Å›rÄ«-parÄ«ká¹£id uvÄca
saá¹sthÄpanÄya dharmasya
praÅ›amÄyetarasya ca
avatÄ«rṇo hi bhagavÄn
amśena jagad-īśvaraḥ
sa kathaá¹ dharma-setÅ«nÄá¹
vaktÄ kartÄbhiraká¹£itÄ
pratÄ«pam Äcarad brahman
para-dÄrÄbhimarÅ›anam
Å›rÄ«-parÄ«ká¹£it uvÄca - ÅšrÄ« ParÄ«ká¹£it MahÄrÄja said; saá¹sthÄpanÄya - for the establishment; dharmasya - of religious principles; praÅ›amÄya - for the subduing; itarasya - of the opposite; ca - and; avatÄ«rṇaḥ - descended (upon this earth); hi - indeed; bhagavÄn - the Supreme Personality of Godhead; amÅ›ena - with His plenary expansion (ÅšrÄ« BalarÄma); jagat - of the entire universe; Ä«Å›varaḥ - the Lord; saḥ - He; katham - how; dharma-setÅ«nÄm - of the restrictive codes of moral behavior; vaktÄ - the original speaker; kartÄ - the executor; abhiraká¹£itÄ - the protector; pratÄ«pam - contrary; Äcarat - behaved; brahman - O brÄhmaṇa, Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ«; para - of others; dÄra - the wives; abhimarÅ›anam - touching.
ParÄ«ká¹£it MahÄrÄja said: O brÄhmaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord of the universe, has descended to this earth along with His plenary portion to destroy irreligion and reestablish religious principles. Indeed, He is the original speaker, follower and guardian of moral laws. How, then, could He have violated them by touching other men’s wives?
As Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« was speaking, King ParÄ«ká¹£it noticed that some persons seated in the assembly on the bank of the Ganges were harboring doubt about the Lord’s activities. These doubtful persons were karmÄ«s, jñÄnÄ«s and others who were not devotees of the Lord. To clear up their doubts, King ParÄ«ká¹£it asks this question on their behalf.
