SB 1.19.7 (1965)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 7
Iti vyavachhidya sa pandaveyeh Prayopavesam prativishnu padyam Dadhou mutundamghrim ananya bhavo Muni vrato mukta samsta samgah.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Iti—thus, Vyavachhidya—having made it decided, Sa—the king, Pandaveyah—worthy descendant of the Pandavas, Prayopavesam—for the matter of fasting till death, Prati—towards, Vishnupadyam—on the bank of the Ganges (emanated from the Lotus feet of Lord Vishnu), Dadhou—gave up himself, Mukundamghrim—unto the Lotus feet of Lord Krishna, Ananya—without any deviation, Bhavo—spirit, Munivrato—with vow of a sage, Mukta—liberated from, Samasta—all kinds of, Samga—association.
TRANSLATION
Thus the king having made it decided once for all, the descendant of the Pandavas, went towards the bank of the Ganges to observe fasting until death and gave up himself unto the Lotus feet of Lord Krishna who is only able to award liberation; thus being freed from all kinds of association and attachment accepting the vow of a sage.
PURPORT
The water of the Ganges sanctifies all the three worlds including the gods and the demigods on account of her emanating from the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead Vishnu. Lord Krishna is the fountainhead of the principle of Vishnu Tattwa and therefore the shelter of His Lotus feet can deliver one from all sins including an offence which was committed by the king unto a Brahmin. Maharaj Parikshit, therefore, decided to meditate upon the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krishna Who is Mukunda or the giver of liberation of all descriptions. The bank of the Ganges or the Yamuna gives one a chance of remembering the Lord in a continued mood. Maharaj Parikshit freed himself from all sorts of material association and meditated upon the Lotus feet of Lord Krishna and that is the way of liberation. To be free from all material association means to cease completely in the act of committing any further sins and to meditate upon the lotus feet of the Lord means to become free from the effects of all previous sins which might have been committed by anyone. The conditions of the material world are so made that one has to commit sins willingly or unwillingly and the best example is Maharaj Parikshit himself who was a recognised sinless pious king. But he also became a victim of the offence upon a Brahmin even though he was ever unwilling to commit such mistake. And he was cursed also but because he was a great devotee of the Lord, therefore, even such reverses of life became favorable circumstances for the devotee of the Lord. The principle is that one should not willingly commit any sin in his life and should constantly remember the Lotus feet of the Lord without any deviation. In such a mood only the Lord will help the devotee for making regular progress towards the path of liberation and thus attaining the lotus feet of the Lord. Even there is accidental sins committed by the devotee the Lord saves the surrendered soul from all sins as it is confirmed in all scriptures. Swapadamulam bhaijatah priyasya tyaktanyabhavasya hari pareshah, Vikarma yatcha utpatitam kathanchit dhunoti sarvam hridi sannivistah (Bhag: 11.5.38). The devotee of the Lord never commits sins willingly but the material world is such a place that one has to commit sins even unwillingly. The finest way to save one from such accidental sins of life is to remember constantly the Lotus feet of the Lord. But one who commits sins deliberate willingly on the strength of the Lord's assurances for saving, do commit the maximum amount of sins and there is no deliverance even by constantly remembering the Lotus feet of the Lord. Such willful offender has no chance of being freed from the clutches of fruitive action.