sa tu samÅ›rÄvayÄm Äsa
mahÄrÄjaá¹ parÄ«ká¹£itam
prÄyopaviá¹£á¹aá¹ gaá¹…gÄyÄá¹
parītaṠparamarṣibhiḥ
Åšukadeva spoke it (the BhÄgavatam) to King ParÄ«ká¹£it, who was surrounded by great sages, as he sat fasting till death on the bank of the Gaá¹…gÄ.
Prayopavistam (literally “sitting till deathâ€) means “sitting down while fasting till death.†It is like the expression go-dohanam aste; he sits until the milking of the cow is finished. Medini says prayo marananasane mrtyau bahulyayor: prayo means fasting till death, death, majority and similar.
