FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.3.8

तृतीयमृषिसर्गं वै देवर्षित्वमुपेत्य स: । तन्त्रं सात्वतमाचष्ट नैष्कर्म्यं कर्मणां यत: ॥ ८ ॥
tṛtīyam ṛṣi-sargaṁ vai
[triteeyam rishi-sargam vai]
devarṣitvam upetya saḥ
[devarshitvam upetya sah]
tantraṁ sātvatam ācaṣṭa
[tantram saatvatam aachashta]
naiṣkarmyaṁ karmaṇāṁ yataḥ
[naishkarmyam karmanaam yatah]
tṛtīyam — the third one ṛṣi-sargam — the millennium of the ṛṣis vai — certainly devarṣitvam — incarnation of the ṛṣi amongst the demigods upetya — having accepted saḥ — he tantram — exposition of the Vedas sātvatam — which is especially meant for devotional service ācaṣṭa — collected naiṣkarmyam — nonfruitive karmaṇām — of work yataḥ — from which.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tṛtīyam ṛṣi-sargaṁ vai
tṛtīyam
the third one
ṛṣi-sargam
the millennium of the ṛṣis
vai
certainly
devarṣitvam upetya saḥ
devarṣitvam
incarnation of the ṛṣi amongst the demigods
upetya
having accepted
saḥ
he
tantraṁ sātvatam ācaṣṭa
tantram
exposition of the Vedas
sātvatam
which is especially meant for devotional service
ācaṣṭa
collected
naiṣkarmyaṁ karmaṇāṁ yataḥ
naiṣkarmyam
nonfruitive
karmaṇām
of work
yataḥ
from which.
In the millennium of the ṛṣis, the Personality of Godhead accepted the third empowered incarnation in the form of Devarṣi Nārada, who is a great sage among the demigods. He collected expositions of the Vedas which deal with devotional service and which inspire nonfruitive action.

The great Ṛṣi Nārada, who is an empowered incarnation of the Personality of Godhead, propagates devotional service all over the universe. All great devotees of the Lord all over the universe and in different planets and species of life are his disciples. Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the compiler of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, is also one of his disciples. Nārada is the author of Nārada-pañcarātra, which is the exposition of the Vedas particularly for the devotional service of the Lord. This Nārada-pañcarātra trains the karmīs, or the fruitive workers, to achieve liberation from the bondage of fruitive work. The conditioned souls are mostly attracted by fruitive work because they want to enjoy life by the sweat of their own brows. The whole universe is full of fruitive workers in all species of life. The fruitive works include all kinds of economic development plans. But the law of nature provides that every action has its resultant reaction, and the performer of the work is bound up by such reactions, good or bad. The reaction of good work is comparative material prosperity, whereas the reaction of bad work is comparative material distress. But material conditions, either in so-called happiness or in so-called distress, are all meant ultimately for distress only. Foolish materialists have no information of how to obtain eternal happiness in the unconditional state. Śrī Nārada informs these foolish fruitive workers how to realize the reality of happiness. He gives direction to the diseased men of the world how one’s present engagement can lead one to the path of spiritual emancipation. The physician directs the patient to take treated milk in the form of curd for his sufferings from indigestion due to his taking another milk preparation. So the cause of the disease and the remedy of the disease may be the same, but it must be treated by an expert physician like Nārada. The Bhagavad-gītā also gives the same solution of serving the Lord by the fruits of one’s labor. That will lead one to the path of naiṣkarmya, or liberation.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The Lord, making his appearance among the sages as Nārada, produced the Pañcarātra scriptures from which one learns how devotional activities free one from the bondage of karma.
Commentary

The Lord making his appearance among the sages as Nārada, made the Pañcarātra texts (tantram sātvatam). From these one can learn that devotional activities (karmaṇām) will liberate one from the bondage of karma (naiṣkarmyam).

Nārada compiled the parts of the Veda that point toward devotional, non-fruitive action. Some scriptures are inspired curators, not just composers — and curating well is itself a divine work.
Reflection Questions
  • Whose curation of teachings has shaped me more than any single book?
  • What teachings could I curate or pass on, even modestly, for someone behind me on the path?
📝 My note

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