SB 1.4 - The saintly nature of King Parīkṣit
Those who are devoted to the cause of the Lord live only for the welfare of others without any selfish interest. A devotee of the Lord has all good qualifications. Parīkṣit worked for the welfare of the public not only for this life (by giving material wealth) but also for the next (by extinguishing material life). He would not allow slaughtering animals especially cows. Selfishness is either self centered or self extended. He was neither. His interest was to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The king is the representative of the Supreme Lord, and therefore his interest must be identical with the Lord’s interest. The Lord wants all living beings to be happy, and thus the king’s interest is to guide all subjects back to God. Parīkṣit was such a king. The sages asked even though the king was free of all attachment, how could he give up his mortal body, which was shelter for others. One should not give up something upon which others depend for life, even though one may be personally detached from it.
Śaunaka’s first set of inquiries was about Vyāsa, whose background for compiling Bhāgavatam is described in chapters four thru seven. Śaunaka’s second set of inquiries was about Śukadeva Gosvāmī, whose studying the Bhāgavatam is addressed at the beginning of chapter seven. Śaunaka’s third set of inquiries was about Mahārāja Parīkṣit, whose history is described in chapters 12, and 16 thru 19.