Texts 26-27
śrī-parīkṣid uvāca
saṁsthāpanāya dharmasya
praśamāyetarasya ca
avatīrṇo hi bhagavān
aṁśena jagad-īśvaraḥ
sa kathaṁ dharma-setūnāṁ
vaktā kartābhirakṣitā
pratīpam ācarad brahman
para-dārābhimarśanam
śrī-parīkṣit uvāca — Śrī Parīkṣit Mahārāja said; saṁsthāpanāya — for the establishment; dharmasya — of religious principles; praśamāya — for the subduing; itarasya — of the opposite; ca — and; avatīrṇaḥ — descended (upon this earth); hi — indeed; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; aṁśena — with His plenary expansion (Śrī Balarāma); jagat — of the entire universe; īśvaraḥ — the Lord; saḥ — He; katham — how; dharma-setūnām — of the restrictive codes of moral behavior; vaktā — the original speaker; kartā — the executor; abhirakṣitā — the protector; pratīpam — contrary; ācarat — behaved; brahman — O brāhmaṇa, Śukadeva Gosvāmī; para — of others; dāra — the wives; abhimarśanam — touching.
Parīkṣit Mahārāja said: O brāhmaṇa, 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 Śukadeva Gosvāmī was speaking, King Parīkṣit 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 karmīs, jñānīs and others who were not devotees of the Lord. To clear up their doubts, King Parīkṣit asks this question on their behalf.