In plain words
This punishment is only to gain protection. The one who recognises these meanings and welcomes it with a holy feeling is the true devotee. We must not, all the time, waste our life in nothing but these worldly thoughts. They have taught that the paths to attain such divinity are of nine kinds.
Listening, singing, remembering Viṣṇu, serving His feet, worship, salutation, servitude, friendship and the offering of the self.
Those who reached the goal each by a path of their own and won fulfilment were great devotees, great emperors.
When King Parīkṣit received the news that, cursed by Śṛṅgi, he would meet death within seven days, he said at once that he must make this time worthwhile and not let even one moment go to waste, and he invited the ṛṣis. He reflected that time wasted is life itself wasted. He prayed to the ṛṣis. He prayed, ‘Teach me a way by which I shall not waste these seven days.’ Just at that time the great sage Śuka arrived. Recognising that he had received a gift that comes to no one, he felt, ‘What this ṛṣi gave me is no curse but a great boon.’ This emperor welcomed the ṛṣi: ‘Swāmī! Today I have become blessed. Teach me the way to make these seven days worthwhile,’ he asked. Śuka tried to teach, ceaselessly, night and day, the marks of the Lord's līlās and of His host of virtues, and His auspicious and wondrous truths. In this flood of Prema, the hearts of the people went swaying in a kind of swing of Ānanda. The minds of all the ṛṣis gathered at these teachings grew intoxicated. They were lost in absorption. They went beside themselves. They went mad with Prema. Seeing this state of things, the emperor sank deep into Ānanda. This King Parīkṣit, without wasting even a moment of time, listened to the contemplation of God, enjoyed the singing with Ānanda and took it into the cave of his heart. So the one who experienced divinity by listening was King Parīkṣit.
Singing. Singing of God ceaselessly, worshipping Him and remembering Him, the great sage Śuka went on teaching the people the way fit for crossing over. The great sage Śuka was the one who, singing kīrtanas in this way, made his life worthwhile.
Remembering Viṣṇu.