Srimad Bhagavatam – day 64
Parikshit reverentially welcomed this unexpected guest, worshipped Him and bowed down before him. At that moment the women and children who had accompanied Maharishi śuka returned back.
Maharishi śuka, who was thus honorably welcomed by all the sages, sat down comfortably. Maharishi Śuka, who was the most supreme even amongst the supreme saints, was sitting surrounded by Brahmarishis, Maharishis and Devarishis. Seated amidst them He glowed radiantly like the Moon which is surrounded by the Stars, galaxies and other planets.
Parikshit, the supreme devotee who had achieved absolute concentration, approached saint Śuka and reverentially bowed before Him time and again. Standing in front of him with joined palms, in a very melodious voice Parikshit said, “O Supreme Saint! How astonishing! We, the worthless kshatriyas, are today being blessed with the opportunity to serve exalted noble beings like you. Out of compassion, you have arrived here as a guest and are blessing us with this sacred opportunity.
Merely by thinking about You our places of residence are transformed into sacred places of pilgrimage. We get transformed into pure beings. What more can be said about the purity attained by seeing You, touching You and being blessed with the opportunity to offer worship to your feet?
O Mahayogi! Just as demons are destroyed by the mere presence of Mahavishnu, by merely associating with You ordinary humans are absolved of their sins. This is definitely true.
Lord Srikrishna is extremely dear to the Pandavas. The Lord perhaps has feelings of love towards me due to the compassion that I am born in the lineage of the Pandavas, who were His cousins. Hence He may be considering me as his relative. Otherwise how is it possible for a person like me to be blessed with your darshan?
A highly enlightened Yogi like you eternally roams about only in forests. No one knows where you will be at any point of time. If not for Srikrishna’s benevolent grace upon me, how could I, who am destined to die shortly, be blessed with this sacred opportunity of seeing You?
I seek to ask you, who are supreme amongst all Yogis, a question, “What are the actions that a person, who is destined to die shortly, should engage himself in? What is that he should listen to? Which mantra should he recite? What should he recollect? Whom should he serve? What is his duty? What is it that he should give up? Please explain this to me in minute detail. O personification of the Supreme Lord! O great saint! You do not stay in a householder’s home for even that much time as is needed to milk a cow. Therefore I consider Your visit here as our greatest fortune”.
Mahatmas in general do not stay anywhere for long. Śukabrahma, who was an Avadhoota, would not stay for even so long as was needed to milk a cow.
In this manner, Emperor Parikshit, standing in front of Maharishi śuka, questioned Him sweetly in this manner. Hearing this, the venerable Maharishi Śuka, who was an exponent in the knowledge of righteousness (dharma) replied.
With this the first canto of Srimad Bhagawatam comes to an end.
Narayana! Narayana!