ŠB 1.18.1-4
Bhāvārthadīpikā composed by Śrīdhara Svāmī:
In the eighteenth chapter, his (Parikshit's) attainment of Brahma-knowledge is being described. And this curse itself led to his detachment, which brought about renunciation. (1)
Lest there be any doubt about Parikshit not losing consciousness at the time of passing away, he recalls the wonder of his birth to indicate its plausibility - "He who, though scorched..." Viṣṭa means burned. (2) From the snake born of Brahma's anger arose the imminent threat to his life. Yet from that perilous situation too, he did not lose consciousness, because his mind was fully devoted and surrendered to the Lord alone. (2)
But regarding the phrase "Having renounced..." - Being a disciple of Śuka, the son of Vyāsa, he realized the true nature of the indestructible Lord Hari, by whom this was known. (3)
And this is not at all amazing, he says - For those who constantly relish the nectar of narratives about the Supreme Lord of Superior Glory, there can be no delusion or fear, even at the time of death, for those who fix their meditation on His lotus feet. (4)
The Illumination of the Bhāvārthadīpikā by Śrī Vāṃśīdhara:
And that curse itself was the cause of his receiving grace, which means detachment. (1) He who, though scorched by the weapon of Aśvathāmā's sone while in his mother's womb, and though burned, did not die by the grace of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, but rather attained new life - this is the meaning. There is no contradiction with the Mahābhārata where it is said that at the request of Subhadrā and others, Śrī Kṛṣṇa revived the dead Parīkṣit. As to how Śrī Kṛṣṇa gave him new life, he says "by his wonderful acts" - by his quality of being able to do amazing deeds like reviving the dead and killing the living. (1)
In the case of his not losing consciousness here, there is no tracing of the mind elsewhere from the Lord to whom it was fully surrendered. The reason for not tracing is the absence of the mind going elsewhere. (2)
"Realized" means directly experienced; "indestructible" means Viṣṇu; "true nature" means the state of liberation or the time of death, by which he is so characterized. (3)
"The narratives of the Supreme Lord" - a descriptive bahuvrihi compound dropping the middle term, meaning "those for whom the narratives are the cause of life." "No delusion" means no fear, as the Medinī states: "Even for the virtuous, there may be delusion due to agitation from happiness and sorrow." And because of the pre-eminence of the narratives of the Supreme Lord alone, by the word "that" (tat) only the Supreme Lord is indicated. He explains this by saying "relishing the nectar of those narratives of Śrī Kṛṣṇa." (4)
The Glorious Commentary by Vīrarāghava:
Now, he briefly concludes the remaining portion describing the faultless Parīkṣit, whose life was threatened by the snake-bite, with the words "He who" for the wise. (1) He who, though scorched by Ashvattama's weapon while in his mother's womb, and though burned, did not die by the wonderful grace of the Lord Kṛṣṇa. (1)
And who, when the snake born from Brahma's anger in the form of a brahmin's curse presented imminent destruction of life, did not lose consciousness from that very serpent - how was that? His mind was fully surrendered to the Lord alone. (2)
That king, having renounced all attachments like wife, sons, etc., and becoming a disciple of Vyāsa's son Śuka, and realizing the indestructible Lord in whom he had attained firm realization, cast off his body in the Ganges. (3)
He logically establishes the very absence of delusion with a reason, saying "Not..." - For those whose narratives are of the Supreme Lord, there is no fear or delusion at all - how could there be delusion, even at the time of death, for those who constantly relish the nectar of narratives about the Supreme Glorious Lord and meditate on His lotus feet? (4)
1. prā° pāra-kurvato - translates to English as “performing beyond”.
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The Step-by-Step Commentary by the Glorious Vijaya Dhvaja Tīrtha:
Again in this chapter, to instruct devotion to the Lord, His greatness is described. For that purpose, he begins describing Parikshit's ascent with the words "He who". (1) He who, by the grace of Lord Krishna, the amazing actor, did not die though burned by the weapon of Aśvathāmā while in his mother's womb. (1)
And who, when faced with imminent destruction from the snake sent by a Brahmin's curse born of Brahma's anger, did not lose consciousness in that threat of death, because his mind was fully devoted to the Lord. (2)
That Parikshit, having renounced all attachments like wife, sons etc., became a disciple of Vyasa's son Shuka. By his teachings, he realized the self through the knowledge that the body is impermanent - that knowledge which is fit for self-realization and the attainment of liberation. Having thus acquired that state, he cast off his body in the Ganges river. (3)
Lest there be any doubt about this, he says "Not..." - For those whose association is with the narratives of the Supreme Lord, who make a living by the narratives of the Supreme Lord, or for those who constantly relish the nectar of His narrations through the means of hearing, and meditate on His lotus feet, there can be no delusion even at the time of death. The meaning of the word "api" is - for those desiring permanent, unbroken service at the feet of Lord Hari even after complete dissolution, daily death-like states do not exist, what need is there to mention more? Or it means - what need is there to elaborately describe the one instance where the narratives of the Supreme Lord have been glorified? (4)
In this chapter, the meanings of words are not analyzed.
The Essence-Extracting Commentary by the Revered Vishvanatha Chakravarti:
In the eighteenth canto, it is described how the serpent was bound around the neck by Arjuna, the son of Indra. The king (Parikshit) suffered great miseries due to its bite, having received the severe curse. Parikshit, being extremely astonished on hearing the harsh curse, briefly narrates his own wonderful life story, surrendering to the Lord at the end, from his birth onwards, with the words "He who was scorched yet unburned." (1-2)
Being a disciple of Vyasa's son Shuka, he realized the true nature of the indestructible Lord Hari, by which realization he is so characterized. Or, "realized" means directly experienced, "indestructible" means Vishnu, "true nature" means the state of liberation or the time of death, by which he is so characterized. (3)
And lest there be any doubt about this, he says "Not...". "The narratives of the Supreme Lord" - a compound meaning "those for whom the narratives are the cause of life." (4)
The Illuminating Commentary on Established Doctrine by the Revered Śukadeva:
He briefly shows the remaining life story of Parikshit up until his death, preceded by the recollection of his amazing birth, by compactly narrating it with the words "He who", using nine verses. Though scorched by Aśvathāmā's weapon, he did not die. (1)
The word "tu" (however) distinguishes Parikshit from other beings. And who, when faced with imminent threat to life from the snake born of the sage Shringi's anger, did not lose consciousness from that very serpent because his mind was fully surrendered to the Lord. (2)
He expands on that - Having renounced all attachments to body, wife, sons etc., and becoming a disciple of Vyasa's son, by his grace realizing the distinct discrimination of spiritual knowledge like detachment, he attained firm self-surrender in the indestructible form of Lord Krishna, whose nature transcends material existence. Thus situated, he cast off his bodily frame on the bank of the Ganges. (3)
And it is indeed proper, he says - For those whose narratives are of the Supreme Lord, who constantly relish that nectarine form of the narratives of the Supreme Lord by the means of meditation, and who remember His lotus feet, the Supreme Lord Shri Krishna, there can be no delusion even at the time of death. The principle of ever-increasing spiritual happiness should also be understood. (4)
The Illuminating Commentary on Established Doctrine by the Revered Śukadeva:
He briefly shows the remaining life story of Parikshit up until his death, preceded by the recollection of his amazing birth, by compactly narrating it with the words "He who", using nine verses. Though scorched by Aśvathāmā's weapon, he did not die. (1)
The word "tu" (however) distinguishes Parikshit from other beings. And who, when faced with imminent threat to life from the snake born of the sage Shringi's anger, did not lose consciousness or depart from his body, because his mind was fully surrendered to the Lord. (2)
He expands on that - Having renounced all attachments to body, home and the rest, and becoming a disciple of Vyasa, by his grace realizing the distinct discrimination of spiritual qualities like detachment etc., he attained firm self-surrender in the indestructible form of Lord Krishna, whose nature transcends material existence. Thus situated, he cast off his bodily frame on the bank of the Ganges. (3)
And it is indeed proper, he says - For those whose narratives are of the Supreme Lord, who constantly relish that nectarine form of the narratives of the Supreme Lord Shri Krishna by the means of meditation, and who remember His lotus feet, there can be no delusion even at the time of death. The principle of ever-increasing spiritual happiness should also be understood. (4)
The "Enlightening Commentary" composed by the revered Vallabhacharya:
Now the meaning of these two chapters is explained. The curse led to his renunciation in the forest, and the curse itself revealed the path of detachment. (1)
The brief narration is for the delight of the listeners, following their disposition. The detailed account and the compactness of the two (stories) are mutually enhanced by faith or brevity. (2)
To establish that such was the result, he (the sage) speaks of the curse by Hari, born of the supernatural snake's fire. (3)
For the wise, there is no fear of bodily destruction, as is evident from his previous protection. And the excellence of the curse is described as leading to his exaltation, same as for the Yadavas. (4)
Thus, describing his royal condition, he briefly states his subsequent situation with the words "He who was scorched yet unburned by Aśvathāmā's weapon." This indicates that the same Lord who had previously protected him, withdrew his protection now, due to his amazing karma. "Burned" means departed after drinking the serpent's venom. By "Lord Krishna" is meant the unmanifest and manifest Absolute, in whose womb he did not die, but departed his body in the Ganges. (1)
Now he explains the special circumstance of his death, "born of Brahma's anger" - even that serpent was unable to remain below, it had to obey Brahma's command. Using the word "Brahma" indicates the great calamity that arose from disturbing the seers absorbed in Brahman. All beings breathe by the grace of the Lord, so he says "threat to life", therefore "imminence of death". And the reason for his lack of delusion or fear is "his mind was surrendered to the Lord" - surrendering the mind to the Lord protects one from the serpent's attack. (2)
He describes the method of giving up the body "Having renounced..." First came renunciation, then his guru's grace, then realization of the Lord's true nature according to that tradition, and finally giving up the body in the Ganges. "Realizing the indestructible state" means firmly situated in that very state. (3)
How is there no delusion even at the time of death for those whose narratives are of the Supreme Lord, who ever relish the nectarine narratives of the Lord spoken by the saintly ones, and who serve His lotus feet? When the senses, mind, intellect and ego become one-pointed by the practice of unifying them through meditation on the Lord, the state of their convergence is called "samnipatah". As long as this convergence of mind and senses continues, they experience the Lord's divine form at the end of the body. Previously their convergence was outward, but by the practice of yoga it turns inward. Mundane topics are based in ignorance and passion, divine topics in sattva. Better than materialistic thoughts is meditation, for the Shruti states "whatever one contemplates with the mind". Therefore, when the mind and senses are constantly withdrawn from all defects and material tendencies, just as dust is removed from a metal object, they become fit to cognize the Supreme free from all material qualities and designations. Even though at the time of death there may be a separation of body, senses and mind, for such persons there is no death or connection with death, due to their partaking of the immortal nectar. This is the purport. (4)
The "Illuminating Commentary" composed by the revered Purusottama, son of Sri Lakshmidhar:
To explain the connection between the previous and subsequent chapters while expounding the meaning of these two chapters, they begin with "atha" etc. After indicating the arising of detachment through supernatural means in the previous two chapters, the travel of the king revealing the teaching of detachment is described in these two chapters. They explain the process beginning with "due to the curse" etc.
"Due to the curse" - he mostly attained detachment in the forest; the curse itself revealed detachment. Then why mention both? They say "the brief narration" etc. Just as there is a general and specific aspect in the narration of the Suta, there is a connection (between the two accounts). Why brevity? They explain with "for the delight" etc. - for the delight of Shaunaka and the other ascetics.
"To establish" - to affirm for the speaker and listener. "Such was the result" - spoken and heard with faith and zeal. However, just as the curse revealed his exalted detachment, could it not also teach adharma? To remove this doubt, they say "spoken by Hari" etc. "By Hari" - because Brahma has the form of speech. "As is evident from his previous protection" - in the absence of the Bhagavata narratives revealing knowledge, there is no other way to avoid bodily destruction. And this is to facilitate the fulfillment of that very principle, not a negation of exaltation. The rest is clear.
Similarly, the curse itself only facilitated knowledge, by the logic that misery leads to detachment. So there is no fault. "He whose name" - He whose name is the manifest form of Krishna and the unmanifest Eternal. (1)
"Born of Brahma's anger" - explaining the word "anger", they say "the serpent" etc. (2)
Now, since the absence of delusion at the time of death and the presence of its cause are taught here, how can there be absence of delusion? Dispelling this doubt through the authority of the Lord's words, they establish the cause of non-delusion elsewhere, not the absence of delusion itself, with "when they converge" etc. What is the convergence and of what kind? They explain with "the defects" etc.
The defects are the modes of passion and ignorance - anger, greed, persistent effort for the undesirable, violence, arrogance, malice, and hankering. The qualities are the tendencies of sattva - tranquility, restraint, patience, austerity, truthfulness, compassion, mindfulness, contentment, renunciation, non-enviousness, faith, and seeking the Self.
When these defects and qualities become unified as much as possible in their evolved state of being inseparably combined in oneness, that unified state of theirs is called "samnipatah", just as the three defects first converge in medical treatment. And this is "the transaction of the mind and senses" according to the Lord's words. This means the functions of the mind, senses, life-airs, the sense of "I" and "mine" - these two forms make up "vyavahara" or transaction.
Thus stating the cause of delusion, they reveal its temporary nature and the means to overcome it with "by that" etc. By the notion of "I" and "mine", as long as there is a convergence of the mind, senses and life-airs in the form of habitual transaction, even at the end there is an experience of that convergent state of delusion pertaining to the body etc. Therefore, the prevention of their delusion (is necessary).
But if everywhere their attention is on the Lord, how can delusion arise? To this they say, "topics related to the Lord" etc. And previously, the discipline to stop that convergence, the constant practice (of meditation) - is what enables this. How is this discipline achieved? They state the means with "there" etc.
"Rooted in ignorance" - because performed by nature. "Contrary" - since their nature is sattvika and related to the Lord, mundane topics, being rooted in ignorance, are tamasic. Service in the form of activities like hearing, is sattvika. Relishing narratives is rajasic. "Initially" - engaging in mundane talk.
The justification is given as "because" etc. "Because whatever one contemplates with the mind, one utters with speech" - according to the Shruti which establishes speech as preceded by the mind. Therefore, when the mind is constantly absorbed in meditation with discrimination, imbued with connection to the Lord even in other activities relating to the body etc. involving the qualities - then it is established in that convergence.
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The Bālaprabodhinī composed by Śrīgiridhara:
In the eighteenth chapter, for the sake of the liberation of that very powerful devotee of Hari, the purpose of Brahma's curse leading to detachment is described. (1)
And it should not be doubted how such prowess as subduing the Kali age etc. is possible for the human Parikshit; because being a devotee of the Lord, by His grace everything about his life from birth until casting off the body was extraordinary. With this idea in mind, he briefly narrates Parikshit's life from birth until casting off the body in ten verses beginning with "Yo vā" (1.19.14). The son of Uttara, Parikshit, was burnt by the brahmastra itself in his mother's womb, yet he did not die due to Krishna's grace. Even with Krishna's grace, how could the one who was burnt not die? Anticipating this doubt, he explains "because he had the ability to do, not do or do otherwise" with the verse "Adbhutakarmaṇā" (1.19.15). Then, anticipating the doubt "How was he possessed of such extraordinary ability?", he explains again "Because he was full of the six opulences like lordship etc." with the verse "Bhagavān" (1.19.16). (1)
But he did not become deluded by the extremely difficult situation caused by Takshaka, who was aroused by the curse of the Brahmin preceded by anger due to the wrath of Brahma, which resulted in the loss of his life-breath. He states the reason for this - "Whose mind was offered to the Lord, by him [he was not deluded]." (2)
Anticipating the doubt "Did the achievement of his desired goal occur for him even though he was free from delusion or not?", he says in the verse "Utsṛjya" - "Giving up attachment, clinging to the body, his descendants like sons etc. everywhere, he cast off his body in the Ganges which emanated from the Lord's feet". By this, it is indicated that the achievement of the highest goal, attaining the Lord, occurred for him. He states the reason for giving up all attachment - "Because he realized the true position of the unborn Lord". And he states the reason for that realization - "Having become the disciple of Shuka, the son of Vyasa." (3)
Saying "Na" he conveys the idea "This is not astonishing because it is established in the scriptures." Ignorance, which is the cause of all delusion, disappears from those whose glories belong to the Supreme Lord alone. Therefore, for those who constantly serve the nectar in the form of narrations about that Lord, and for those who constantly remember His lotus feet, there can be no delusion even at the time of death. (4)
The Curse of the Serpent upon King Parikshit
The sage says - O brahmin, even though being burned by the powerful curse of Ashvatthama in his mother's womb, King Parikshit did not die due to the grace of the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. (1)
At the time when the serpent inflicted its venom on him due to a brahmin's curse, he was not afraid of losing his life because he had completely surrendered his mind at the lotus feet of the Lord Sri Krishna. (2)
He renounced all attachments, went to the banks of the Ganges, received instructions from the great sage, and thus realizing the true nature of the Lord, he gave up his body. (3)
Those who constantly narrate the divine pastimes of the Lord Sri Krishna and eagerly drink the nectar of those narrations, and by this practice constantly remember the lotus feet of the Lord, do not feel any delusion even at the time of death. (4)
SB 1.18.1-4
