dharma-pālo nara-patiḥ sa tu samrāḍ bṛhac-chravāḥ sākṣān mahā-bhāgavato rājarṣir haya-medhayāṭ kṣut-tṛṭ-śrama-yuto dīno naivāsmac chāpam arhati
Synonyms
dharma-pālaḥ—the protecter of religiosity; nara-patiḥ—the king; saḥ—he; tu—but; samrāṭ—Emperor; bṛhat—highly; śravāḥ—celebrated; sākṣāt—directly; mahā-bhāgavataḥ—the first grade devotee of the Lord; rājaṛṣiḥ—saint amongst the royal orders; haya-medhayāṭ—great performer of Horse sacrifices; kṣut—hunger; tṛṭ—thirst; śrama-yutaḥ—tired and fatigued; dīnaḥ—stricken; na—never; eva—thus; asmat—by us; śāpam—curse; arhati—deserves.
Translation
The Emperor Parikshit is a pious king, he is highly celebrated, and directly the first grade devotee of the Personality of Godhead. He is a saint amongst the royal order and has performed many horse sacrifices. Such a king when he was tired and fatigued being stricken with hunger and thirst, did not at all deserved to be cursed.
Purport
After explaining the general codes of royal position and asserting that the king can do no wrong and therefore he is never to be condemned, the sage Samik wanted to speak something about the Emperor Parikshit specifically. The specific qualification of Maharaj Parikshit is summarised herein that the king even calculated as a king only he was most celebrated as a ruler who administers just on the religious principles of the royal order. In the Shastras the duties of all castes and orders of the society are prescribed. All the qualities of a Kshatriya as mentioned in the Bhagwat Geeta (18/43) were present in the person of the Emperor. And besides the royal attributes he was directly a great devotee of the Lord as self realised soul. Such a king when he was tired and fatigued with hunger and thirst and personally asked for water, cursing upon him was not at all proper. The Samik Rishi thus admitted from all sides that Maharaj Parikshit was cursed by the Brahmin's son most unjustly and thus allowed the personality of Kali to enter into the established orders of the world position. Although all the Brahmins were aloof from the incidence still for the childish action of a Brahmin boy the whole atmosphere of world situation was changed and thus the Rishi Samik a Brahmin took responsibility for all deterioration of worldly good orders.