Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.6.20
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
In the Vedas it is said that God is beyond the approach of mundane words and intelligence. And yet by His causeless mercy one can have suitable senses to hear Him or to speak to Him. This is the Lord’s inconceivable energy. One upon whom His mercy is bestowed can hear Him. The Lord was much pleased with Nārada Muni, and therefore the necessary strength was invested in him so that he could hear the Lord. It is not, however, possible for others to perceive directly the touch of the Lord during the probationary stage of regulative devotional service. It was a special gift for Nārada. When he heard the pleasing words of the Lord, the feelings of separation were to some extent mitigated. A devotee in love with God feels always the pangs of separation and is therefore always enwrapped in transcendental ecstasy.
The Lord is beyond the description of words (girām agocaraḥ) as stated by the śruti: yato vāco nivartante: the Lord, from whom words return without attaining him. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.4.1) The Lord who cannot be approached by words spoke to me. I had an experience of his sweet sounding words by my ears. Because Nārada had bhakti arising from vaidhi-sādhana, he had realization of the sweetness of the Lord’s fragrance, beauty and speech in his present body. The complete experience with all other types of sweetness (touch, taste etc.), would be experienced in the future in his spiritual body (siddha-deha). By this (his sweet words), the Lord removed all types of lamentation and suffering which had arisen by not seeing Him. The word iva (somewhat) is used because his love in longing, caused by separation, had not been fully satisfied.
- Where might I be missing a gentle inner word because I'm not listening?
- Whose grief around me could be eased by a few quiet, weighty words?
My note
Source: vedabase.io