Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the essence of all scriptures. It is not only the essence, but it is the quintessence of the entire gamut of Vedic literatures. Lord Caitanya qualifies Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as the perfect spotless authority.
In this topmost scripture, Parīkṣit Mahārāja, the sole grandson of the Pāṇḍavas, is stated as an essence seeker.
Sūta Gosvāmī says,
nānudveṣṭi kaliṁ samrāṭ
sāraṅga iva sāra-bhuk
kuśalāny āśu siddhyanti
netarāṇi kṛtāni yat
“Mahārāja Parīkṣit was a realist, like the bee, who accepts only the essence [of a flower]. He knew perfectly well that in this Age of Kali auspicious acts produce good effects immediately whereas inauspicious acts must be actually performed [to render effects]. So he was never envious of the personality of Kali.” SB 1.18.7
How to understand that Mahārāja Parīkṣit was looking for only the essence?
1] Seeing Essence in Evil: Imagine meeting a person whose hairs are disheveled, who is foul smelling, who is wearing tattered clothes and speaking in abusive language. Will we even try to search for anything good in such a person? We may go away immediately, or we may abuse him back, or we may tell hundred others what kind of person we met, or if we are overly compassionate, we may give him some good piece of advice or simply pray for him.
What was Parīkṣit’s first vision of Kali personified? Wearing a kingly attire, Kali was mercilessly beating a cow and a bull with a club. Being terrified and standing on one leg, the bull trembled and urinated. The cow had tears in her eyes. She was distressed and weak. Being a righteous king, Parīkṣit comforted the cow and bull and at once decided to kill Kali. Kali personified became very frightened and surrendered himself to Parīkṣit. He begged Parīkṣit for a few places to stay. The most magnanimous Parīkṣit Mahārāja granted Kali places wherein irreligion was rampant.
Parīkṣit didn’t criticize Kali understanding the two great qualities of Kali. One being just by thinking a person can get the benefit of performing a pious act. And second, Parīkṣit understood the fact that although Kali yuga is an ocean of faults, one can attain perfection just by chanting the Holy Names of Kṛṣṇa.
It is mentioned in SB 12.3.51,
kaler doṣa-nidhe rājan
asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ
kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya
mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet
“My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.”
For a personality like Kali who deserved to be killed, Parīkṣit Mahārāja saw the essence even in him.
2] Interested in Nothing but the Essence: Parīkṣit Mahārāja wasn’t the least interested in any of the heavenly planets or any lordship over this material world. He already was the ruler of the entire planet. Yet, how quickly could he give up an entire empire! He wasn’t excited by hearing about heavenly planets from Śukadeva Gosvāmī nor was he afraid hearing the description of hellish planets. And he demanded to hear nothing but glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He was so satisfied hearing Kṛṣṇa katha that none of the bodily demands like sleep, hunger, thirst etc. had any power to affect him.
He said very enthusiastically to Śukadeva Gosvāmī,
naiṣātiduḥsahā kṣun māṁ
tyaktodam api bādhate
pibantaṁ tvan-mukhāmbhoja-
cyutaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam
“Because of my vow on the verge of death, I have given up even drinking water, yet because I am drinking the nectar of topics about Kṛṣṇa, which is flowing from the lotus mouth of Your Lordship, my hunger and thirst, which are extremely difficult to bear, cannot hinder me.”
3] No Blame Game: Even after being cursed to die in seven days, Parīkṣit didn’t blame anyone. He held himself as the sole person responsible for everything. He simply took it as his karma, and embraced death. Rather he embraced Kṛṣṇa who had then appeared to him in the form of death. Kṛṣṇa gave Parīkṣit darshan in the very beginning of his life (Ref: SB 1.12.8 aṅguṣṭha-mātram amalaṁ). Later in his life, Kṛṣṇa gave a death notice, and embraced him in the form of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam which is non-different than He Himself, and when Parīkṣit was about to leave this world, he was on his way to embrace Kṛṣṇa after having heard Kṛṣṇa’s glories for so long.
4] No fear of Death: Parīkṣit didn’t see the negativity, he chose to see the opportunity – Both in Kali and in the curse that he received. What was the greatest opportunity for him? To take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, perfect his life and go back home, back to Godhead. Renouncing everything, he immediately went to the banks of the Ganges. He said to the sages assembled there,
taṁ mopayātaṁ pratiyantu viprā
gaṅgā ca devī dhṛta-cittam īśe
dvijopasṛṣṭaḥ kuhakas takṣako vā
daśatv alaṁ gāyata viṣṇu-gāthāḥ
“O brāhmaṇas, just accept me as a completely surrendered soul, and let mother Ganges, the representative of the Lord, also accept me in that way, for I have already taken the lotus feet of the Lord into my heart. Let the snake-bird—or whatever magical thing the brāhmaṇa created—bite me at once. I only desire that you all continue singing the deeds of Lord Viṣṇu.” SB 1.19.15
Because Parīkṣit was fixed in the essence, the real purpose of life, a change in the circumstances of life didn’t bring a change in his consciousness. His consciousness was deep, unaffected even by the complete destruction of his body which was going to take place in seven days. The curse enabled him to go closer to his real identity as being the part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa.
5] Sharing the Essence: In Śrī Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta written by Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, it is mentioned that Uttara had a desire to see her son Parīkṣit just after Śukadeva Gosvāmī had spoken Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Moreover, she wished to learn the essence from him. Although Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the essence of all the Purāṇas and the entire Vedic knowledge, Uttara asked him the essence of what he learnt from Śukadeva. Just like after taking many sugarcanes, one glass of sugarcane juice is extracted, Uttara inquired from him saying that his narration should be like the nectar of immortality that the demigods and demons churned with great effort from the Ocean of Milk.
And Parīkṣit, being overjoyed started describing the Bhāgavatāmṛta. What did Parīkṣit consider the essence of everything he had heard for seven full days from Śukadeva?
Parkisit talked broadly only about two things – Glories of the Lord’s BEST devotees, and Glories of the Lord’s BEST abode. He concluded gopis to be the best devotees of Kṛṣṇa and Vrindavan as the topmost abode of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. This is described in detail in the Bhāgavatāmṛta.
Parīkṣit Mahārāja is a shining example of an essence seeker. Due to being absorbed in Kṛṣṇa, the devotees of the Lord possess qualities that Kṛṣṇa Himself exhibits to an infinite degree. How is Kṛṣṇa an essence seeker?
Kṛṣṇa as the Essence Seeker
Kṛṣṇa never sees the faults in His devotees. What to speak of devotees, Kṛṣṇa sees good even in the demons. Kṛṣṇa delivered Putana and granted her a position of a nurse just because she appeared in the form of a mother.
Lord Caitanya’s advent was for relishing and distributing the essence of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam – The Holy Name.
SB 11.5.36 mentions,
kaliṁ sabhājayanty āryā
guṇa-jñāḥ sāra-bhāginaḥ
yatra saṅkīrtanenaiva
sarva-svārtho ‘bhilabhyate
“Those who are actually advanced in knowledge are able to appreciate the essential value of this Age of Kali. Such enlightened persons worship Kali-yuga because in this fallen age all perfection of life can easily be achieved by the performance of saṅkīrtana.”
Lord Caitanya gave the essence in the most accessible way and manner. He gave a free entrance in the most confidential pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. He didn’t see any faults. To whomever He met, He gave them love for Kṛṣṇa.
CC Adi 7.23 mentions,
pātrāpātra-vicāra nāhi, nāhi sthānāsthāna
yei yāṅhā pāya, tāṅhā kare prema-dāna
In distributing love of Godhead, Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His associates did not consider who was a fit candidate and who was not, nor where such distribution should or should not take place. They made no conditions. Wherever they got the opportunity, the members of the Pañca-tattva distributed love of Godhead.
Śrīla Prabhupāda was also an essence seeker. He primarily focused on giving the Holy Name to all the fallen conditioned souls of this age. He understood it perfectly that whatever situation people may be in, they will surely be purified if they take to chanting the Holy Names of Kṛṣṇa. When we associate with Kṛṣṇa and His devotees, we also have a chance to become a true essence seeker, simply extract honey from various flower-like personalities, and make our living and our leaving both glorious.
