FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.23

अहं पुरातीतभवेऽभवं मुने दास्यास्तु कस्याश्चन वेदवादिनाम् । निरूपितो बालक एव योगिनां शुश्रूषणे प्रावृषि निर्विविक्षताम् ॥ २३ ॥
ahaṁ purātīta-bhave ’bhavaṁ mune
[aham puraateeta-bhave ’bhavam mune]
dāsyās tu kasyāścana veda-vādinām
[daasyaas tu kasyaashchana veda-vaadinaam]
nirūpito bālaka eva yogināṁ
[niroopito baalaka eva yoginaam]
śuśrūṣaṇe prāvṛṣi nirvivikṣatām
[shushrooshane praavrishi nirvivikshataam]
aham — I purā — formerly atīta-bhave — in the previous millennium abhavam — became mune — O muni dāsyāḥ — of the maidservant tu — but kasyāścana — certain veda-vādinām — of the followers of Vedānta nirūpitaḥ — engaged bālakaḥ — boy servant eva — only yoginām — of the devotees śuśrūṣaṇe — in the service of prāvṛṣi — during the four months of the rainy season nirvivikṣatām — living together.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ahaṁ purātīta-bhave ’bhavaṁ mune
aham
I
purā
formerly
atīta-bhave
in the previous millennium
abhavam
became
mune
O muni
dāsyās tu kasyāścana veda-vādinām
dāsyāḥ
of the maidservant
tu
but
kasyāścana
certain
veda-vādinām
of the followers of Vedānta
nirūpito bālaka eva yogināṁ
nirūpitaḥ
engaged
bālakaḥ
boy servant
eva
only
yoginām
of the devotees
śuśrūṣaṇe prāvṛṣi nirvivikṣatām
śuśrūṣaṇe
in the service of
prāvṛṣi
during the four months of the rainy season
nirvivikṣatām
living together.
O Muni, in the last millennium I was born as the son of a certain maidservant engaged in the service of brāhmaṇas who were following the principles of Vedānta. When they were living together during the four months of the rainy season, I was engaged in their personal service.

The wonder of an atmosphere surcharged with devotional service to the Lord is briefly described herein by Śrī Nārada Muni. He was the son of the most insignificant parentage. He was not properly educated. Still, because his complete energy was engaged in the service of the Lord, he became an immortal sage. Such is the powerful action of devotional service. The living entities are the marginal energy of the Lord, and therefore they are meant for being properly utilized in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. When this is not done, one’s situation is called māyā. Therefore the illusion of māyā is at once dissipated as soon as one’s full energy is converted in the service of the Lord instead of in sense enjoyment. From the personal example of Śrī Nārada Muni in his previous birth, it is clear that the service of the Lord begins with the service of the Lord’s bona fide servants. The Lord says that the service of His servants is greater than His personal service. Service of the devotee is more valuable than the service of the Lord. One should therefore choose a bona fide servant of the Lord constantly engaged in His service, accept such a servant as the spiritual master and engage himself in his (the spiritual master’s) service. Such a spiritual master is the transparent medium by which to visualize the Lord, who is beyond the conception of the material senses. By service of the bona fide spiritual master, the Lord consents to reveal Himself in proportion to the service rendered. Utilization of the human energy in the service of the Lord is the progressive path of salvation. The whole cosmic creation becomes at once identical with the Lord as soon as service in relation with the Lord is rendered under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master. The expert spiritual master knows the art of utilizing everything to glorify the Lord, and therefore under his guidance the whole world can be turned into the spiritual abode by the divine grace of the Lord’s servant.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
In another kalpa of Brahmā in a previous life, I was born as the son of a maidservant engaged by some persons studying the Vedas. Though a child, I was also engaged in serving them during the monsoon season when they decided to stay in one place.
Commentary

There is no cause for pure bhakti other than the fortunate mercy of the devotees of the Lord. Austerity and other processes are not the cause. To illustrate this Nārada recounts a previous birth. In a previous kalpa (day of Brahmā) in a previous birth (atīta-bhave) I was born from a maid servant of some studiers of the Vedas. I was engaged (nirūpitaḥ) in serving those persons having bhakti-yoga and who desired to stay in one place (nirvivikṣatām) during the rainy season. That they also practiced bhakti-yoga is understood later from the following verse:

tatrānvahaṁ kṛṣṇa-kathāḥ pragāyatām anugraheṇāśṛṇavaṁ manoharāḥ tāḥ śraddhayā me ’nupadaṁ viśṛṇvataḥ priyaśravasy aṅga mamābhavad ruciḥ

O Vyāsadeva, in that association and by the mercy of those great Vedāntists, I could hear them describe the attractive activities of Lord Kṛṣṇa And thus listening attentively, my taste for hearing of the Personality of Godhead increased at every step. SB 1.5.26

Related verses
Nārada's own start was as a humble maid-servant's son serving Vedāntic brāhmaṇas in the rainy season. The greatest among teachers had simple beginnings — service to good people, in unspectacular circumstances.
Reflection Questions
  • Where might my simple, unspectacular service today be planting something larger?
  • Who in my present life is in the 'maid-servant's son' position, quietly absorbing what I show?
📝 My note

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