Verse Text
yathā –
gurur api bhujagād bhīs takṣakāt prājya-rājya-
cyutir ati-śāyinī ca prāyacaryā ca gurvī |
atasanuta mudam uccaiḥ kṛṣṇa-līlā-sudhāntar-
viharaṇa-sacivatvād auttareyasya rājṣaḥ ||88||
Translation
Though extremely terrified of the snake Takṣaka, Parīkṣit, son of Uttarā, giving up his great kingdom and undertaking the extreme vow of fasting till death, became most blissful through drinking the nectar of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
In this example, Parīkṣit derived the greatest bliss simply by Kṛṣṇa’s appearance through hearing His pastimes. How much more bliss there would be then by Kṛṣṇa’s direct presence? Prājya means “great.” Prāyacaryā means a vow of fasting till death. Auttareyasya means “of the son of Uttarā, Parīkṣit.” This example also shows that without the relationship with Kṛṣṇa, through hearing His pastimes, there would be complete misery.
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
A glorious example of this ecstatic love was exhibited by King Parīkṣit when he was at the point of death. Although he was bereft of his entire kingdom, which spread over all the world, and although he was accepting not even a drop of water in the seven days remaining to him, because he was engaged in hearing the transcendental pastimes of the Lord from Śukadeva Gosvāmī he was not in the least distressed. On the contrary, he was feeling direct transcendental ecstatic joy in association with Śukadeva Gosvāmī.