Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.3.42
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesHear Through Paramparā and Remember the Lord
“Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the son of Vyāsadeva, in his turn delivered the Bhāgavatam to the great Emperor Parīkṣit, who sat surrounded by sages on the bank of the Ganges, awaiting death without taking food or drink.”
What the purport teaches
- Transcendental knowledge is properly received through paramparā, the chain of disciplic succession. The message of Bhāgavatam should come from Sūta Gosvāmī or his representative, not an unrelated interpreter.
- Knowing that death was approaching, Emperor Parīkṣit left his kingdom and family and sat on the bank of the Ganges. Amid the gathered sages, he heard about Lord Kṛṣṇa from Śukadeva Gosvāmī.
- Remembering Nārāyaṇa at the end of life is the essence of all spiritual activities. Both the qualified speaker and the hearer were delivered through the message of Bhāgavatam.
Try this today
Spend one quiet minute reciting the name of Govinda and remembering Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Ask yourself
How can my hearing today help me remember the Lord at the end of life?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.