FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.25.8

य एष एवमनुश्रुतो ध्यायमानो मुमुक्षूणामनादिकालकर्मवासनाग्रथितमविद्यामयं हृदयग्रन्थिं सत्त्वरजस्तमोमयमन्तर्हृदयं गत आशु निर्भिनत्ति तस्यानुभावान् भगवान् स्वायम्भुवो नारद: सह तुम्बुरुणा सभायां ब्रह्मण: संश्लोकयामास ॥ ८ ॥
ya eṣa evam anuśruto dhyāyamāno mumukṣūṇām anādi-kāla-karma-vāsanā-grathitam avidyāmayaṁ hṛdaya-granthiṁ sattva-rajas-tamomayam antar-hṛdayaṁ gata āśu nirbhinatti tasyānubhāvān bhagavān svāyambhuvo nāradaḥ saha tumburuṇā sabhāyāṁ brahmaṇaḥ saṁślokayām āsa.
[ya esha evam anushruto dhyaayamaano mumukshoonaam anaadi-kaala-karma-vaasanaa-grathitam avidyaamayam hridaya-granthim sattva-rajas-tamomayam antar-hridayam gata aashu nirbhinatti tasyaanubhaavaan bhagavaan svaayambhuvo naaradah saha tumburunaa sabhaayaam brahmanah samshlokayaam aasa.]
yaḥ — who eṣaḥ — this one evam — thus anuśrutaḥ — being heard from a bona fide spiritual master dhyāyamānaḥ — being meditated upon mumukṣūṇām — of persons desiring liberation from conditioned life anādi — from immemorial kāla — time karma-vāsanā — by the desire for fruitive activities grathitam — tied tightly avidyā-mayam — consisting of the illusory energy hṛdaya-granthim — the knot within the heart sattva-rajaḥ-tamaḥ-mayam — made of the three modes of material nature antaḥ-hṛdayam — in the core of the heart gataḥ — situated āśu — very soon nirbhinatti — cuts tasya — of Saṅkarṣaṇa anubhāvān — the glories bhagavān — the greatly powerful svāyambhuvaḥ — the son of Lord Brahmā nāradaḥ — the sage Nārada saha — along with tumburuṇā — the stringed instrument called a Tumburu sabhāyām — in the assembly brahmaṇaḥ — of Lord Brahmā saṁślokayām āsa — described in verses.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ya eṣa evam anuśruto dhyāyamāno mumukṣūṇām anādi-kāla-karma-vāsanā-grathitam avidyāmayaṁ hṛdaya-granthiṁ sattva-rajas-tamomayam antar-hṛdayaṁ gata āśu nirbhinatti tasyānubhāvān bhagavān svāyambhuvo nāradaḥ saha tumburuṇā sabhāyāṁ brahmaṇaḥ saṁślokayām āsa.
yaḥ
who
eṣaḥ
this one
evam
thus
anuśrutaḥ
being heard from a bona fide spiritual master
dhyāyamānaḥ
being meditated upon
mumukṣūṇām
of persons desiring liberation from conditioned life
anādi
from immemorial
kāla
time
karma-vāsanā
by the desire for fruitive activities
grathitam
tied tightly
avidyā-mayam
consisting of the illusory energy
hṛdaya-granthim
the knot within the heart
sattva-rajaḥ-tamaḥ-mayam
made of the three modes of material nature
antaḥ-hṛdayam
in the core of the heart
gataḥ
situated
āśu
very soon
nirbhinatti
cuts
tasya
of Saṅkarṣaṇa
anubhāvān
the glories
bhagavān
the greatly powerful
svāyambhuvaḥ
the son of Lord Brahmā
nāradaḥ
the sage Nārada
saha
along with
tumburuṇā
the stringed instrument called a Tumburu
sabhāyām
in the assembly
brahmaṇaḥ
of Lord Brahmā
saṁślokayām āsa
described in verses.
If persons who are very serious about being liberated from material life hear the glories of Anantadeva from the mouth of a spiritual master in the chain of disciplic succession, and if they always meditate upon Saṅkarṣaṇa, the Lord enters the cores of their hearts, vanquishes all the dirty contamination of the material modes of nature, and cuts to pieces the hard knot within the heart, which has been tied tightly since time immemorial by the desire to dominate material nature through fruitive activities. Nārada Muni, the son of Lord Brahmā, always glorifies Anantadeva in his father’s assembly. There he sings blissful verses of his own composition, accompanied by his stringed instrument [or a celestial singer] known as Tumburu.

None of these descriptions of Lord Anantadeva are imaginary. They are all transcendentally blissful and full of actual knowledge. However, unless one hears them directly from a bona fide spiritual master in the line of disciplic succession, one cannot understand them. This knowledge is delivered to Nārada by Lord Brahmā, and the great saint Nārada, along with his companion, Tumburu, distributes it all over the universe. Sometimes the Supreme Personality of Godhead is described as Uttamaśloka, one who is praised by beautiful poetry. Nārada composes various poems to glorify Lord Ananta, and therefore the word saṁślokayām āsa (praised by selected poetry) is used in this verse.

The Vaiṣṇavas in the Gauḍīya-sampradāya belong to the disciplic succession stemming from Lord Brahmā. Lord Brahmā is the spiritual master of Nārada, Nārada is the spiritual master of Vyāsadeva, and Vyāsadeva wrote the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as a commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra. Therefore all devotees in the Gauḍīya sampradāya accept the activities of Lord Ananta related in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as authentic, and they are thus benefited by going back home, back to Godhead. The contamination in the heart of a conditioned soul is like a huge accumulation of garbage created by the three modes of material nature, especially the modes of rajas (passion) and tamas (ignorance). This contamination becomes manifest in the form of lusty desires and greed for material possessions. As confirmed herein, unless one receives transcendental knowledge in disciplic succession, there is no question of his becoming purified of this contamination.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Situated in hearts filled with sattva, rajas and tamas belonging to persons desiring liberation, being the object of their hearing and meditation, Ananta quickly cuts the knot of ignorance tied tightly by impressions of karma arising through endless time. Nārada, the son of Brahmā, glorifies Ananta in Brahmā’s assembly using his tamburu. Nārada recites verses praising the Lord’s appearance as the puruṣāvatāras.
Hearing the Lord's glories from a bona fide spiritual master in succession cuts the hard knot of fruitive desire that has been tied since time immemorial. The knot is older than this life; it requires authentic transmission to release. Don't try to untie it alone.
Reflection Questions
  • Am I hearing about the Lord from a transmission line I trust, or from miscellaneous sources?
  • What knot have I been trying to untie privately that might respond to disciplic hearing?
📝 My note

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