Verse 1.7.117

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 1.7.117:

एकः स मे तद् व्रज-लोकवत् प्रियस् तादृग् महा-प्रेम-भर-प्रभावतः ।
वक्ष्यत्य् अदः किञ्चन बादरायणिर् मे जीविते शिष्य-वरे स्व-सन्निभे ॥ ११७ ॥

ekaḥ sa me tad vraja-lokavat priyas tādṛg mahā-prema-bhara-prabhāvataḥ |
vakṣyaty adaḥ kiñcana bādarāyaṇir me jīvite śiṣya-vare sva-sannibhe || 117 ||

Only Śrī Śukadeva is as dear to me as the vraja-vāsīs, because only he has such magnificent prema as them. By the power of his great love, he shall narrate a little of those pastimes in Vraja to his beloved disciple Parīkṣit, who is just as admirable (as Śrī Śukadeva) and who I protected.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)

If the doubt arises as to how the main goal of the great avatāra of Kali-yuga is to spread the prema-rasa in the absence of proper hearing and without describing the vraja-līlā? Therefore, he is describing this with the verse beginning with ekaḥ.

Although the glories of the pastimes of Vraja are famous, nevertheless, only Śrī Bādarāyaṇī (Śrī Śukadeva) is as dear to Me as the vraja-vāsīs such as those gopas and gopīs. Therefore, only by the influence of his mahā-prema that is similar to the vraja-vāsīs can he narrate a little of My balya-līlā and so on to Śrīman Parīkṣit, who is as virtuous as him. How is it similar to Parīkṣit? He was brought back to life, that is, he was protected by Me, namely, I protected him in the womb of his mother by repelling the power of the brahmāstra.

To an extent, according to the words of the Mahābhārata, though Aśvatthāmā’s brahmāstra had already overwhelmed him, I brought him back to life. That is, I am his very life and soul. He could not sustain his life for a moment without devotional service. He alone is Parīkṣit or rather, an impeccable disciple like Śrī Śukadeva. There fore, though these pastimes of Vraja are most confidential, nevertheless, Śrī Śukadeva will relate them to him. In fact, this vrajalīlā-rasa will spread at places in this age of Kali by the influence of such speakers and listeners who are rasika, who are expert in the transcendental mellows of Vraja.