Parīkṣit Mahārāja, he did not go to the temple. He sat on the bank of the Ganges, and he was very serious because he knew that "I am going to die within seven days. Let me finish as soon as possible simply hearing of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." He was intelligent, otherwise . . . not that simply he was hearing. He was questioning, as you have seen in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So he was very scholar. It means as the spiritual master, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, was a great scholar in Sanskrit, the king was also a great scholar. Therefore quickly he was reciting, and he was understanding. And as soon as there was some difficulty, he was immediately questioning.
So both the spiritual master and the disciple, they became perfect simply by śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. This is bhāgavata-mārga. Simply by hearing and chanting. The spiritual master chanted, recited Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and that is being imitated. Again this karma-kāṇḍīya . . . this karma-kāṇḍīya vicāra, fruitive activities, the smārta brāhmins, they have manufactured a way of bhāgavata-saptaha. That is a farce only, because it is imitation of the process adopted by Parīkṣit Mahārāja and Śukadeva Gosvāmī.
But they are . . . these people, at the present moment, they are neither Parīkṣit Mahārāja nor Śukadeva Gosvāmī. So how it is possible to finish Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam within seven days? That is not possible. It has become a profession, that gorgeousness. They will make a mañcha, they will perform some ceremonies and there is some charitable.
The result is that the professional reciter will gather some money and some goods and he will maintain his family. That's all. And these people will take that, "I have heard for seven days Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." Of course, there is some effect, but this is not recommended in anywhere in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that one has to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam within seven days. No.
So far we see in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it is said, nityam bhāgavata-sevayā. People should hear daily, regularly Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Why seven days? Regularly. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Nityam, daily, regularly, if one hears and chants Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu, then the dirty things within his heart becomes almost cleansed.
Now, just try to understand. By daily hearing . . . because we are so much contaminated that it is very difficult to get us freed from the contamination, so nityam, regularly, there should be regularly class, hearing of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu.
- naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu
- nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā
- bhagavaty uttama-śloke
- bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭikī
- (SB 1.2.18)
By the process of cleansing our heart, our devotional temperament becomes fixed up on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is called Uttama-śloka, who is glorified with first-class, I mean to say, Sanskrit stanzas. Uttama-śloka.
Just like we pray, we offer prayer to Kṛṣṇa, govindam adi-puruṣam, cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). These stanzas are not ordinary. It is very first-class composition, and written by . . . written or offered by the first living creature, Lord Brahmā. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is Uttama-śloka. He is prayed with first-class composition.
All the ślokas, all the prayers we will find, they are not ordinary Sanskrit composition, as we have seen Bhīṣma's prayer to Kṛṣṇa, Kuntī's prayer to Kṛṣṇa in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. How philosophically they are elevated, how nicely they are composed. And because Kṛṣṇa is worshiped, God is worshiped by such kind of language and elevated poetical and rhetorical, all perfect, therefore His another name is Uttama-śloka.
So by studying, by hearing and chanting, reciting regularly of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, nityam . . . not that we make a function for seven days, and all the days we do all nonsense. No. Regular habit should be there. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭikī. The result will be that our devotional service towards the Supreme Personality of Godhead will be fixed up, firmly fixed up. And that firmly fixed up means you are immediately elevated to the platform of sattva-guṇa, goodness. Sattva-guṇa.
Tato rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ (SB 1.2.19), as soon as you are fixed up . . . the devotional service is so nice. As soon as you are fixed up, the other two qualities . . . to be fixed up in devotional service . . . therefore we offer the brahminical position. One who is . . . when we see that: "This man is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and his bad habits, contaminated stage, is much improved, naṣṭa prāyeṣu . . ." Prāyeṣu means almost he is purified. At that time he is fixed up in devotional service—therefore we offer the brahminical position, sacred thread.
Because a person who is fixed up in devotional service, he is a brāhmin. He is a brāhmin. He is no more any other, because he has cleansed almost the bad habits and the unclean state of mind. Naṣṭa prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. Just see. It is, whatever we are doing, it is all according to the śāstra. Not that he has completely become free, but naṣṭa prāyeṣu. Prāya means almost. Almost he has finished the contamination. Therefore he is fixed up. The first test is whether he is fixed up. As soon as he is fixed up, that means he is fixed up in the brahminical stage.