Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 2 - Chapter 1

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 2 - Chapter 1 - Verse 1 Sanskrit: श्रीशुक उवाचवरीयानेष ते प्रश्न: कृतो लोकहितंनृप ।आत्मवित्सम्मत: पुंसां श्रोतव्यादिषु य: पर: ॥ १ ॥ ITRANS: śrī-śuka uvācavarīyān eṣa te praśnaḥkṛto loka-hitaṁ nṛpaātmavit-sammataḥ puṁsāṁśrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ Translation: Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, your question is glorious because it is very beneficial to all kinds of people. The answer to this question is the prime subject matter for hearing, and it is approved by all transcendentalists....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 2 - Chapter 1 - Verse 2 Sanskrit: श्रोतव्यादीनि राजेन्द्र नृणां सन्तिसहस्रश: ।अपश्यतामात्मतत्त्वं गृहेषु गृहमेधिनाम् ॥ २ ॥ ITRANS: śrotavyādīni rājendranṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥapaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁgṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām Translation: Those persons who are materially engrossed, being blind to the knowledge of ultimate truth, have many subject matters for hearing in human society, O Emperor. Purport: In the revealed scriptures there are two nomenclatures for the householder’s life. One is gṛhastha, and the other is gṛhamedhī....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 2 - Chapter 1 - Verse 3 Sanskrit: निद्रया ह्रियते नक्तं व्यवायेन च वा वय: ।दिवा चार्थेहया राजन् कुटुम्बभरणेन वा ॥ ३ ॥ ITRANS: nidrayā hriyate naktaṁvyavāyena ca vā vayaḥdivā cārthehayā rājankuṭumba-bharaṇena vā Translation: The lifetime of such an envious householder is passed at night either in sleeping or in sex indulgence, and in the daytime either in making money or maintaining family members. Purport: The present human civilization is primarily based on the principles of sleeping and sex indulgence at night and earning money in the day and spending the same for family maintenance....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 2 - Chapter 1 - Verse 4 Sanskrit: देहापत्यकलत्रादिष्वात्मसैन्येष्वसत्स्वपि ।तेषां प्रमत्तो निधनं पश्यन्नपि न पश्यति ॥ ४ ॥ ITRANS: dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣvātma-sainyeṣv asatsv apiteṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁpaśyann api na paśyati Translation: Persons devoid of ātma-tattva do not inquire into the problems of life, being too attached to the fallible soldiers like the body, children and wife. Although sufficiently experienced, they still do not see their inevitable destruction. Purport: This material world is called the world of death....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 2 - Chapter 1 - Verse 5 Sanskrit: तस्माद्भारत सर्वात्मा भगवानीश्वरो हरि: ।श्रोतव्य: कीर्तितव्यश्च स्मर्तव्यश्चेच्छताभयम् ॥ ५ ॥ ITRANS: tasmād bhārata sarvātmābhagavān īśvaro hariḥśrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś casmartavyaś cecchatābhayam Translation: O descendant of King Bharata, one who desires to be free from all miseries must hear about, glorify and also remember the Personality of Godhead, who is the Supersoul, the controller and the savior from all miseries. Purport: In the previous verse, Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī has described how the foolish materially attached men are wasting their valuable time in the improvement of the material conditions of life by sleeping, indulging in sex life, developing economic conditions and maintaining a band of relatives who are to be vanquished in the air of oblivion....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 2 - Chapter 1 - Verse 6 Sanskrit: एतावान् सांख्ययोगाभ्यां स्वधर्मपरिनिष्ठया ।जन्मलाभ: पर: पुंसामन्ते नारायणस्मृति: ॥ ६ ॥ ITRANS: etāvān sāṅkhya-yogābhyāṁsva-dharma-pariniṣṭhayājanma-lābhaḥ paraḥ puṁsāmante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ Translation: The highest perfection of human life, achieved either by complete knowledge of matter and spirit, by practice of mystic powers, or by perfect discharge of occupational duty, is to remember the Personality of Godhead at the end of life. Purport: Nārāyaṇa is the transcendental Personality of Godhead beyond the material creation....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 2 - Chapter 1 - Verse 7 Sanskrit: प्रायेण मुनयो राजन्निवृत्ता विधिषेधत: ।नैर्गुण्यस्था रमन्ते स्म गुणानुकथने हरे: ॥ ७ ॥ ITRANS: prāyeṇa munayo rājannivṛttā vidhi-ṣedhataḥnairguṇya-sthā ramante smaguṇānukathane hareḥ Translation: O King Parīkṣit, mainly the topmost transcendentalists, who are above the regulative principles and restrictions, take pleasure in describing the glories of the Lord. Purport: The topmost transcendentalist is a liberated soul and is therefore not within the purview of the regulative principles....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 2 - Chapter 1 - Verse 8 Sanskrit: इदं भागवतं नाम पुराणं ब्रह्मसम्मितम् ।अधीतवान् द्वापरादौ पितुर्द्वैपायनादहम् ॥ ८ ॥ ITRANS: idaṁ bhāgavataṁ nāmapurāṇaṁ brahma-sammitamadhītavān dvāparādaupitur dvaipāyanād aham Translation: At the end of the Dvāpara-yuga, I studied this great supplement of Vedic literature named Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is equal to all the Vedas, from my father, Śrīla Dvaipāyana Vyāsadeva. Purport: The statement made by Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī that the topmost transcendentalist, who is beyond the jurisdiction of regulations and restrictions, mainly takes to the task of hearing about and glorifying the Personality of Godhead, is verified by his personal example....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 2 - Chapter 1 - Verse 9 Sanskrit: परिनिष्ठितोऽपि नैर्गुण्य उत्तमश्लोकलीलया ।गृहीतचेता राजर्षे आख्यानं यदधीतवान् ॥ ९ ॥ ITRANS: pariniṣṭhito ’pi nairguṇyauttama-śloka-līlayāgṛhīta-cetā rājarṣeākhyānaṁ yad adhītavān Translation: O saintly King, I was certainly situated perfectly in transcendence, yet I was still attracted by the delineation of the pastimes of the Lord, who is described by enlightened verses. Purport: The Absolute Truth is realized at the first instance as the impersonal Brahman by philosophical speculation and later as the Supersoul by further progress of transcendental knowledge....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 2 - Chapter 1 - Verse 10 Sanskrit: तदहं तेऽभिधास्यामि महापौरुषिको भवान् ।यस्य श्रद्दधतामाशु स्यान्मुकुन्दे मति: सती ॥ १० ॥ ITRANS: tad ahaṁ te ’bhidhāsyāmimahā-pauruṣiko bhavānyasya śraddadhatām āśusyān mukunde matiḥ satī Translation: That very Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam I shall recite before you because you are the most sincere devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. One who gives full attention and respect to hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam achieves unflinching faith in the Supreme Lord, the giver of salvation....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 2 - Chapter 1 - Verse 11 Sanskrit: एतन्निर्विद्यमानानामिच्छतामकुतोभयम् ।योगिनां नृप निर्णीतं हरेर्नामानुकीर्तनम् ॥ ११ ॥ ITRANS: etan nirvidyamānānāmicchatām akuto-bhayamyogināṁ nṛpa nirṇītaṁharer nāmānukīrtanam Translation: O King, constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord after the ways of the great authorities is the doubtless and fearless way of success for all, including those who are free from all material desires, those who are desirous of all material enjoyment, and also those who are self-satisfied by dint of transcendental knowledge....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 2 - Chapter 1 - Verse 12 Sanskrit: किं प्रमत्तस्य बहुभि: परोक्षैर्हायनैरिह ।वरं मुहूर्तं विदितं घटते श्रेयसे यत: ॥ १२ ॥ ITRANS: kiṁ pramattasya bahubhiḥparokṣair hāyanair ihavaraṁ muhūrtaṁ viditaṁghaṭate śreyase yataḥ Translation: What is the value of a prolonged life which is wasted, inexperienced by years in this world? Better a moment of full consciousness, because that gives one a start in searching after his supreme interest. Purport: Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī instructed Mahārāja Parīkṣit about the importance of the chanting of the holy name of the Lord by every progressive gentleman....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 2 - Chapter 1 - Verse 13 Sanskrit: खट्‍वाङ्गो नाम राजर्षिर्ज्ञात्वेयत्तामिहायुष: ।मुहूर्तात्सर्वमुत्सृज्य गतवानभयं हरिम् ॥ १३ ॥ ITRANS: khaṭvāṅgo nāma rājarṣirjñātveyattām ihāyuṣaḥmuhūrtāt sarvam utsṛjyagatavān abhayaṁ harim Translation: The saintly King Khaṭvāṅga, after being informed that the duration of his life would be only a moment more, at once freed himself from all material activities and took shelter of the supreme safety, the Personality of Godhead. Purport: A fully responsible man should always be conscious of the prime duty of the present human form of life....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 2 - Chapter 1 - Verse 14 Sanskrit: तवाप्येतर्हि कौरव्य सप्ताहं जीवितावधि: ।उपकल्पय तत्सर्वं तावद्यत्साम्परायिकम् ॥ १४ ॥ ITRANS: tavāpy etarhi kauravyasaptāhaṁ jīvitāvadhiḥupakalpaya tat sarvaṁtāvad yat sāmparāyikam Translation: Mahārāja Parīkṣit, now your duration of life is limited to seven more days, so during this time you can perform all those rituals which are needed for the best purpose of your next life. Purport: Śukadeva Gosvāmī, after citing the example of Mahārāja Khaṭvāṅga, who prepared himself for the next life within a very short time, encouraged Mahārāja Parīkṣit by saying that since he still had seven days at his disposal, he could easily take advantage of the time to prepare himself for the next life....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 2 - Chapter 1 - Verse 15 Sanskrit: अन्तकाले तु पुरुष आगते गतसाध्वस: ।छिन्द्यादसङ्गशस्त्रेण स्पृहां देहेऽनु ये च तम् ॥ १५ ॥ ITRANS: anta-kāle tu puruṣaāgate gata-sādhvasaḥchindyād asaṅga-śastreṇaspṛhāṁ dehe ’nu ye ca tam Translation: At the last stage of one’s life, one should be bold enough not to be afraid of death. But one must cut off all attachment to the material body and everything pertaining to it and all desires thereof....