Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 1: “Creation”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Chapter Six

SB1.6.22

TEXT 22

sakrd yad darsitam rupam

etat kamaya te ’nagha

mat-kamah sanakaih sadhu

sarvan muncati hrc-chayan

SYNONYMS

sakrt—once only; yat—that; darsitam—shown; rupam—form; etat—this is; kamaya—for hankerings; te—your; anagha—O virtuous one; mat—Mine; kamah—desire; sanakaih—by increasing; sadhuh—devotee; sarvan—all; muncati—gives away; hrt-sayan—material desires.

TRANSLATION

O virtuous one, you have only once seen My person, and this is just to increase your desire for Me, because the more you hanker for Me, the more you will be freed from all material desires.

PURPORT

A living being cannot be vacant of desires. He is not a dead stone. He must be working, thinking, feeling and willing. But when he thinks, feels and wills materially, he becomes entangled, and conversely when he thinks, feels and wills for the service of the Lord, he becomes gradually freed from all entanglement. The more a person is engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, the more he acquires a hankering for it. That is the transcendental nature of godly service. Material service has satiation, whereas spiritual service of the Lord has neither satiation nor end. One can go on increasing his hankerings for the loving transcendental service of the Lord, and yet he will not find satiation or end. By intense service of the Lord, one can experience the presence of the Lord transcendentally. Therefore seeing the Lord means being engaged in His service because His service and His person are identical. The sincere devotee should go on with sincere service of the Lord. The Lord will give proper direction as to how and where it has to be done. There was no material desire in Narada, and yet just to increase his intense desire for the Lord, he was so advised.

SB1.6.23

TEXT 23

sat-sevayadirghayapi

jata mayi drdha matih

hitvavadyam imam lokam

ganta maj-janatam asi

SYNONYMS

sat-sevaya—by service of the Absolute Truth; adirghaya—for some days; api—even; jata—having attained; mayi—unto Me; drdha—firm; matih—intelligence; hitva—having given up; avadyam—deplorable; imam—this; lokam—material worlds; ganta—going to; mat-janatam—My associates; asi—become.

TRANSLATION

By service of the Absolute Truth, even for a few days, a devotee attains firm and fixed intelligence in Me. Consequently he goes on to become My associate in the transcendental world after giving up the present deplorable material worlds.

PURPORT

Serving the Absolute Truth means rendering service unto the Absolute Personality of Godhead under the direction of the bona fide spiritual master, who is a transparent via medium between the Lord and the neophyte devotee. The neophyte devotee has no ability to approach the Absolute Personality of Godhead by the strength of his present imperfect material senses, and therefore under the direction of the spiritual master he is trained in transcendental service of the Lord. And by such training, even for some days, the neophyte devotee gets intelligence in such transcendental service, which leads him ultimately to get free from perpetual inhabitation in the material worlds and to be promoted to the transcendental world to become one of the liberated associates of the Lord in the kingdom of God.

SB1.6.24

TEXT 24

matir mayi nibaddheyam

na vipadyeta karhicit

praja-sarga-nirodhe ’pi

smrtis ca mad-anugrahat

SYNONYMS

matih—intelligence; mayi—devoted to Me; nibaddha—engaged; iyam—this; na—never; vipadyeta—separate; karhicit—at any time; praja—living beings; sarga—at the time of creation; nirodhe—also at the time of annihilation; api—even; smrtih—remembrance; ca—and; mat—Mine; anugrahat—by the mercy of.

TRANSLATION

Intelligence engaged in My devotion cannot be thwarted at any time. Even at the time of creation, as well as at the time of annihilation, your remembrance will continue by My mercy.

PURPORT

Devotional service rendered to the Personality of Godhead never goes in vain. Since the Personality of Godhead is eternal, intelligence applied in His service or anything done in His relation is also permanent. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that such transcendental service rendered unto the Personality of Godhead accumulates birth after birth, and when the devotee is fully matured, the total service counted together makes him eligible to enter into the association of the Personality of Godhead. Such accumulation of God’s service is never vanquished, but increases till fully matured.

SB1.6.25

TEXT 25

etavad uktvopararama tan mahad

bhutam nabho-lingam alingam isvaram

aham ca tasmai mahatam mahiyase

sirsnavanamam vidadhe ’nukampitah

SYNONYMS

etavat—thus; uktva—spoken; upararama—stopped; tat—that; mahat—great; bhutam—wonderful; nabhah-lingam—personified by sound; alingam—unseen by the eyes; isvaram—the supreme authority; aham—I; ca—also; tasmai—unto Him; mahatam—the great; mahiyase—unto the glorified; sirsna—by the head; avanamam—obeisances; vidadhe—executed; anukampitah—being favored by Him.

TRANSLATION

Then that supreme authority, personified by sound and unseen by eyes, but most wonderful, stopped speaking. Feeling a sense of gratitude, I offered my obeisances unto Him, bowing my head.

PURPORT

That the Personality of Godhead was not seen but only heard does not make any difference. The Personality of Godhead produced the four Vedas by His breathing, and He is seen and realized through the transcendental sound of the Vedas. Similarly, the Bhagavad-gita is the sound representation of the Lord, and there is no difference in identity. The conclusion is that the Lord can be seen and heard by persistent chanting of the transcendental sound.

SB1.6.26

TEXT 26

namany anantasya hata-trapah pathan

guhyani bhadrani krtani ca smaran

gam paryatams tusta-mana gata-sprhah

kalam pratiksan vimado vimatsarah

SYNONYMS

namani—the holy name, fame, etc.; anantasya—of the unlimited; hata-trapah—being freed from all formalities of the material world; pathan—by recitation, repeated reading, etc.; guhyani—mysterious; bhadrani—all benedictory; krtani—activities; ca—and; smaran—constantly remembering; gam—on the earth; paryatan—traveling all through; tusta-manah—fully satisfied; gata-sprhah—completely freed from all material desires; kalam—time; pratiksan—awaiting; vimadah—without being proud; vimatsarah—without being envious.

TRANSLATION

Thus I began chanting the holy name and fame of the Lord by repeated recitation, ignoring all the formalities of the material world. Such chanting and remembering of the transcendental pastimes of the Lord are benedictory. So doing, I traveled all over the earth, fully satisfied, humble and unenvious.

PURPORT

The life of a sincere devotee of the Lord is thus explained in a nutshell by Narada Muni by his personal example. Such a devotee, after his initiation by the Lord or His bona fide representative, takes very seriously chanting of the glories of the Lord and traveling all over the world so that others may also hear the glories of the Lord. Such devotees have no desire for material gain. They are conducted by one single desire: to go back to Godhead. This awaits them in due course on quitting the material body. Because they have the highest aim of life, going back to Godhead, they are never envious of anyone, nor are they proud of being eligible to go back to Godhead. Their only business is to chant and remember the holy name, fame and pastimes of the Lord and, according to personal capacity, to distribute the message for others’ welfare without motive of material gain.

SB1.6.27

TEXT 27

evam krsna-mater brahman

nasaktasyamalatmanah

kalah pradurabhut kale

tadit saudamani yatha

SYNONYMS

evam—thus; krsna-mateh—one who is fully absorbed in thinking of Krsna; brahman—O Vyasadeva; na—not; asaktasya—of one who is attached; amala-atmanah—of one who is completely free from all material dirt; kalah—death; pradurabhut—become visible; kale—in the course of time; tadit—lightning; saudamani—illuminating; yatha—as it is.

TRANSLATION

And so, O Brahmana Vyasadeva, in due course of time I, who was fully absorbed in thinking of Krsna and who therefore had no attachments, being completely freed from all material taints, met with death, as lightning and illumination occur simultaneously.

PURPORT

To be fully absorbed in the thought of Krsna means clearance of material dirts or hankerings. As a very rich man has no hankerings for small petty things, so also a devotee of Lord Krsna, who is guaranteed to pass on to the kingdom of God, where life is eternal, fully cognizant and blissful, naturally has no hankerings for petty material things, which are like dolls or shadows of the reality and are without permanent value. That is the sign of spiritually enriched persons. And in due course of time, when a pure devotee is completely prepared, all of a sudden the change of body occurs which is commonly called death. And for the pure devotee such a change takes place exactly like lightning, and illumination follows simultaneously. That is to say a devotee simultaneously changes his material body and develops a spiritual body by the will of the Supreme. Even before death, a pure devotee has no material affection, due to his body’s being spiritualized like a red-hot iron in contact with fire.

SB1.6.28

TEXT 28

prayujyamane mayi tam

suddham bhagavatim tanum

arabdha-karma-nirvano

nyapatat panca-bhautikah

SYNONYMS

prayujyamane—having been awarded; mayi—on me; tam—that; suddham—transcendental; bhagavatim—fit for associating with the Personality of Godhead; tanum—body; arabdha—acquired; karma—fruitive work; nirvanah—prohibitive; nyapatat—quit; panca-bhautikah—body made of five material elements.

TRANSLATION

Having been awarded a transcendental body befitting an associate of the Personality of Godhead, I quit the body made of five material elements, and thus all acquired fruitive results of work [karma] stopped.

PURPORT

Informed by the Personality of Godhead that he would be awarded a transcendental body befitting the Lord’s association, Narada got his spiritual body as soon as he quitted his material body. This transcendental body is free from material affinity and invested with three primary transcendental qualities, namely eternity, freedom from material modes, and freedom from reactions of fruitive activities. The material body is always afflicted with the lack of these three qualities. A devotee’s body becomes at once surcharged with the transcendental qualities as soon as he is engaged in the devotional service of the Lord. It acts like the magnetic influence of a touchstone upon iron. The influence of transcendental devotional service is like that. Therefore change of the body means stoppage of the reaction of three qualitative modes of material nature upon the pure devotee. There are many instances of this in the revealed scriptures. Dhruva Maharaja and Prahlada Maharaja and many other devotees were able to see the Personality of Godhead face to face apparently in the same body. This means that the quality of a devotee’s body changes from material to transcendence. That is the opinion of the authorized Gosvamis via the authentic scriptures. In the Brahma-samhita it is said that beginning from the indra-gopa germ up to the great Indra, King of heaven, all living beings are subjected to the law of karma and are bound to suffer and enjoy the fruitive results of their own work. Only the devotee is exempt from such reactions, by the causeless mercy of the supreme authority, the Personality of Godhead.

SB1.6.29

TEXT 29

kalpanta idam adaya

sayane ’mbhasy udanvatah

sisayisor anupranam

vivise ’ntar aham vibhoh

SYNONYMS

kalpa-ante—at the end of Brahma’s day; idam—this; adaya—taking together; sayane—having gone to lie down; ambhasi—in the causal water; udanvatah—devastation; sisayisoh—lying of the Personality of Godhead (Narayana); anupranam—breathing; vivise—entered into; antah—within; aham—I; vibhoh—of Lord Brahma.

TRANSLATION

At the end of the millennium, when the Personality of Godhead Lord Narayana lay down within the water of devastation, Brahma began to enter into Him along with all creative elements, and I also entered through His breathing.

PURPORT

Narada is known as the son of Brahma, as Lord Krsna is known as the son of Vasudeva. The Personality of Godhead and His liberated devotees like Narada appear in the material world by the same process. As it is said in the Bhagavad-gita, the birth and activities of the Lord are all transcendental. Therefore, according to authorized opinion, the birth of Narada as the son of Brahma is also a transcendental pastime. His appearance and disappearance are practically on the same level as that of the Lord. The Lord and His devotees are therefore simultaneously one and different as spiritual entities. They belong to the same category of transcendence.

SB1.6.30

TEXT 30

sahasra-yuga-paryante

utthayedam sisrksatah

marici-misra rsayah

pranebhyo ’ham ca jajnire

SYNONYMS

sahasra—one thousand; yuga—4,300,000 years; paryante—at the end of the duration; utthaya—having expired; idam—this; sisrksatah—desired to create again; marici-misrahrsis like Marici; rsayah—all the rsis; pranebhyah—out of His senses; aham—I; ca—also; jajnire—appeared.

TRANSLATION

After 4,300,000,000 solar years, when Brahma awoke to create again by the will of the Lord, all the rsis like Marici, Angira, Atri and so on were created from the transcendental body of the Lord, and I also appeared along with them.

PURPORT

The duration of a day in the life of Brahma is 4,320,000,000 solar years. This is stated also in the Bhagavad-gita. So for this period Brahmaji rests in yoga-nidra within the body of the Garbhodakasayi Visnu, the generator of Brahma. Thus after the sleeping period of Brahma, when there is again creation by the will of the Lord through the agency of Brahma, all the great rsis again appear from different parts of the transcendental body, and Narada also appears. This means that Narada appears in the same transcendental body, just as a man awakes from sleep in the same body. Sri Narada is eternally free to move in all parts of the transcendental and material creations of the Almighty. He appears and disappears in his own transcendental body, which is without distinction of body and soul, unlike conditioned beings.

SB1.6.31

TEXT 31

antar bahis ca lokams trin

paryemy askandita-vratah

anugrahan maha-visnor

avighata-gatih kvacit

SYNONYMS

antah—in the transcendental world; bahih—in the material world; ca—and; lokan—planets; trin—three (divisions); paryemi—travel; askandita—unbroken; vratah—vow; anugrahat—by the causeless mercy; maha-visnoh—of the Maha-Visnu (Karanodakasayi Visnu); avighata—without restriction; gatih—entrance; kvacit—at any time.

TRANSLATION

Since then, by the grace of the almighty Visnu, I travel everywhere without restriction both in the transcendental world and in the three divisions of the material world. This is because I am fixed in unbroken devotional service of the Lord.

PURPORT

As stated in the Bhagavad-gita, there are three divisions of the material spheres, namely the urdhva-loka (topmost planets), madhya-loka (midway planets) and adho-loka (downward planets). Beyond the urdhva-loka planets, that is to say above the Brahmaloka, are the material coverings of the universes, and above that is the spiritual sky, which is unlimited in expansion, containing unlimited self-illuminated Vaikuntha planets inhabited by God Himself along with His associates, who are all eternally liberated living entities. Sri Narada Muni could enter all these planets in both the material and spiritual spheres without restriction, as much as the almighty Lord is free to move personally in any part of His creation. In the material world the living beings are influenced by the three material modes of nature, namely goodness, passion and ignorance. But Sri Narada Muni is transcendental to all these material modes, and thus he can travel everywhere unrestricted. He is a liberated spaceman. The causeless mercy of Lord Visnu is unparalleled, and such mercy is perceived by the devotees only by the grace of the Lord. Therefore, the devotees never fall down, but the materialists, i.e., the fruitive workers and the speculative philosophers, do fall down, being forced by their respective modes of nature. The rsis, as above mentioned, cannot enter into the transcendental world like Narada. This fact is disclosed in the Narasimha Purana. Rsis like Marici are authorities in fruitive work, and rsis like Sanaka and Sanatana are authorities in philosophical speculations. But Sri Narada Muni is the prime authority for transcendental devotional service of the Lord. All the great authorities in the devotional service of the Lord follow in the footsteps of Narada Muni in the order of the Narada-bhakti-sutra, and therefore all the devotees of the Lord are unhesitatingly qualified to enter into the kingdom of God, Vaikuntha.

SB1.6.32

TEXT 32

deva-dattam imam vinam

svara-brahma-vibhusitam

murcchayitva hari-katham

gayamanas caramy aham

SYNONYMS

deva—the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Sri Krsna); dattam—gifted by; imam—this; vinam—a musical stringed instrument; svara—singing meter; brahma—transcendental; vibhusitam—decorated with; murcchayitva—vibrating; hari-katham—transcendental message; gayamanah—singing constantly; carami—do move; aham—I.

TRANSLATION

And thus I travel, constantly singing the transcendental message of the glories of the Lord, vibrating this instrument called a vina, which is charged with transcendental sound and which was given to me by Lord Krsna.

PURPORT

The musical stringed instrument called the vina, which was handed to Narada by Lord Sri Krsna, is described in the Linga Purana, and this is confirmed by Srila Jiva Gosvami. This transcendental instrument is identical with Lord Sri Krsna and Narada because all of them are of the same transcendental category. Sound vibrated by the instrument cannot be material, and therefore the glories and pastimes which are broadcast by the instrument of Narada are also transcendental, without a tinge of material inebriety. The seven singing meters, namely sa (sadja), r (rsabha), ga (gandhara), ma (madhyama), pa (pancama), dha (dhaivata) and ni (nisada), are also transcendental and specifically meant for transcendental songs. As a pure devotee of the Lord, Sri Naradadeva is always fulfilling his obligation to the Lord for His gift of the instrument, and thus he is always engaged in singing His transcendental glories and is therefore infallible in his exalted position. Following in the footsteps of Srila Narada Muni, a self-realized soul in the material world should also properly use the sound meters, namely sa, r, ga, ma, etc., in the service of the Lord by constantly singing the glories of the Lord, as confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita.

SB1.6.33

TEXT 33

pragayatah sva-viryani

tirtha-padah priya-sravah

ahuta iva me sighram

darsanam yati cetasi

SYNONYMS

pragayatah—thus singing; sva-viryani—own activities; tirtha-padah—the Lord, whose lotus feet are the source of all virtues or holiness; priya-sravah—pleasing to hear; ahutah—called for; iva—just like; me—to me; sighram—very soon; darsanam—sight; yati—appears; cetasi—on the seat of the heart.

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Lord Sri Krsna, whose glories and activities are pleasing to hear, at once appears on the seat of my heart, as if called for, as soon as I begin to chant His holy activities.

PURPORT

The Absolute Personality of Godhead is not different from His transcendental name, form, pastimes and the sound vibrations thereof. As soon as a pure devotee engages himself in the pure devotional service of hearing, chanting and remembering the name, fame and activities of the Lord, at once He becomes visible to the transcendental eyes of the pure devotee by reflecting Himself on the mirror of the heart by spiritual television. Therefore a pure devotee who is related with the Lord in loving transcendental service can experience the presence of the Lord at every moment. It is a natural psychology in every individual case that a person likes to hear and enjoy his personal glories enumerated by others. That is a natural instinct, and the Lord, being also an individual personality like others, is not an exception to this psychology because psychological characteristics visible in the individual souls are but reflections of the same psychology in the Absolute Lord. The only difference is that the Lord is the greatest personality of all and absolute in all His affairs. If, therefore, the Lord is attracted by the pure devotee’s chanting of His glories, there is nothing astonishing. Since He is absolute, He can appear Himself in the picture of His glorification, the two things being identical. Srila Narada chants the glorification of the Lord not for his personal benefit but because the glorifications are identical with the Lord. Narada Muni penetrates into the presence of the Lord by the transcendental chanting.

SB1.6.34

TEXT 34

etad dhy atura-cittanam

matra-sparsecchaya muhuh

bhava-sindhu-plavo drsto

hari-caryanuvarnanam

SYNONYMS

etat—this; hi—certainly; atura-cittanam—of those whose minds are always full of cares and anxieties; matra—objects of sense enjoyment; sparsa—senses; icchaya—by desires; muhuh—always; bhava-sindhu—the ocean of nescience; plavah—boat; drstah—experienced; hari-carya—activities of Hari, the Personality of Godhead; anuvarnanam—constant recitation.

TRANSLATION

It is personally experienced by me that those who are always full of cares and anxieties due to desiring contact of the senses with their objects can cross the ocean of nescience on a most suitable boat—the constant chanting of the transcendental activities of the Personality of Godhead.

PURPORT

The symptom of a living being is that he cannot remain silent even for some time. He must be doing something, thinking of something or talking about something. Generally the materialistic men think and discuss about subjects which satisfy their senses. But as these things are exercised under the influence of the external, illusory energy, such sensual activities do not actually give them any satisfaction. On the contrary, they become full with cares and anxieties. This is called maya, or what is not. That which cannot give them satisfaction is accepted as an object for satisfaction. So Narada Muni, by his personal experience, says that satisfaction for such frustrated beings engaged in sense gratification is to chant always the activities of the Lord. The point is that the subject matter only should be changed. No one can check the thinking activities of a living being, nor the feeling, willing or working processes. But if one wants actual happiness, one must change the subject matter only. Instead of talking of the politics of a dying man, one might discuss the politics administered by the Lord Himself. Instead of relishing activities of the cinema artists, one can turn his attention to the activities of the Lord with His eternal associates like the gopis and Laksmis. The almighty Personality of Godhead, by His causeless mercy, descends on the earth and manifests activities almost on the line of the worldly men, but at the same time extraordinarily, because He is almighty. He does so for the benefit of all conditioned souls so that they can turn their attention to transcendence. By doing so, the conditioned soul will gradually be promoted to the transcendental position and easily cross the ocean of nescience, the source of all miseries. This is stated from personal experience by such an authority as Sri Narada Muni. And we can have the same experience also if we begin to follow in the footsteps of the great sage, the dearmost devotee of the Lord.

SB1.6.35

TEXT 35

yamadibhir yoga-pathaih

kama-lobha-hato muhuh

mukunda-sevaya yadvat

tathatmaddha na samyati

SYNONYMS

yama-adibhih—by the process of practicing self-restraint; yoga-pathaih—by the system of yoga (mystic bodily power to attain the godly stage); kama—desires for sense satisfaction; lobha—lust for satisfaction of the senses; hatah—curbed; muhuh—always; mukunda—the Personality of Godhead; sevaya—by the service of; yadvat—as it is; tatha—like that; atma—the soul; addha—for all practical purposes; na—does not; samyati—be satisfied.

TRANSLATION

It is true that by practicing restraint of the senses by the yoga system one can get relief from the disturbances of desire and lust, but this is not sufficient to give satisfaction to the soul, for this [satisfaction] is derived from devotional service to the Personality of Godhead.

PURPORT

Yoga aims at controlling the senses. By practice of the mystic process of bodily exercise in sitting, thinking, feeling, willing, concentrating, meditating and at last being merged into transcendence, one can control the senses. The senses are considered like venomous serpents, and the yoga system is just to control them. On the other hand, Narada Muni recommends another method for controlling the senses in the transcendental loving service of Mukunda, the Personality of Godhead. By his experience he says that devotional service to the Lord is more effective and practical than the system of artificially controlling the senses. In the service of the Lord Mukunda, the senses are transcendentally engaged. Thus there is no chance of their being engaged in sense satisfaction. The senses want some engagement. To check them artificially is no check at all because as soon as there is some opportunity for enjoyment, the serpentlike senses will certainly take advantage of it. There are many such instances in history, just like Visvamitra Muni’s falling a victim to the beauty of Menaka. But Thakura Haridasa was allured at midnight by the well-dressed Maya, and still she could not induce that great devotee into her trap.

The whole idea is that without devotional service of the Lord, neither the yoga system nor dry philosophical speculation can ever become successful. Pure devotional service of the Lord, without being tinged with fruitive work, mystic yoga or speculative philosophy, is the foremost procedure to attain self-realization. Such pure devotional service is transcendental in nature, and the systems of yoga and jnana are subordinate to such a process. When the transcendental devotional service is mixed with a subordinate process, it is no longer transcendental but is called mixed devotional service. Srila Vyasadeva, the author of Srimad-Bhagavatam, will gradually develop all these different systems of transcendental realization in the text.

SB1.6.36

TEXT 36

sarvam tad idam akhyatam

yat prsto ’ham tvayanagha

janma-karma-rahasyam me

bhavatas catma-tosanam

SYNONYMS

sarvam—all; tat—that; idam—this; akhyatam—described; yat—whatever; prstah—asked by; aham—me; tvaya—by you; anagha—without any sins; janma—birth; karma—activities; rahasyam—mysteries; me—mine; bhavatah—your; ca—and; atma—self; tosanam—satisfaction.

TRANSLATION

O Vyasadeva, you are freed from all sins. Thus I have explained my birth and activities for self-realization, as you asked. All this will be conducive for your personal satisfaction also.

PURPORT

The process of devotional activities from the beginning to the stage of transcendence is all duly explained to satisfy the inquiries of Vyasadeva. He has explained how the seeds of devotional service were sown by transcendental association and how they gradually developed by hearing the sages. The result of such hearing is detachment from worldliness, so much so that even a small boy could receive the death news of his mother, who was his only caretaker, as the blessing of God. And at once he took the opportunity to search out the Lord. A sincere urge for having an interview with the Lord was also granted to him, although it is not possible for anyone to see the Lord with mundane eyes. He also explained how by execution of pure transcendental service one can get rid of the fruitive action of accumulated work and how he transformed his material body into a spiritual one. The spiritual body is alone able to enter into the spiritual realm of the Lord, and no one but a pure devotee is eligible to enter into the kingdom of God. All the mysteries of transcendental realization are duly experienced by Narada Muni himself, and therefore by hearing such an authority one can have some idea of the results of devotional life, which are hardly delineated even in the original texts of the Vedas. In the Vedas and Upanisads there are only indirect hints to all this. Nothing is directly explained there, and therefore Srimad-Bhagavatam is the mature fruit of all the Vedic trees of literatures.

SB1.6.37

TEXT 37

suta uvaca

evam sambhasya bhagavan

narado vasavi-sutam

amantrya vinam ranayan

yayau yadrcchiko munih

SYNONYMS

sutah—Suta Gosvami; uvaca—said; evam—thus; sambhasya—addressing; bhagavan—transcendentally powerful; naradah—Narada Muni; vasavi—named Vasavi (Satyavati); sutam—son; amantrya—inviting; vinam—instrument; ranayan—vibrating; yayau—went; yadrcchikah—wherever willing; munih—the sage.

TRANSLATION

Suta Gosvami said: Thus addressing Vyasadeva, Srila Narada Muni took leave of him, and vibrating on his vina instrument, he left to wander at his free will.

PURPORT

Every living being is anxious for full freedom because that is his transcendental nature. And this freedom is obtained only through the transcendental service of the Lord. Illusioned by the external energy, everyone thinks that he is free, but actually he is bound up by the laws of nature. A conditioned soul cannot freely move from one place to another even on this earth, and what to speak of one planet to another. But a full-fledged free soul like Narada, always engaged in chanting the Lord’s glory, is free to move not only on earth but also in any part of the universe, as well as in any part of the spiritual sky. We can just imagine the extent and unlimitedness of his freedom, which is as good as that of the Supreme Lord. There is no reason or obligation for his traveling, and no one can stop him from his free movement. Similarly, the transcendental system of devotional service is also free. It may or may not develop in a particular person even after he undergoes all the detailed formulas. Similarly, the association of the devotee is also free. One may be fortunate to have it, or one may not have it even after thousands of endeavors. Therefore, in all spheres of devotional service, freedom is the main pivot. Without freedom there is no execution of devotional service. The freedom surrendered to the Lord does not mean that the devotee becomes dependent in every respect. To surrender unto the Lord through the transparent medium of the spiritual master is to attain complete freedom of life.

SB1.6.38

TEXT 38

aho devarsir dhanyo ’yam

yat-kirtim sarngadhanvanah

gayan madyann idam tantrya

ramayaty aturam jagat

SYNONYMS

aho—all glory to; devarsih—the sage of the gods; dhanyah—all success; ayam yat—one who; kirtim—glories; sarnga-dhanvanah—of the Personality of Godhead; gayan—singing; madyan—taking pleasure in; idam—this; tantrya—by means of the instrument; ramayati—enlivens; aturam—distressed; jagat—world.

TRANSLATION

All glory and success to Srila Narada Muni because he glorifies the activities of the Personality of Godhead, and so doing he himself takes pleasure and also enlivens all the distressed souls of the universe.

PURPORT

Sri Narada Muni plays on his instrument to glorify the transcendental activities of the Lord and to give relief to all miserable living entities of the universe. No one is happy here within the universe, and what is felt as happiness is maya’s illusion. The illusory energy of the Lord is so strong that even the hog who lives on filthy stool feels happy. No one can be truly happy within the material world. Srila Narada Muni, in order to enlighten the miserable inhabitants, wanders everywhere. His mission is to get them back home, back to Godhead. That is the mission of all genuine devotees of the Lord following the footsteps of that great sage.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the First Canto, Sixth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “Conversation Between Narada and Vyasa.”

Next chapter (SB 1.7)