Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 12.5.2
Mukti· LiberationThe Self Does Not Die
“O King, give up the animalistic mentality of thinking, “I am going to die.” Unlike the body, you have not taken birth. There was not a time in the past when you did not exist, and you are not about to be destroyed.”
What the purport teaches
- Unlike the body, the self has not taken birth and will not be destroyed. Śukadeva Gosvāmī asks the King to give up thinking, “I am going to die.”
- Parīkṣit was already a great and pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa before hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He had no animalistic fear of death; these strong instructions are spoken for our sake.
- The King had already taken the Lord’s lotus feet into his heart. His desire was that the devotees continue singing the deeds of Lord Viṣṇu.
Try this today
Spend a few minutes reading or hearing about the deeds of Lord Viṣṇu today.
Ask yourself
What can I learn from the King’s desire to hear about the Lord even in the face of death?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.