FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.31.7

तन्न: प्रद्योतयाध्यात्मज्ञानं तत्त्वार्थदर्शनम् । येनाञ्जसा तरिष्यामो दुस्तरं भवसागरम् ॥ ७ ॥
tan naḥ pradyotayādhyātma-
[tan nah pradyotayaadhyaatma-]
jñānaṁ tattvārtha-darśanam
[jnaanam tattvaartha-darshanam]
yenāñjasā tariṣyāmo
[yenaanjasaa tarishyaamo]
dustaraṁ bhava-sāgaram
[dustaram bhava-saagaram]
tat — therefore naḥ — for us pradyotaya — kindly awaken adhyātma — transcendental jñānam — knowledge tattva — Absolute Truth artha — for the purpose of darśanam — philosophy yena — by which añjasā — easily tariṣyāmaḥ — we can cross over dustaram — formidable bhava-sāgaram — the ocean of nescience.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tan naḥ pradyotayādhyātma-
tat
therefore
naḥ
for us
pradyotaya
kindly awaken
adhyātma
transcendental
jñānaṁ tattvārtha-darśanam
jñānam
knowledge
tattva
Absolute Truth
artha
for the purpose of
darśanam
philosophy
yenāñjasā tariṣyāmo
yena
by which
añjasā
easily
tariṣyāmaḥ
we can cross over
dustaraṁ bhava-sāgaram
dustaram
formidable
bhava-sāgaram
the ocean of nescience.
Dear master, kindly enlighten us in transcendental knowledge, which may act as a torchlight by which we may cross the dark nescience of material existence.

The Pracetās requested Nārada to enlighten them in transcendental knowledge. Generally when a common man meets a saintly person, he wishes to get some material benediction. However, the Pracetās were not interested in material benefit, for they had enjoyed all this sufficiently. Nor did they want the fulfillment of their material desires. They were simply interested in crossing the ocean of nescience. Everyone should be interested in getting out of these material clutches. Everyone should approach a saintly person in order to be enlightened in this connection. One should not bother a saintly person to get blessings for material enjoyment. Generally, householders receive saintly persons to get their blessings, but their real aim is to become happy in the material world. Asking such material benedictions is not recommended in the śāstras.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Please enlighten us about knowledge of the jīva, which shows the highest truth, by which we can easily cross the difficult ocean of material existence. Adhyātma-jñāna means knowledge concerning (adhi) the ātma. Enlighten us about the necessary knowledge of the jīva that we previously knew.
Kindly enlighten us in transcendental knowledge that becomes a torchlight to cross material darkness. The right request from a serious disciple: not material favors but the torchlight.
Reflection Questions
  • What do I usually ask from saints, and is it 'torchlight' or material benefit?
  • Where could I reframe my next request to a saintly person?
📝 My note

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