FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.4.33

तमभिज्ञाय सहसा प्रत्युत्थायागतं मुनि: । पूजयामास विधिवन्नारदं सुरपूजितम् ॥ ३३ ॥
tam abhijñāya sahasā
[tam abhijnaaya sahasaa]
pratyutthāyāgataṁ muniḥ
[pratyutthaayaagatam munih]
pūjayām āsa vidhivan
[poojayaam aasa vidhivan]
nāradaṁ sura-pūjitam
[naaradam sura-poojitam]
tam abhijñāya — seeing the good fortune of his (Nārada’s) arrival sahasā — all of a sudden pratyutthāya — getting up āgatam — arrived at muniḥ — Vyāsadeva pūjayām āsa — worship vidhi-vat — with the same respect as offered to Vidhi (Brahmā) nāradam — to Nārada sura-pūjitam — worshiped by the demigods.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tam abhijñāya sahasā
tam abhijñāya
seeing the good fortune of his (Nārada’s) arrival
sahasā
all of a sudden
pratyutthāyāgataṁ muniḥ
pratyutthāya
getting up
āgatam
arrived at
muniḥ
Vyāsadeva
pūjayām āsa vidhivan
pūjayām āsa
worship
vidhi-vat
with the same respect as offered to Vidhi (Brahmā)
nāradaṁ sura-pūjitam
nāradam
to Nārada
sura-pūjitam
worshiped by the demigods.
At the auspicious arrival of Śrī Nārada, Śrī Vyāsadeva got up respectfully and worshiped him, giving him veneration equal to that given to Brahmājī, the creator.

Vidhi means Brahmā, the first created living being. He is the original student as well as professor of the Vedas. He learned it from Śrī Kṛṣṇa and taught Nārada first. So Nārada is the second ācārya in the line of spiritual disciplic succession. He is the representative of Brahmā, and therefore he is respected exactly like Brahmā, the father of all vidhis (regulations); similarly all other successive disciples in the chain are also equally respected as representatives of the original spiritual master.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the First Canto, Fourth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “The Appearance of Śrī Nārada.”

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Understanding that Nārada, worshipped by the devatās, had suddenly arrived, Vyāsa worshipped him as if he were Brahmā.
Commentary

Vidhivat means like Brahmā. Vat can mean “like” according to the dictionary. Vat is compounded with vidhi.

Chapter Five Conversation Between Vyāsa and Nārada

Vyāsa, no minor figure himself, rose and honored Nārada as he would Brahmā. Real seniority bows when a greater teacher arrives. Status is no excuse to skip humility.
Reflection Questions
  • Where does my own status keep me from bowing where I should?
  • When was the last time I greeted a teacher with full-bodied respect, not just polite words?
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 4