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Dear Prabhujis and Matajis,

Hare Krishna. Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev.

 

When Parikshit Maharaj was cursed by Shrngi and he is conveyed the message that he would be killed by a snake-bite in 7 days, he decided to accept the curse as it is and utilize the remaining time in the best possible way. By his own decision and also with the suggestion of his ministers and saints, he decided to remember Krishna in the remaining days. Hearing about his amazing decision to fast until death and remember Krishna, so many saints and sages arrived from all over the universe in that spot on the plea of making a pilgrimage. They were all pure themselves, so pure that they could even sanctify the places of pilgrimage of all contaminations, but with an external excuse of taking a sacred bath in Ganges they arrived at that place where Parikshit Maharaj sat down with firm determination. Their actual purpose was to hear Srimad Bhagavatam from the lotus mouth of Srila Sukadeva Goswami who was the most perfect person to speak the Mahapurana to the most qualified listener Parikshit Maharaj. What made Parikshit Maharaj qualified to hear Bhagavatam? There are so many wonderful qualities of Parikshit Maharaj that are revealed in the narration of this incident and we can see one of that important qualities in the verse SB 1.19.11:

 

 

"There were also many other saintly demigods, kings and special royal orders called arunaadayas [a special rank of raajarshis] from different dynasties of sages. When they all assembled together to meet the Emperor [Parikshit], he received them properly and bowed his head to the ground."

 

Parikshit Maharaj, inspite of the fact that he was going to die in a short time, did not forget to uphold the etiquettes of receiving the guests nor did he lapse in giving them proper respect. He bowing down his head on the ground and received them with great respect. This shows the hallmark of Parikshit Maharaj's greatness. Not only this, but the deeper reason for this is that Parikshit Maharaj was still feeling very repentent for having offended the sage Shamika Rshi. He was still mindful of the fact that his one offense has already brought him the curse of death. He was very careful to not repeat the same mistake of offending great saints and sages for that will cast him permanently to hell. Devotee does not mean that he will never commit mistake. To err is human. But a genuine devotee truely repents for the mistake and is careful so that it is not repeated again. Srila Prabhupada gives a very beautiful explanation of this act of Parikshit Maharaj in his purport, "The system of bowing the head to the ground to show respect to superiors is an excellent etiquette which obliges the honored guest deep into the heart. Even the first-grade offender is excused simply by this process, and Maharaja Parikshit, although honored by all the rshis and kings, welcomed all the big men in that humble etiquette in order to be excused from any offenses. Generally at the last stage of one's life this humble method is adopted by every sensible man in order to be excused before departure. In this way Maharaja Parikshit implored everyone's good will for going back home, back to Godhead."

 

These beautiful lines in the purport were written by Srila Prabhupada even before he left for the US and he showed it by himself in practice when he left this world too. During the last days of Srila Prabhupada, many of his godbrothers came and visited him. In his preaching, Srila Prabhupada sometimes had to be strong to protect his budding disciples from not getting deviated from the main focus of preaching the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. However some of his godbrothers took it a bit offensively, even though Srila Prabhupada's motive was pure and not to disrespect anybody. In spite of that, in his last days, whenever his godbrothers came to meet him, Srila Prabhupada would ask for heartfelt forgiveness from them. His godbrothers were moved by this bewildering act of Srila Prabhupada and told him, "We do not take any offense at all. You did everything for preaching the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Guru Maharaj and your purity is there for all to see. Nobody can make so many thousands of Krishna devotees all over the world in such a short time without being empowered by Guru and Krishna."

 

Humility melts the heart of Krishna and His devotees. Only by being humble can we receive their causeless mercy. Let us sincerely pray to Lord Krishna, Srila Prabhupada and our Guru Maharaj to somehow or other make us humble in the process of becoming devotees.

 

Thank you very much.

Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,

Kalacakra Krsna das