FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.9.41

तं नारद: प्रियतमो रिक्थादानामनुव्रत: । शुश्रूषमाण: शीलेन प्रश्रयेण दमेन च ॥ ४१ ॥
taṁ nāradaḥ priyatamo
[tam naaradah priyatamo]
rikthādānām anuvrataḥ
[rikthaadaanaam anuvratah]
śuśrūṣamāṇaḥ śīlena
[shushrooshamaanah sheelena]
praśrayeṇa damena ca
[prashrayena damena cha]
Word-for-word
tam — unto him nāradaḥ — the great sage Nārada priyatamaḥ — very dear riktha-ādānām — of the inheritor sons anuvrataḥ — very obedient śuśrūṣamāṇaḥ — always ready to serve śīlena — by good behavior praśrayeṇa — by meekness damena — by sense control ca — also.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
taṁ nāradaḥ priyatamo
tam
unto him
nāradaḥ
the great sage Nārada
priyatamaḥ
very dear
rikthādānām anuvrataḥ
riktha-ādānām
of the inheritor sons
anuvrataḥ
very obedient
śuśrūṣamāṇaḥ śīlena
śuśrūṣamāṇaḥ
always ready to serve
śīlena
by good behavior
praśrayeṇa damena ca
praśrayeṇa
by meekness
damena
by sense control
ca
also.
Nārada, the most dear of the inheritor sons of Brahmā, always ready to serve his father, strictly follows the instructions of his father by his mannerly behavior, meekness and sense control.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Nārada, the dearest to Brahmā among all his sons, was devoted to his father, and obedient. O King! This great devotee, this great sage, desiring to understand the māyā of Viṣṇu, the master of māyā, satisfied his father by his proper conduct, respect and sense control.
Commentary

Riktha means inheritance. Rikthādāna means a son, who inherits the wealth of the father. Nārada was the dearest son of Brahmā. Among the wealth of karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga and bhakti-yoga belonging to Brahmā, Dakṣa and others obtained karma-yoga. The Kumāras obtained jñāna-yoga. Nārada obtained bhakti-yoga, because of his outstanding qualities. Anuvrataḥ means that he was devoted to his father.

Māyām refers to the material energy, or to the mercy of the Lord. Nārada desired to understand the variegated nature of māyā. Viṣṇu is the master of material māyā. Or māyeśasya can mean “of he who controls everything by mercy (māyā).”

Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Nārada, ever ready to serve his father, follows Brahmā's instructions with mannerly behavior, meekness, and sense control. The disciple's qualifications are simple but rare: courtesy, humility, restraint.
Reflection Questions
  • Which of these — courtesy, humility, restraint — am I weakest in as a student?
  • Whose instructions could I follow more humbly than I am currently following them?
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Source: vedabase.io

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