Raja Parikshit ki Katha
Raja Parikshit, Arjun ke pote aur Abhimanyu ke putra, Pandavon ke baad nyayapoorvak rajya karte the. Unhone Bhagwat ke prachar mein mahatvapoorna bhoomika nibhayi. Ek bar, shikar karte samay, pyase Raja Parikshit Rishi Shameek ke aashram pahunche. Rishi gehri samadhi mein the. Kai bar nivedan karne par bhi Rishi ne koi pratikriya nahin di. Krodhit hokar, Raja ne ek mara hua saap Rishi ke gale mein dal diya.
Rishi Shameek ke putra, Shringi, ne yah dekha aur Raja Parikshit ko 7 din ke bheetar Nagraj Takshak ke katne se mrityu ka shrap diya. Jab Rishi Shameek ko unki samadhi tootne ke baad shrap ke bare mein pata chala, to unhe laga ki yah ek mamooli apradh ke liye bahut kathor hai aur unhone apne bete ko Bhagwan se kshama mangne ki salah di.
Apni galti ka ehsaas hone par, Raja Parikshit ko Rishi ke ek shishya ne anivarya shrap ke bare mein soochit kiya. Moksha prapt karne ki salah par, Raja Parikshit Shukdev Muni ke paas gaye, jinhone unhe sat dinon tak lagatar Bhagwat Katha sunayi. Yah sat-divasiya Bhagwat Katha paath ki parampara sthapit hui.
King Parikshit's Story
Raja Parikshit, Arjun's grandson and Abhimanyu's son, ruled justly after the Pandavas. He was instrumental in spreading the Bhagwat. Once, while hunting, thirsty Raja Parikshit came to Rishi Shameek's ashram. The Rishi was in deep meditation (समाधि - samadhi). Despite repeated requests, the Rishi did not respond. Angered, the King put a dead snake around the Rishi's neck.
Rishi Shameek's son, Shringi, saw this and cursed Raja Parikshit to die from a snake bite within 7 days by Nagraj Takshak. When Rishi Shameek learned of the curse after his meditation ended, he felt it was too harsh for a minor offense and advised his son to seek forgiveness from God.
Raja Parikshit, realizing his mistake, was informed by a disciple of the Rishi about the unavoidable curse. Advised to seek salvation, Raja Parikshit went to Shukdev Muni, who narrated the Bhagwat Katha to him continuously for seven days. This established the tradition of the seven-day Bhagwat Katha recitation.
Glossary
Raja Parikshit ki Katha
Raja: King
Parikshit: Parikshit
ki: of
Katha: Story
(Meaning: King Parikshit's Story)
Sentence 1:
"Raja Parikshit, Arjun ke pote aur Abhimanyu ke putra, Pandavon ke baad nyayapoorvak rajya karte the."
Raja: King
Parikshit: Parikshit
Arjun: Arjun
ke: of
pote: grandson
aur: and
Abhimanyu: Abhimanyu
ke: of
putra: son
Pandavon: Pandavas
ke baad: after
nyayapoorvak: justly
rajya karte the: used to rule / ruled.
(Meaning: King Parikshit, Arjun's grandson and Abhimanyu's son, ruled justly after the Pandavas.)
Sentence 2:
"Unhone Bhagwat ke prachar mein mahatvapoorna bhoomika nibhayi."
Unhone: He
Bhagwat: Bhagwat
ke: of
prachar: propagation/spreading
mein: in
mahatvapoorna: important/significant
bhoomika: role
nibhayi: played/fulfilled.
(Meaning: He played an important role in the propagation of the Bhagwat.)
Sentence 3:
"Ek bar, shikar karte samay, pyase Raja Parikshit Rishi Shameek ke aashram pahunche."
Ek bar: Once
shikar karte samay: while hunting
pyase: thirsty
Raja: King
Parikshit: Parikshit
Rishi: Rishi/Sage
Shameek: Shameek
ke: of
aashram: hermitage/ashram
pahunche: reached/arrived.
(Meaning: Once, while hunting, thirsty King Parikshit reached the hermitage of Rishi Shameek.)
Sentence 4:
"Rishi gehri samadhi mein the."
Rishi: Rishi/Sage
gehri: deep
samadhi: meditation (state of deep absorption)
mein: in
the: was.
(Meaning: The Rishi was in deep meditation.)
Sentence 5:
"Kai bar nivedan karne par bhi Rishi ne koi pratikriya nahin di."
Kai bar: Many times
nivedan karne par bhi: despite requesting / even after requesting
Rishi: Rishi/Sage
ne: (subject marker)
koi: any
pratikriya: reaction/response
nahin di: did not give.
(Meaning: Despite requesting many times, the Rishi did not give any reaction.)
Sentence 6:
"Krodhit hokar, Raja ne ek mara hua saap Rishi ke gale mein dal diya."
Krodhit: Angry
hokar: having become
Raja: King
ne: (subject marker)
ek: one/a
mara hua: dead
saap: snake
Rishi: Rishi/Sage
ke: of
gale: neck/throat
mein: in/around
dal diya: put/threw.
(Meaning: Becoming angry, the King put a dead snake around the Rishi's neck.)
Sentence 7:
"Rishi Shameek ke putra, Shringi, ne yah dekha aur Raja Parikshit ko 7 din ke bheetar Nagraj Takshak ke katne se mrityu ka shrap diya."
Rishi: Rishi/Sage
Shameek: Shameek
ke: of
putra: son
Shringi: Shringi
ne: (subject marker)
yah: this
dekha: saw
aur: and
Raja: King
Parikshit: Parikshit
ko: to (object marker)
7 din: 7 days
ke bheetar: within
Nagraj: Serpent King
Takshak: Takshak
ke: by
katne: biting
se: from
mrityu: death
ka: of
shrap: curse
diya: gave.
(Meaning: Rishi Shameek's son, Shringi, saw this and cursed King Parikshit to die from being bitten by Nagraj Takshak within 7 days.)
Sentence 8:
"Jab Rishi Shameek ko unki samadhi tootne ke baad shrap ke bare mein pata chala, to unhe laga ki yah ek mamooli apradh ke liye bahut kathor hai aur unhone apne bete ko Bhagwan se kshama mangne ki salah di."
Jab: When
Rishi: Rishi/Sage
Shameek: Shameek
ko: to (marker)
unki: his
samadhi: meditation
tootne: breaking
ke baad: after
shrap: curse
ke bare mein: about
pata chala: came to know
to: then/so
unhe: he/him (marker)
laga ki: felt that
yah: this
ek: one/a
mamooli: minor/small
apradh: offense/crime
ke liye: for
bahut: very
kathor: harsh/severe
hai: is
aur: and
unhone: he (referring to Rishi Shameek)
apne: his (own)
bete: son
ko: to (marker)
Bhagwan: God
se: from
kshama: forgiveness
mangne: to ask for
ki: of (connects mangne and salah)
salah: advice
di: gave.
(Meaning: When Rishi Shameek came to know about the curse after his meditation broke, he felt that it was very harsh for a minor offense and he advised his son to ask for forgiveness from God.)
Sentence 9:
"Apni galti ka ehsaas hone par, Raja Parikshit ko Rishi ke ek shishya ne anivarya shrap ke bare mein soochit kiya."
Apni: his (own)
galti: mistake
ka: of
ehsaas hone par: upon realizing / when he realized
Raja: King
Parikshit: Parikshit
ko: to (marker - indicating the recipient)
Rishi: Rishi/Sage
ke: of
ek: one/a
shishya: disciple
ne: (subject marker - shishya)
anivarya: unavoidable
shrap: curse
ke bare mein: about
soochit kiya: informed.
(Meaning: Upon realizing his mistake, King Parikshit was informed about the unavoidable curse by a disciple of the Rishi.)
Sentence 10:
"Moksha prapt karne ki salah par, Raja Parikshit Shukdev Muni ke paas gaye, jinhone unhe sat dinon tak lagatar Bhagwat Katha sunayi."
Moksha: Salvation/Liberation
prapt karne: to attain/to get
ki: of (connects karne and salah)
salah par: on the advice
Raja: King
Parikshit: Parikshit
Shukdev: Shukdev
Muni: Muni/Sage
ke paas: to/to the place of
gaye: went
jinhone: who (referring to Shukdev Muni)
unhe: to him (referring to Raja Parikshit)
sat dinon tak: for seven days
lagatar: continuously
Bhagwat: Bhagwat
Katha: Katha/Story/Discourse
sunayi: narrated/told.
(Meaning: On the advice to attain salvation, King Parikshit went to Shukdev Muni, who narrated the Bhagwat Katha to him continuously for seven days.)
Sentence 11:
"Yah sat-divasiya Bhagwat Katha paath ki parampara sthapit hui."
Yah: This
sat-divasiya: seven-day
Bhagwat: Bhagwat
Katha: Katha/Discourse
paath: recitation/reading
ki: of
parampara: tradition
sthapit hui: was established.
(Meaning: This tradition of the seven-day Bhagwat Katha recitation was established.)