SB 1.16.16 (1965)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 16
Sarathya parsada sevana sakhya doutya Veerasanugamanam stavanam pranaman Snigdhesu pandusu jagat pranatim cha vishno Bhaktim karoti nripatis charanarvinde.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Sarathya—acceptance of the post of a chariot driver, Parsada—acceptance of presidentship in the assembly of Rajsuya sacrifice, Sevana—engaging the mind constantly in the service of the Lord, Sakhya—think of the Lord as friend, Doutya—acceptance of the post of a messenger, Veerasana—acceptance of the post of a watchman with open sword at night, Anugamanam—following the foot prints, Stavanam—offering of prayers, Pranaman—offering obeisances, Snigdhesu—unto them who are malleable to the will of the Lord, Pandusu—unto the sons of Pandu, Jagat—the universal, Pranatim—one who is obeyed, Vishno—of Vishnu, Bhaktim—devotion, Nripatis—the king, Charanarvinde—unto his lotus feet.
TRANSLATION
When Maharaj Parikshit heard it that Lord Krishna (Vishnu), who is universally obeyed, out of His causeless mercy upon the malleable sons of Pandu, rendered all kinds of service in the matter of acceptance of the post of a chariot driver, to that of the presidentship according to the will of the Pandavas including the messengership, friendship, watchmanship at night, obeying like a servant and offering obeisances like one younger in age etc; at that time the king Maharaj Parikshit became overwhelmed with devotion unto the lotus feet of the Lord.
PURPORT
Lord Krishna is everything to the unalloyed devotees like the Pandavas. The Lord was for them the Supreme Lord, the spiritual master, the worshipable deity, the guide, the chariot driver, the friend, the servant, the messenger and everything as they could conceive of Him; and thus the Lord also reciprocated the feeling of the Pandavas. Maharaj Parikshit as a pure devotee of the Lord could only appreciate the Lord's transcendental reciprocation of the feeling of His devotees and thus he himself also became overwhelmed with the dealings of the Lord. Simply by appreciating the dealings of the Lord with His pure devotees one can attain to salvation. The Lord's dealings with His devotees appear to be ordinary human-dealings but one who knows it in truth becomes at once elligible for going back to home back to Godhead. The Pandavas were so much malleable to the will of the Lord that they could sacrifice any amount of their energy for the service of the Lord and by such unalloyed determination only they could secure the Lord's mercy in any shape they desired.