2.

Divinity and Divine Service

SB 1.2.1

TEXT 1

TEXT

VYaaSa ovac

wiTa SaMPa[nSa&ae ivPa[a<aa& raEMahzRi<a" )

Pa[iTaPaUJYa vcSTaeza& Pa[vu-MauPac-Mae )) 1 ))

vysa uvca

iti samprana-saho

vipr raumaharai

pratipjya vacas te

pravaktum upacakrame

SYNONYMS

vysa uvcaVysa said; itithus; sampranaperfect inquiries;

sahaperfectly satisfied; viprmof the sages there;
raumaharaithe son of Romaharaa, namely Ugrarav; pratipjya
after thanking them; vacawords; temtheir; pravaktumto reply to
them; upacakrameattempted.

TRANSLATION

Ugrarav [Sta Gosvm], the son of Romaharaa, being fully

satisfied by the perfect questions of the brhmaas, thanked them and
thus attempted to reply.

PURPORT

The sages of Naimiraya asked Sta Gosvm six questions, and so he

is answering them one by one.

SB 1.2.2

TEXT 2

TEXT

SaUTa ovac
 Ya& Pa[v]JaNTaMaNauPaeTaMaPaeTak*-TYa&

EPaaYaNaae ivrhk-aTar AaJauhav )

Pau}aeiTa TaNMaYaTaYaa Tarvae_i>aNaedu

STa& SavR>aUTadYa& MauiNaMaaNaTaae_iSMa )) 2 ))

sta uvca

ya pravrajantam anupetam apeta-ktya

dvaipyano viraha-ktara juhva

putreti tan-mayatay taravo 'bhinedus

ta sarva-bhta-hdaya munim nato 'smi

SYNONYMS

staSta Gosvm; uvcasaid; yamwhom; pravrajantamwhile going

away for the renounced order of life; anupetamwithout being reformed
by the sacred thread; apetanot undergoing ceremonies; ktyam
prescribed duties; dvaipyanaVysadeva; virahaseparation; ktara
being afraid of; juhvaexclaimed; putra itiO my son; tat-mayatay
being absorbed in that way; taravaall the trees; abhinedu
responded; tamunto him; sarvaall; bhtaliving entities; hdayam
heart; munimsage; nata asmioffer obeisances.

TRANSLATION

rla Sta Gosvm said: Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto

that great sage [ukadeva Gosvm] who can enter the hearts of all.
When he went away to take up the renounced order of life [sannysa],
leaving home without undergoing reformation by the sacred thread or
the ceremonies observed by the higher castes, his father, Vysadeva,
fearing separation from him, cried out, "O my son!" Indeed, only the
trees, which were absorbed in the same feelings of separation, echoed
in response to the begrieved father.

PURPORT

The institution of vara and rama prescribes many regulative duties

to be observed by its followers. Such duties enjoin that a candidate
willing to study the Vedas must approach a bona fide spiritual master
and request acceptance as his disciple. The sacred thread is the sign
of those who are competent to study the Vedas from the crya, or the
bona fide spiritual master. r ukadeva Gosvm did not undergo such
purificatory ceremonies because he was a liberated soul from his very
birth.

Generally, a man is born as an ordinary being, and by the purificatory

processes he is born for the second time. When he sees a new light and
seeks direction for spiritual progress, he approaches a spiritual
master for instruction in the Vedas. The spiritual master accepts only
the sincere inquirer as his disciple and gives him the sacred thread.
In this way a man becomes twice-born, or a dvija. After qualifying as
a dvija one may study the Vedas, and after becoming well versed in the
Vedas one becomes a vipra. A vipra, or a qualified brhmaa, thus
realizes the Absolute and makes further progress in spiritual life
until he reaches the Vaiava stage. The Vaiava stage is the
postgraduate status of a brhmaa. A progressive brhmaa must
necessarily become a Vaiava, for a Vaiava is a self-realized,
learned brhmaa.

rla ukadeva Gosvm was a Vaiava from the beginning; therefore,

there was no need for him to undergo all the processes of the
varrama institution. Ultimately the aim of varrama-dharma is to
turn a crude man into a pure devotee of the Lord, or a Vaiava.
Anyone, therefore, who becomes a Vaiava accepted by the first-class
Vaiava, or uttama-adhikr Vaiava, is already considered a
brhmaa, regardless of his birth or past deeds. r Caitanya
Mahprabhu accepted this principle and recognized rla Haridsa
hkura as the crya of the holy name, although hkura Haridsa
appeared in a Mohammedan family. In conclusion, rla ukadeva Gosvm
was born a Vaiava, and, therefore, brahminism was included in him.
He did not have to undergo any ceremonies. Any lowborn personbe he a
Kirta, Ha, ndhra, Pulinda, Pulkaa, bhra, umbha, Yavana, Khasa
or even lowercan be delivered to the highest transcendental position
by the mercy of Vaiavas. rla ukadeva Gosvm was the spiritual
master of r Sta Gosvm, who therefore offers his respectful
obeisances unto rla ukadeva Gosvm before he begins his answers to
the questions of the sages at Naimiraya.

SB 1.2.3

TEXT 3

TEXT

Ya" SvaNau>aavMai%l/[uiTaSaarMaek-

MaDYaaTMadqPaMaiTaiTaTaqzRTaa& TaMaae_NDaMa( )

Sa&Saair<aa& k-<aYaah Paura<aGau&

 Ta& VYaaSaSaUNauMauPaYaaiMa Gau& MauNaqNaaMa( )) 3 ))

ya svnubhvam akhila-ruti-sram ekam

adhytma-dpam atititrat tamo 'ndham

sasri karuayha pura-guhya

ta vysa-snum upaymi guru munnm

SYNONYMS

yahe who; sva-anubhvamself-assimilated (experienced); akhilaall

around; rutithe Vedas; sramcream; ekamthe only one; adhytma
transcendental; dpamtorchlight; atititratmdesiring to overcome;
tama andhamdeeply dark material existence; sasrimof the
materialistic men; karuayout of causeless mercy; hasaid; pura
supplement to the Vedas; guhyamvery confidential; tamunto him;
vysa-snumthe son of Vysadeva; upaymilet me offer my obeisances;
gurumthe spiritual master; munnmof the great sages.

TRANSLATION

Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto him [uka], the spiritual

master of all sages, the son of Vysadeva, who, out of his great
compassion for those gross materialists who struggle to cross over the
darkest regions of material existence, spoke this most confidential
supplement to the cream of Vedic knowledge, after having personally
assimilated it by experience.

PURPORT

In this prayer, rla Sta Gosvm practically summarizes the complete

introduction of rmad-Bhgavatam. rmad-Bhgavatam is the natural
supplementary commentary on the Vednta-stras. The Vednta-stras, or
the Brahma-stras, were compiled by Vysadeva with a view to
presenting just the cream of Vedic knowledge. rmad-Bhgavatam is the
natural commentary on this cream. rla ukadeva Gosvm was a
thoroughly realized master of the Vednta-stra, and consequently he
also personally realized the commentary, rmad-Bhgavatam. And just
to show his boundless mercy upon bewildered materialistic men who want
to cross completely over nescience, he recited for the first time this
confidential knowledge.

There is no point in arguing that a materialistic man can be happy. No

materialistic creaturebe he the great Brahm or an insignificant ant
can be happy. Everyone tries to make a permanent plan for happiness,
but everyone is baffled by the laws of material nature. Therefore the
 materialistic world is called the darkest region of God's creation.
Yet the unhappy materialists can get out of it simply by desiring to
get out. Unfortunately they are so foolish that they do not want to
escape. Therefore they are compared to the camel who relishes thorny
twigs because he likes the taste of the twigs mixed with blood. He
does not realize that it is his own blood and that his tongue is being
cut by the thorns. Similarly, to the materialist his own blood is as
sweet as honey, and although he is always harassed by his own material
creations, he does not wish to escape. Such materialists are called
karms. Out of hundreds of thousands of karms, only a few may feel
tired of material engagement and desire to get out of the labyrinth.
Such intelligent persons are called jns. The Vednta-stra is
directed to such jns. But rla Vysadeva, being the incarnation of
the Supreme Lord, could foresee the misuse of the Vednta-stra by
unscrupulous men, and, therefore, he personally supplemented the
Vednta-stra with the Bhgavata Pura. It is clearly said that this
Bhgavatam is the original commentary on the Brahma-stras. rla
Vysadeva also instructed the Bhgavatam to his own son, rla
ukadeva Gosvm, who was already at the liberated stage of
transcendence. rla ukadeva realized it personally and then
explained it. By the mercy of rla ukadeva, the Bhgavata-vednta-
stra is available for all those sincere souls who want to get out of
material existence.

rmad-Bhgavatam is the one unrivaled commentary on Vednta-stra.

rpda akarcrya intentionally did not touch it because he knew
that the natural commentary would be difficult for him to surpass. He
wrote his rraka-bhya, and his so-called followers deprecated the
Bhgavatam as some "new" presentation. One should not be misled by
such propaganda directed against the Bhgavatam by the Myvda
school. From this introductory loka, the beginning student should
know that rmad-Bhgavatam is the only transcendental literature
meant for those who are paramahasas and completely freed from the
material disease called malice. The Myvds are envious of the
Personality of Godhead despite rpda akarcrya's admission that
Nryaa, the Personality of Godhead, is above the material creation.
The envious Myvd cannot have access to the Bhgavatam, but those
who are really anxious to get out of this material existence may take
shelter of this Bhgavatam because it is uttered by the liberated
rla ukadeva Gosvm. It is the transcendental torchlight by which
one can see perfectly the transcendental Absolute Truth realized as
Brahman, Paramtm and Bhagavn.

SB 1.2.4

TEXT 4
 TEXT

NaaraYa<a& NaMaSk*-TYa Nar& cEv NaraetaMaMa( )

devq& SarSvTaq& VYaaSa& TaTaae JaYaMaudqrYaeTa( )) 4 ))

nryaa namasktya

nara caiva narottamam

dev sarasvat vysa

tato jayam udrayet

SYNONYMS

nryaamthe Personality of Godhead; nama-ktyaafter offering

respectful obeisances; naram ca evaand Nryaa i; nara-uttamamthe
supermost human being; devmthe goddess; sarasvatmthe mistress of
learning; vysamVysadeva; tatathereafter; jayamall that is meant
for conquering; udrayetbe announced.

TRANSLATION

Before reciting this rmad-Bhgavatam, which is the very means of

conquest, one should offer respectful obeisances unto the Personality
of Godhead, Nryaa, unto Nara-nryaa i, the supermost human
being, unto mother Sarasvat, the goddess of learning, and unto rla
Vysadeva, the author.

PURPORT

All the Vedic literatures and the Puras are meant for conquering the
darkest region of material existence. The living being is in the state
of forgetfulness of his relation with God due to his being overly
attracted to material sense gratification from time immemorial. His
struggle for existence in the material world is perpetual, and it is
not possible for him to get out of it by making plans. If he at all
wants to conquer this perpetual struggle for existence, he must
reestablish his eternal relation with God. And one who wants to adopt
such remedial measures must take shelter of literatures such as the
Vedas and the Puras. Foolish people say that the Puras have no
connection with the Vedas. However, the Puras are supplementary
explanations of the Vedas intended for different types of men. All men
are not equal. There are men who are conducted by the mode of
goodness, others who are under the mode of passion and others who are
under the mode of ignorance. The Puras are so divided that any class
of men can take advantage of them and gradually regain their lost
 position and get out of the hard struggle for existence. rla Sta
Gosvm shows the way of chanting the Puras. This may be followed by
persons who aspire to be preachers of the Vedic literatures and the
Puras. rmad-Bhgavatam is the spotless Pura, and it is
especially meant for those who desire to get out of the material
entanglement permanently.

SB 1.2.5