Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.12.13

tasya prīta-manā rājā

viprair dhaumya-kripādibhih

jātakam kārayām āsa

vācayitvā ca mańgalam

SYNONYMS

tasya — his; prīta-manāh — satisfied; rājā — King Yudhishthira; vipraih — by the learned brāhmanas; dhaumya — Dhaumya; kripa — Kripa; ādibhih — and others also; jātakam — one of the purificatory processes performed just after the birth of a child; kārayām āsa — had them performed; vācayitvā — by recitation; ca — also; mańgalam — auspicious.

TRANSLATION

King Yudhishthira, who was very satisfied with the birth of Mahārāja Parīkshit, had the purificatory process of birth performed. Learned brāhmanas, headed by Dhaumya and Kripa, recited auspicious hymns.

PURPORT

There is a need for a good and intelligent class of brāhmanas who are expert in performing the purificatory processes prescribed in the system of varnāśrama-dharma. Unless such purificatory processes are performed, there is no possibility of good population, and in the age of Kali the population all over the world is of śūdra quality or lower for want of this purificatory process. It is not possible, however, to revive the Vedic process of purification in this age, for want of proper facilities and good brāhmanas, but there is the Pāñcarātrika system also recommended for this age. The Pāñcarātrika system acts on the śūdra class of men, supposedly the population of the Kali-yuga, and it is the prescribed purificatory process suitable to the age and time. Such a purificatory process is allowed only for spiritual upliftment and not for any other purpose. Spiritual upliftment is never conditioned by higher or lower parentage.

After the garbhādhāna purificatory process, there are certain other samskāras like sīmantonnayana, sadhabhakshanam, etc., during the period of pregnancy, and when the child is born the first purificatory process is jātakarman. This was performed duly by Mahārāja Yudhishthira with the help of good and learned brāhmanas like Dhaumya, the royal priest, and Kripācārya, who was not only a priest but also a great general. Both these learned and perfect priests, assisted by other good brāhmanas, were employed by Mahārāja Yudhishthira to perform the ceremony. Therefore all the samskāras, purificatory processes, are not mere formalities or social functions only, but they are all for practical purposes and can be successfully performed by expert brāhmanas like Dhaumya and Kripa. Such brāhmanas are not only rare, but also not available in this age, and therefore, for the purpose of spiritual upliftment in this fallen age, the Gosvāmīs prefer the purificatory processes under Pāñcarātrika formulas to the Vedic rites.

Kripācārya is the son of the great Rishi Sardban and was born in the family of Gautama. The birth is said to be accidental. By chance, the great Rishi Sardban met Janapadī, a famous society girl of heaven, and the Rishi Sardban discharged semina in two parts. By one part immediately a male child and by the other part a female child were born as twins. The male child was later on known as Kripa, and the female child was known as Kripī. Mahārāja Śantanu, while engaged in chase in the jungle, picked up the children and brought them up to the brahminical status by the proper purificatory process. Kripācārya later became a great general like Dronācārya, and his sister was married to Dronācārya. Kripācārya later on took part in the Battle of Kurukshetra and joined the party of Duryodhana. Kripācārya helped kill Abhimanyu, the father of Mahārāja Parīkshit, but he was still held in esteem by the family of the Pāndavas due to his being as great a brāhmana as Dronācārya. When the Pāndavas were sent to the forest after being defeated in the gambling game with Duryodhana, Dhritarāshtra entrusted the Pāndavas to Kripācārya for guidance. After the end of the battle, Kripācārya again became a member of the royal assembly, and he was called during the birth of Mahārāja Parīkshit for recitation of auspicious Vedic hymns to make the ceremony successful. Mahārāja Yudhishthira, while quitting the palace for his great departure to the Himalayas, entrusted Kripācārya with Mahārāja Parīkshit as his disciple, and he left home satisfied because of Kripācārya's taking charge of Mahārāja Parīkshit. The great administrators, kings and emperors were always under the guidance of learned brāhmanas like Kripācārya and thus were able to act properly in the discharge of political responsibilities.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness