SB 1.16.5 (1965)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 5
Sounaka uvacha:- Kasya hetor nijagraha kalim digvijaye nripah Nrideha chinhadhrik sudraka asou gam yah padahanat Tat katthatam mahabhaga yadi krishna kathasrayam.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Sounakauvacha—Sounka Rishi said, Kasya—for what, Hetor—reason, Nijagraha—sufficiently punished, Kalim—the master of the age of Kali, Digvijaye—during the time of his world tour, Nripah—the king, Nrideha—royal person, Chinhadhrik—decorated like, Sudraka—lowest of the Sudra, Asou—he, Gam—cow, Yah—one who, Padahanta—struck by the leg, Tat—all that, Katthatam—please describe, Mahabhaga—Oh the great fortunate, Yadi—if however, Krishna—about Krishna, Kathasrayam—related with his topics.
TRANSLATION
Sounaka Rishi enquired, "Why did Maharaj Parikshit simply punish him although he was the lowest of the Sudra because he dressed himself like a king and at the same time struck a cow by the leg ?" and said "Please describe all those incidences if they are related with the topics of Lord Krishna".
PURPORT
Sounakadi rishis were astonished to hear that the pious king Maharaj Parikshit simply punished the culprit suffciently and not killed him. This suggests that a pious king like Maharaj Parikshit should have at once killed an offender who wanted to cheat the public being dressed like a king and at the same time dare to insult the purest of the animal like a cow ! The Rishis of those days, however could not even imagine that in the advanced days of the age of Kali lowest of the Sudras shall be elected as administrators and open organised slaughter houses for killing the cows. Anyway although such topics, as to hear about a Sudraka who was a cheat and insulter of a cow, were not very much interesting for the great rishis still they wanted to hear about it if the event had any connection with the topics of Lord Krishna. They were simply interested in the topics of Lord Krishna and anything that is dovetailed with the narration of Krishna was worth hearing for them. There are many topics in the Bhagwatam about sociology, politics, economy, cultural affairs etc but all of them are in relation with Krishna and therefore all of them are worth hearing. Krishna is the purifying ingredient in all matters never mind what it is. In the mundane world everything is impure on account of its being product of three mundane qualities. The purifyfng process is, however Krishna.