SB 1.18.16 (1965)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 16
Sa vai mahabhagawatah parikshit Yena apvargakhyam adabhra buddhih Jnanena vaisaki sabditena Bheje khagendra dhwaja padamulam.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Sa—he, Vai—certainly, Mahabhagawatah—first class devotee, Parikshit—the king, Yena—by which, Apavargakhyam—by the name of liberation, Adabhra—fixed up, Buddhi—intelligence, Jnanena—by knowledge, Vaiasaki—the son of Vyasa, Sabditena—vibrated by, Bheje—taken to, Khagendra—Gaduda the king of the birds, Dhwaja—flag, Padamulam—palm of the feet.
TRANSLATION
Oh Suta Goswami you please do describe that topics of the Lord by which Maharaj Parikshit fixed up in intelligence of liberation attained the lotus feet of the Lord shelter of Gaduda the king of the bird by hearing instruction vibrated by the son of Vyasa.
PURPORT
There is some controversy amongst the students on the path of liberation. Such transcendental students are known as the impersonalist and the devotee of the Lord. The devotee of the Lord worships the transcendental Form of the Lord, whereas the impersonalist meditates upon the glaring effulgence of the bodily ray of the Lord known as the Brhmajyoti. Here in this verse it is said that Maharaj Parikshit attained the lotus feet of the Lord by instructions of knowledge delivered by the son of Vyasadeva Srila Sukadeva Goswami. Sukadeva Goswami was also an impersonalist in the beginning as he has admitted himself in the Bhagwatam (SB 2.l.9); but later on he was attracted by the transcendental pastimes of the Lord and thus became a devotee. Such devotees with perfect knowledgc is called Mahabhagawata or the first class devotee. There are three classes of devotees namely the Prakrito, Madhyam and Mahabhagawata or the 3rd, 2nd, 1st class class devotees respectively, The Prakiita or 3rd class devotees are temple worshippers without any specific knowledge of the Lord and the Lord's devotees, The Madhyam or the 2nd class devotee knows well the Lord, the Lord's devotee, the neophytes and the nondevotees also. But the Mahabhagawata or the first class devotee sees everything in relation with the Lord and the Lord present in everyone's relation. The Mahabhagwata therefore does not make any distinction particularly between a devotee and nondevotee. Maharaj Pasikshit was such Mahabhagwata devotee because he was initiated by the Mahabhagawata devotee like Sukadeva Goswami. He was equally kind even to the personality of Kali and what to speak of others.
So there are many instances in the transcendental histories of the world that an impersonalist has later on become a devotee; but never a devotee has become an impersonalist. This very fact proves that on the transcendental steps, the step occupied by a devotee is higher than the step occupied by the impersonalist. It is also stated in the Bhagwat Geeta (B.G. 12/5) that persons stuck up by the impersonal step undergoes more sufferings than achievement of reality. Therefore knowledge imparted by Sukadeva Goswami unto the king Maharaj Parikshit, helped him to attain the service of the Lord. And to attain to this stage of perfection is called Apavarga or the perfect stage of liberation. Simple knowledge of liberation, is material knowledge. Actually freedom from material bondage is called liberation; but to attain the transcendental service of the Lord is called the perfect stage of liberation. Such stage is attained by knowledge and renunciation as we have already explained (Bhag. 1.2.12) and perfect knowledge as was delivered by Srila Sukdeva Goswami, results in the attainment of transcendental service of the Lord.