they achieved such supreme liberation, while also inquiring into the Lord’s compassionate purification of the Yamunā river.

"O my lord, my spiritual master, although we are the lowest of kṣatriyas, we are glorified and benefited because we have the opportunity of always hearing from you the nectar of the pious activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
"King Parīkṣit said: O brāhmaṇa, how could the cowherd women have developed for Kṛṣṇa, someone else's son, such unprecedented pure love-love they never felt even for their own children? Please explain this."
"King Parīkṣit inquired: O learned sage, please explain how the Supreme Personality of Godhead chastised the serpent Kāliya within the unfathomable waters of the Yamunā, and how it was that Kāliya had been living there for so many ages."
"O brāhmaṇa, the unlimited Supreme Personality of Godhead freely acts according to His own desires. Who could be satiated when hearing the nectar of the magnanimous pastimes He performed as a cowherd boy in Vṛndāvana?"
"(Having thus heard how Lord Kṛṣṇa chastised Kāliya,) King Parīkṣit inquired: Why did Kāliya leave Ramaṇaka Island, the abode of the serpents, and why did Garuḍa become so antagonistic toward him alone?"
"Śrī Parīkṣit Mahārāja said: O sage, the gopīs knew Kṛṣṇa only as their lover, not as the Supreme Absolute Truth. So how could these girls, their minds caught up in the waves of the modes of nature, free themselves from material attachment?"

Resolving Moral Contradictions

Ordinary men often falsely criticize the Supreme Lord for violating worldly moral codes during the rāsa dance or the kidnapping of Rukmiṇī. Parīkṣit purposely raises these doubts so Śukadeva Gosvāmī can firmly establish that the self-satisfied Lord is the supreme author and master of all religious principles.

"Parīkṣit Mahārāja said: O brāhmaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord of the universe, has descended to this earth along with His plenary portion to destroy irreligion and reestablish religious principles. Indeed, He is the original speaker, follower and guardian of moral laws. How, then, could He have violated them by touching other men's wives?"
"O faithful upholder of vows, please destroy our doubt by explaining to us what purpose the self-satisfied Lord of the Yadus had in mind when He behaved so contemptibly."
"King Parīkṣit said: Who was that person, O brāhmaṇa? To which family did he belong, and what were his powers? Why did that destroyer of the barbarian lie down to sleep in the cave, and whose son was he?"
"King Parīkṣit said: The Supreme Lord married Rukmiṇī, the beautiful-faced daughter of Bhīṣmaka, in the Rākṣasa style—or so I have heard."
"My lord, I wish to hear how the immeasurably powerful Lord Kṛṣṇa took away His bride while defeating such kings as Māgadha and Sālva."
"What experienced listener, O brāhmaṇa, could ever grow satiated while listening to the pious, charming and ever-fresh topics of Lord Kṛṣṇa, which cleanse away the world's contamination?"

The Later Pastimes and True Senses

Moving from Vṛndāvana to Dvārakā, the King inquires about Kṛṣṇa’s majestic pastimes with the Yadu dynasty, His royal marriages, and His interactions with great kings. Through these inquiries, he defines the actual spiritual purpose of all human faculties.

The Yadus and King Satrājit

Eager to hear every detail of the Lord's valorous deeds, Parīkṣit asks about the Syamantaka jewel, the killing of Bhaumāsura, and the fierce battles fought for His devotees. These dynamic histories prove that the Lord's supreme prowess effortlessly dominates all mystic and demonic powers.

"Mahārāja Parīkṣit inquired: O brāhmaṇa, what did King Satrājit do to offend Lord Kṛṣṇa? Where did he get the Syamantaka jewel, and why did he give his daughter to the Supreme Lord?"
"(King Parīkṣit said:) How was Bhaumāsura, who kidnapped so many women, killed by the Supreme Lord? Please narrate this adventure of Lord Śārṅgadhanvā's."
"King Parīkṣit said: How could Rukmī give his daughter to his enemy's son? After all, Rukmī had been defeated by Lord Kṛṣṇa in battle and was waiting for an opportunity to kill Him. Please explain this to me, O learned one—how these two inimical parties became united through marriage."
"Mystic yogīs can perfectly see that which has not yet happened, as well as things in the past or present, beyond the senses, remote or blocked by physical obstacles."
"King Parīkṣit said: The best of the Yadus married Bāṇāsura's daughter, Ūṣā, and as a result a great, fearsome battle occurred between Lord Hari and Lord Śaṅkara. Please explain everything about this incident, O most powerful of mystics."
"The glorious King Parīkṣit said: I wish to hear further about Śrī Balarāma, the unlimited and immeasurable Supreme Lord, whose activities are all astounding. What else did He do?"

The Purpose of Human Faculties

A self-realized soul understands that the human body is a vehicle strictly meant for serving the Supreme Lord. Mahārāja Parīkṣit perfectly defines that true eyes, ears, hands, and heads are those exclusively engaged in seeing, hearing, and bowing down to Lord Uttamaḥśloka.

"Mahārāja Parīkṣit said: O brāhmaṇa, according to what I have heard from you, all the assembled kings, sages and demigods were delighted to see the wonderful festivities of King Ajātaśatru's Rājasūya sacrifice, with the sole exception of Duryodhana. Please tell me why this was so, my lord."
"King Parīkṣit said: My lord, O master, I wish to hear about other valorous deeds performed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Mukunda, whose valor is unlimited."
"O brāhmaṇa, how could anyone who knows the essence of life and is disgusted with endeavoring for sense gratification give up the transcendental topics of Lord Uttamaḥśloka after hearing them repeatedly?"
"Actual speech is that which describes the qualities of the Lord, real hands are those that work for Him, a true mind is that which always remembers Him dwelling within everything moving and nonmoving, and actual ears are those that listen to sanctifying topics about Him."
"An actual head is one that bows down to the Lord in His manifestations among the moving and nonmoving creatures, real eyes are those that see only the Lord, and actual limbs are those which regularly honor the water that has bathed the Lord's feet or those of His devotees."

Profound Doubts and Universal History

As the Bhāgavatam nears its conclusion, Parīkṣit poses profound philosophical riddles regarding the bewildering nature of the Vedas and demigod worship, before ultimately asking about the tragic, divinely orchestrated disappearance of the Yadu dynasty.

The Puzzling Results of Demigod Worship

The King questions why worshipers of the renounced Lord Śiva attain vast material opulence, while devotees of the opulent Lord Viṣṇu often become materially impoverished. This vital inquiry highlights the Lord’s special mercy in removing the material attachments of His pure devotees.

"King Parīkṣit said: O brāhmaṇa, we would like to learn how Arjuna married Lord Balarāma's and Lord Kṛṣṇa's sister, who was my grandmother."
"Śrī Parīkṣit said: O brāhmaṇa, how can the Vedas directly describe the Supreme Absolute Truth, who cannot be described in words? The Vedas are limited to describing the qualities of material nature, but the Supreme is devoid of these qualities, being transcendental to all material manifestations and their causes."
"King Parīkṣit said: Those demigods, demons and humans who worship Lord Śiva, a strict renunciant, usually enjoy wealth and sense gratification, while the worshipers of the Supreme Lord Hari, the husband of the goddess of fortune, do not."
"We wish to properly understand this matter, which greatly puzzles us. Indeed, the results attained by the worshipers of these two lords of opposite characters are contrary to what one would expect."

The Disappearance of the Yadu Dynasty

The annihilation of the Yadu dynasty by a brāhmaṇa's curse was a mesmerizing, internal arrangement by the Supreme Lord to wind up His earthly pastimes. Parīkṣit earnestly asks how the Lord, whose transcendental form captivates the entire universe, finally withdrew His manifest presence.

"King Parīkṣit inquired: How could the brāhmaṇas curse the Vṛṣṇis, who were always respectful to the brāhmaṇas, charitable, and inclined to serve senior and exalted personalities and whose minds were always fully absorbed in thought of Lord Kṛṣṇa?"
"King Parīkṣit continued inquiring: What was the motive for this curse? What did it consist of, O purest of the twice-born? And how could such a disagreement have arisen among the Yadus, who all shared the same goal of life? Please tell me all these things."
"King Parīkṣit said: After the great devotee Uddhava left for the forest, what did the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the protector of all living beings, do in the city of Dvārakā?"
"After His own dynasty met destruction from the curse of the brāhmaṇas, how could the best of the Yadus give up His body, the dearmost object of all eyes?"
"Once their eyes were fixed upon His transcendental form, women were unable to withdraw them, and once that form had entered the ears of the sages and become fixed in their hearts, it would never depart. What to speak of acquiring fame, the great poets who described the beauty of the Lord's form would have their words invested with transcendentally pleasing attraction. And by seeing that form on Arjuna's chariot, all the warriors on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra attained the liberation of gaining a spiritual body similar to the Lord's."

Ultimate Perfection and Fearlessness

Having drank the immortal nectar of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Mahārāja Parīkṣit reaches the pinnacle of self-realization. Completely freed from the fear of death, he gratefully prepares to relinquish his mortal frame and return back home, back to Godhead.

The Dark Age and Universal Time

Deeply compassionate toward the future suffering masses, the King asks how the unfortunate souls of Kali-yuga can be saved from the cumulative contamination of the age. He seeks final clarity on the insurmountable movement of eternal time, which represents the Lord's supreme will.

"King Parīkṣit said: My lord, how can persons living in the age of Kali rid themselves of the cumulative contamination of this age? O great sages please explain this to me."
"Please explain the different ages of universal history, the special qualities of each age, the duration of cosmic maintenance and destruction, and the movement of time, which is the direct representation of the Supreme Soul, the Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu."

The Fearless Surrender of Parīkṣit Mahārāja

Achieving the ultimate purpose of human life, Parīkṣit declares that all his ignorance and fear have been entirely eradicated by Śukadeva Gosvāmī’s causeless mercy. Fearless of the snake-bird Takṣaka, he submissively begs permission to absorb his purified mind in Lord Adhokṣaja and peacefully depart.

"Mahārāja Parīkṣit said: I have now achieved the purpose of my life, because a great and merciful soul like you has shown such kindness to me. You have personally spoken to me this narration of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, who is without beginning or end."
"I do not consider it at all amazing that great souls such as yourself, whose minds are always absorbed in the infallible Personality of Godhead, show mercy to the foolish conditioned souls, tormented as we are by the problems of material life."
"I have heard from you this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is the perfect summary of all the Purāṇas and which perfectly describes the Supreme Lord, Uttamaḥśloka."
"My lord, I now have no fear of Takṣaka or any other living being, or even of repeated deaths, because I have absorbed myself in that purely spiritual Absolute Truth, which you have revealed and which destroys all fear."
"O brāhmaṇa, please give me permission to resign my speech and the functions of all my senses unto Lord Adhokṣaja. Allow me to absorb my mind, purified of lusty desires, within Him and to thus give up my life."
"You have revealed to me that which is most auspicious, the supreme personal feature of the Lord. I am now fixed in knowledge and self-realization, and my ignorance has been eradicated."

Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani

This article is a thematic compilation of the teachings presented in the Vaniquotes category Bhagavatam Verses Spoken by Pariksit Maharaja. We invite you to visit the link to read the complete collection of verses presented in alphabetical order.