SB 1.18.24-25 (1965)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXTS No.'s 24 & 25
Ekada dhanur udyamya vicharan mrigayam vane Mrigan anugatah shrantah kshudhito taisito bhrisam
Jalasayam achakshanah pravivesha tam ashramam Dadarsha munim asinam santam milita lochanam.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Ekada—once upon a time, Dhanur—arrows and bow, Udyamya—taking it firmly, Vicharan—following, Mrigayam—hunting excursion, Vane—in the forest, Jalasayam—reservoir of water, Achakshanah—while finding out, Mrigan—stags, Anugatah—while following, Shrantah—fatigued, Kshuditah—hungry, Trisito—being thirsty, Bhrisham—extremely, Pravivesha—entered into, Tam—that famous, Ashramam—hermitage of Samika Rishi, Dadarsha—Saw, Munim—the sage, Asinam—seated, Santam—all silent, Milita—closed, Locnanam—eyes.
TRANSLATION
Once upon a time Maharaj Parikshit while engaged in hunting in the forest with arrows and bow firmly taken up became extremely fatigued, hungry and thirsty while following the stags. And in search after the reservoir of water he entered the hermitage of the well-known Samika Rishi and saw the sage was sitting all silent with closed eyes.
PURPORT
The Supreme Lord is so kind upon His pure devotees that in proper time he calls for such devotees up to Him and thus creates a circumstance favorably auspicious for the devotee. Maharaj Parikshit was a pure devotee of the Lord and there was no reason for him to become extremely fatigued hungry and thirsty because a devotee of the Lord never becomes perturbed by such bodily demands. But by the desire of the Lord even such a devotee also became apparently fatigued and thirsty just to create the situation favorable for his renunciation of worldly activities. One has to give up all attachment for worldly relation before one is able to go back to home back to Godhead and as such even a devotee when he is too much absorbed in worldly affairs, the Lord creates a situation for the devotee's cause of indifference. The Supreme Lord never forgets His pure devotee even the latter may be engaged in so called worldly affairs and as such sometimes He creates an awkward sitation when the devotee becomes obliged to renounce all worldly affairs. The devotee can understand it by the signal of the Lord but others take it as a matter of unfavorable frustration. Maharaj Parikshit was meant for becoming the medium of revelation of Srimad Bhagwatam by Lord Sri Krishna as much as his grand father Arjuna was meant for revelation of the Bhagwat Geeta in the world. Had not Arjuna taken up with an illusion of family affection by the will of the Lord, there was no chance of the Bhagwat Geeta being spoken by the Lord Himself for the good of all concerned. Similarty had not Maharaj Parikshit been fatigued, hungry and thirsty at this time, there was no chance of Srimad Bhagwatam being spoken by Srila Sukdheva Goswami the prime authority of Srimad Bhagwatam. So this is a prelude to the circumstances under which Srimad Bhagwatam was spoken for the benefit of all concerned. The prelude, therefore, begins with the word that once upon a time etc.