"Narada's instruction on Srimad Bhagavadam for Vyasa mahrishi":....

 

 

 

Skandham-1: Creation

 

 

Chapter 5  

 

 

Slokam-1 to 40.

Nârada's Instructions on S'rîmad Bhâgavatam for Vyâsadeva

 (1) Sûta said: "Comfortably seated next to him, the pleased rishi of God - who has a vînâ in his hands - addressed the learned wise.

 

(2) He said: 'O greatly fortunate son of Parâs'ara, is the confrontation with the body and the mind in the selfrealization of your soul to your satisfaction?

 

(3) You have done your full enquiries and being well versed, you have prepared the great and wonderful Mahâbhârata adding your extensive explanations.

 

(4) Despite of the full of your deliberations about the absolute and the eternal are you, dear master, lamenting not having done enough.'

 

5) Vyâsa said: 'What you said is certainly true and my soul has found no peace with it. What is the root I missed, I ask you who originated from the soul as a man of unlimited knowledge.

 

(6) You have the all-inclusive knowledge as a confidential devotee of the Supreme Personality, who is the Original Controller of the material and spiritual and in whose mind only, from the transcendence above its modes, the universe is created and destroyed.

 

 (7) In your goodness you travel the three worlds penetrating the heart of everyone like the all-pervading air as the selfrealized witness. Please point out my deficiency in being absorbed in the Absolute with discipline and vow concerning matters of cause and effect'.

 

 

 (8) S'rî Nârada said: 'You hardly praised the glories of the Fortunate One who is spotless and who I think is not really pleased by that inferior association.

 

 (9) Although you, great sage, repeatedly were writing for the sake of the four principles of religion [dharma, artha, kâma, moksha or righteousness, economy, sense gratification and liberation], you have not been doing so for the sake of Vâsudeva. (

 

10) Sparsely using the words describing the glories of the Lord who sanctifies the universe, the saintly think of as pilgrimaging to a place for crows; not as something where the perfect of the transcendental take pleasure in.

 

(11) That creation of words revolutionizing the sins of the people in which, although imperfectly composed, each verse depicts the names and glories of the unlimited Lord, is heard, sung and accepted by the purified and honest.

 

 (12) In spite of self-realization free from material motives, the transcendental knowledge of the infallible does not look well letting go of designations. What good will it bring to work for a result when one misses the Lord?

 

 (13) Therefore you as a highly fortunate, spotless and famous perfect seer being dedicated to the truth and fixed in the qualities, should from your trance think of and describe the one of supernatural activities for the sake of liberation from universal bondage.

 

 

 (14) Whatever you want to describe that is of a vision separate from Him will only lead to names and forms that agitate the mind like a boat that is taken by the wind from its place.

 

 (15) You have instructed the people for their natural inclinations which for the matter of religion is in truth reprehensible and quite unreasonable. The people fixed on such instruction of religion will not think of the prohibitions.

 

(16) For understanding the unlimited Lord the ones qualify who are expert in withdrawing from material enjoyment and therefore those attached by the modes missing the spiritual knowledge, must by your goodness been shown the ways and activities of the Lord.

 

 (17) Inexperienced in devotional service one may fall down forsaking one's true nature, but then what unfavorable things will happen to the ones engaged in service who are not dedicated to Him?

 

 (18) The philosophically inclined should endeavor for that reason only for that which is not so much found wandering from high to low; in the course of time one will find - just like the miseries - the enjoyment as a result of one's work automatically everywhere thanks to the subtlety of one's progress.

 

(19) Failing for some or another reason the devotee has a different experience than others: once having the taste remembering the divine service he will never want to give it up.

 

(20) By your good self, you know that all of this cosmos is, although He differs from it, the Lord Himself who is the source and the end of its creation; I am only giving you a synopsis.

 

(21) Please give a vivid description of the pastimes of the Supreme Lord, as from the perfect vision of your own soul you can search out on the transcendence of the Personality of the Supersoul of which you are a full aspect having taken birth for the wellbeing of the whole world.

 

(22) This attainment of all to the descriptions of the transcendental qualities by means of austerities, study, sacrifice, attending lectures, fostering intelligence and charity, is according the acknowledged scholars the infallible interest of the divine verses that describe the transcendental qualities.'

 (23)'In the previous millennium I was born from the maidservant of certain followers of this conclusion [Vedânta] and was just a boy engaged in their service while living together in the months of the rainy season.

 

(24) Being an obedient boy without sportive interests or speaking more than necessary, they, having controlled their senses and being impartial to the faithful, had no further inclinations than bestowing their immaterial mercy upon me.

 

 (25) When at that time I once was permitted to take of the remnants of their food, by that action I was freed of all my sins and thus being engaged with purity the attraction to that nature was manifested.

 

(26) Thereafter, hearing each day the descriptions of the life of Krishna, by their mercy I could, o dear Vyâsa, attentively listen and so develop my taste at every step I took.

 

 (27) O great sage, that time achieving the taste, I found continuity with the Lord and thus I saw that all the gross and subtle is accepted in one's own ignorance concerning the Supreme of transcendence.

 

 (28) Thus for two seasons, autumn and the rainy season, constantly hearing of nothing but the glories chanted by the sages, of those great souls my devotional service began to flow with the modes of passion and ignorance receding.

 

 (29) That way attached as a boy in obedience being freed from sins, did I of the faithful manage to subjugate the senses and strictly follow the principles.

 

(30) By the purity of those caring devotees I received, as they left, the instruction on the most confidential of knowledge that is directly propounded by the Lord Himself.

 

(31) Through that I could easily understand the influence of the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, S'rî Krishna, the supreme creator, and how one through that can attain to Him.

 (32) O learned one, it was concluded that this dedication of one's prescribed duties to the Supreme Lord is needed to overcome the threefold miseries of life.

 

 (33) O good soul, isn't it so that the cure for a disease is found in the same thing that caused it?

 

(34) The same way all the material dealings of men will finish their own materialism once becoming competent in dedication to the transcendental.

 

(35) Whatever one does in this world to please the Lord and what thereto is done in the dependence on knowledge is bhakti-yoga [yoga of devotion].

 

(36) While doing one's duties thus constantly remembering to the will of the Lord, one takes on the qualities of the names of S'rî Krishna.

 

 (37) Let us meditate upon the name and glory of Vâsudeva and His full expansions [Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Sankarshana].

 

(38) Having the Lord without form represented in the sound of mantras, will one, worshiping the Supreme Personality of Vishnu thus in person, see perfectly.

 

 (39) This way, o learned one, knowing well of the confidential part of the vedic knowledge, the knowledge of His transcendental opulences as well as the intimate personal affection for Lord Krishna was bestowed upon me.

 

(40) You, dear good soul, vast in your vedic knowledge, who has also heard of the Almighty of whom the wise always have found satisfaction to learn about the transcendental, please describe His activities for the mitigation of the suffering of the masses of people for whom there is no other way of relief'."