Verse 2.1.30

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.1.30:

तच्-छिष्य-रूपेन च मत्-प्रियं तं सम्श्राव्य शापं निलयान्ध-कूपात् ।
श्री-वासुदेवेन विकृष्य नीतः प्रायोपवेशाय मतिं द्यु-नद्याम् ॥ ३० ॥

tac-chiṣya-rūpena ca mat-priyaṃ taṃ samśrāvya śāpaṃ nilayāndha-kūpāt |
śrī-vāsudevena vikṛṣya nītaḥ prāyopaveśāya matiṃ dyu-nadyām || 30 ||

tat-śiṣya-rūpeṇa–in the form of Śamīka Ṛṣi’s disciple; ca–also; mat-priyam–a favour to me; tam–Him; saṃśrāvya–made me hear; śāpam–curse; nilaya–of householder life; andha-kūpāt–from the dark well; śrī-vāsudevena–by Śrī Kṛṣṇa; vikṛṣya–pulled; nītaḥ–brought; prāya–fasting until death; upaveśāya–for sitting down; matim–intelligence; dyu-nadyām–by the Gaṅgā.

It was Śrī Vāsudeva who, in the form of a disciple of the brāhmaṇa Śamīka, made me hear that curse, which was so dear to me. By this, He pulled me out of the dark well of household life and granted me the intelligence to perform prāyopaveśana on the bank of the Gaṅgā. (This means to sit, abstaining from food and water until death.)

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

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

Śrī Parīkṣit says, “Bhagavān made me hear that curse by appearing in the form of Śamīka Ṛṣi’s disciple (Śṛṅgī). Thus, He induced me to sit on the Gaṅgā’s bank, vowing to abstain from food and water until death. Had I not known the details of that curse, I could never have developed the inclination to sit by the Gaṅgā like that. Hearing that curse did not make me fearful; rather it exhilarated me, since I was praying for such a situation. Therefore, this curse has proven to be a blessing.”

In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.19.2) Śrī Parīkṣit prays:

ध्रुवं ततो मे कृत-देव-हेलनाद् दुरत्ययं व्यसनं नाति-दीर्घात्
तद् अस्तु कामं ह्य् अघ-निष्कृताय मे यथा न कुर्यां पुनर् एवम् अद्धा

dhruvaṃ tato me kṛta-deva-helanād duratyayaṃ vyasanaṃ nāti-dīrghāt
tad astu kāmaṃ hy agha-niṣkṛtāya me yathā na kuryāṃ punar evam addhā

I have certainly disobeyed Śrī Bhagavān by committing the great sin of disrespecting that sage, who is as good as a demigod. Therefore, there is no doubt that a terrible calamity will soon befall me. I want to be delivered from it, so may that calamity come upon me without delay. In other words, my sons and others should not suffer for this sin; the resultant calamity should very quickly befall me alone. Personally undergoing the punishment will be appropriate atonement, and I will never again perform such a reprehensible act.

Śrī Parīkṣit says, “Household life is like a blind well from which a trapped person cannot come out by himself.” In the original verse, the name ‘Vāsudeva’ implies the Supersoul within, the presiding Deity of consciousness (citta). “Śrī Vāsudeva, the presiding Deity of consciousness, infused my heart with His mercy, thus pulling me out of the blind well of household life. He brought me to the Gaṅgā’s bank and inspired me to undertake a vow of abstaining from food and water until death. Had I not been the recipient of Śrī Vāsudeva’s mercy, I would have performed various sacrifices to counteract the brāhmaṇa’s curse while remaining in household life. Śrī Vāsudeva’s mercy was the only impetus that saved me from doing that.” Alternatively, the term ‘Śrī Vāsudeva’ indicates the supremely sweet compassion of the son of Śrī Vasudeva. This, indeed, is known as the complete and conclusive truth (siddhānta).