सुखोपविष्टेष्वथ तेषु भूयः कृतप्रणामः स्वचिकीर्षितं यत् ।
विज्ञापयामास विविक्तचेता उपस्थितो ऽग्रे ऽभिगृहीतपाणिः ॥ १२ ॥
sukhopavistesv atha tesu bhuyah
krta-pranamah sva-cikirsitam yat
vijnapayamasa viviktaceta
upasthito 'gre 'bhigrhita-panih
sukha-happily; upavistesu-all sitting down; atha-thereupon; tesu-unto them (the visitors); bhuyah-again; krta-pranamah-having offered obeisances; sva-his own; cikirsitam-decision of fasting; yat-who; vijnapayamasa-submitted; vivikta-cetah-one whose mind is detached from worldly affairs; upasthitah-being present; agre-before them; abhigrhita-panih-humbly with folded hands.
After all the rsis and others had seated themselves comfortably, the King, humbly standing before them with folded hands, told them of his decision to fast until death.
Although the King had already decided to fast until death on the bank of the Ganges, still he humbly expressed his decision to elicit the opinions of the great authorities present there. Any decision, however important, should be confirmed by some authority. That makes the matter perfect. This means that the monarchs who ruled the earth in those days were not irresponsible dictators. They scrupulously followed the authoritative decisions of the saints and sages in terms of Vedic injunction. Maharaja Pariksit, as a perfect king, followed the principles by consulting the authorities, even up to the last days of his life.
