Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

Conversation Between Närada and Vyäsa

TEXT 1

süta uväca

evaà niçamya bhagavän

devarçer janma karma ca

bhüyaù papraccha taà brahmam

vyäsaù satyavaté-sutaù

sütaù uväca—Süta said; evam—thus; niçamya—hearing; bhagavän—the powerful incarnation of God; devarñeù—of the great sage among the gods; janma—birth; karma—work; ca—and; bhüyaù- again; papraccha—asked; tam—him; brahmam—O brähmaëas; vyäsaù—Vyäsadeva; satyavaté-sutaù—the son of Satyavaté.

TRANSLATION

Süta said: O brähmaëas, thus hearing all about Çré Närada's birth and activities, Vyäsadeva, the incarnation of God and son of Satyavaté, inquired as follows.

PURPORT

Vyäsadeva was further inquisitive to know about the perfection of Näradajé, and therefore he wanted to know about him more and more. In this chapter Näradajé will describe how he was able to have a brief audience with the Lord while he was absorbed in the transcendental thought of separation from the Lord and when it was very painful for him.

TEXT 2

vyäsa uväca

bhikñubhir vipravasite

vijïänädeñöåbhis tava

vartamäno vayasy ädye

tataù kim akarod bhavän

çré vyäsaù uväca—Çré Vyäsadeva said; bhikñubhiù—by the great mendicants; vipravasite—having departed for other places; vijïäna—scientific knowledge in transcendence; ädeñöåbhiù—those who had instructed; tava—of your; vartamänaù—present; vayasi—of the duration of life; ädye—before the beginning of; tataù—after that; kim—what; akarot—did; bhavän—your good self.

TRANSLATION

Çré Vyäsadeva said: What did you [Närada] do after the departure of the great sages who had instructed you from the beginning of your present birth in scientific transcendental knowledge?

PURPORT

Vyäsadeva himself was the disciple of Näradajé, and therefore it is natural to be anxious to hear what he did after initiation from the spiritual master. He wanted to follow in Närada's footsteps in order to attain to the same perfect stage of life. This desire to inquire from the spiritual master is an essential factor to the progressive path. This process is technically known as sat-dharma påcchä.

TEXT 3

sväyambhuva kayä våttyä

vartitaà te paraà vayaù

kathaà cedam udasräkñéù

käle präpte kalevaram

sväyambhuva—O son of Brahmä; kayä—under what condition; våttyä—occupation; vartitam—was spent; te—you; param—after the initiation; vayah—duration of life; katham—how; cedam—how that; udasräkñéù—did you quit; käla—in due course; präpte—having attained; kalevaram—body.

TRANSLATION

O son of Brahmä, how did you pass your life after initiation, and how did you attain this body, having quit your old one in due course?

PURPORT

Çré Närada Muni in his previous life was just an ordinary maidservant's son, so how he became so perfectly transformed into the spiritual body of eternal life, bliss and knowledge was certainly important. Çré Vyäsadeva desired him to disclose the facts for everyone's satisfaction.

TEXT 4

präk-kalpa-viñayäm etäà

småtià te muni-sattama

na hy eña vyavadhät käla

eña sarva-niräkåtiù

präk—prior; kalpa—the duration of Brahmä's day; viñayäm—subject matter; etäm—all these; småtim—remembrance; te—your; muni-sattama—O great sage; na—not; hi—certainly; eñaù—all these; vyavadhät—made any difference; kälaù—course of time; eñaù—all these; sarva—all; niräkåtiù—annihilation.

TRANSLATION

O great sage, time annihilates everything in due course, so how is it that this subject matter, which happened prior to this day of Brahmä, is still fresh in your memory, undisturbed by time?

PURPORT

As spirit is not annihilated even after the annihilation of the material body, so also spiritual consciousness is not annihilated. Çré Närada developed this spiritual consciousness even when he had his material body in the previous kalpa. Consciousness of the material body means spiritual consciousness expressed through the medium of a material body. This consciousness is inferior, destructible and perverted. But super consciousness of the supramind in the spiritual plane is as good as the spirit soul and is never annihilated.

Posted in: