FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.1.4-5

श्रीऋषिरुवाच साधु पृष्टं महाराज हरेश्चरितमद्भ‍ुतम् । यद् भागवतमाहात्म्यं भगवद्भ‍क्तिवर्धनम् ॥ ४ ॥ गीयते परमं पुण्यमृषिभिर्नारदादिभि: । नत्वा कृष्णाय मुनये कथयिष्ये हरे: कथाम् ॥ ५ ॥
śrī-ṛṣir uvāca
[shree-rishir uvaacha]
sādhu pṛṣṭaṁ mahārāja
[saadhu prishtam mahaaraaja]
hareś caritam adbhutam
[haresh charitam adbhutam]
yad bhāgavata-māhātmyaṁ
[yad bhaagavata-maahaatmyam]
bhagavad-bhakti-vardhanam
[bhagavad-bhakti-vardhanam]
gīyate paramaṁ puṇyam
[geeyate paramam punyam]
ṛṣibhir nāradādibhiḥ
[rishibhir naaradaadibhih]
natvā kṛṣṇāya munaye
[natvaa krishnaaya munaye]
kathayiṣye hareḥ kathām
[kathayishye hareh kathaam]
Word-for-word
śrī-ṛṣiḥ uvāca — the sage Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said sādhu — excellent pṛṣṭam — inquiry mahā-rāja — O great King hareḥ — of the Supreme Lord, Hari caritam — activities adbhutam — wonderful yat — from which bhāgavata — of the Lord’s devotee (Prahlāda) māhātmyam — the glories bhagavat-bhakti — devotion to the Lord vardhanam — increasing gīyate — is sung paramam — foremost puṇyam — pious ṛṣibhiḥ — by the sages nārada-ādibhiḥ — headed by Śrī Nārada Muni natvā — after offering obeisances kṛṣṇāya — to Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa munaye — the great sage kathayiṣye — I shall narrate hareḥ — of Hari kathām — the topics.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-ṛṣir uvāca
śrī-ṛṣiḥ uvāca
the sage Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
sādhu pṛṣṭaṁ mahārāja
sādhu
excellent
pṛṣṭam
inquiry
mahā-rāja
O great King
hareś caritam adbhutam
hareḥ
of the Supreme Lord, Hari
caritam
activities
adbhutam
wonderful
yad bhāgavata-māhātmyaṁ
yat
from which
bhāgavata
of the Lord’s devotee (Prahlāda)
māhātmyam
the glories
bhagavad-bhakti-vardhanam
bhagavat-bhakti
devotion to the Lord
vardhanam
increasing
gīyate paramaṁ puṇyam
gīyate
is sung
paramam
foremost
puṇyam
pious
ṛṣibhir nāradādibhiḥ
ṛṣibhiḥ
by the sages
nārada-ādibhiḥ
headed by Śrī Nārada Muni
natvā kṛṣṇāya munaye
natvā
after offering obeisances
kṛṣṇāya
to Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa
munaye
the great sage
kathayiṣye hareḥ kathām
kathayiṣye
I shall narrate
hareḥ
of Hari
kathām
the topics.
The great sage Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, you have put before me an excellent question. Discourses concerning the activities of the Lord, in which the glories of His devotees are also found, are extremely pleasing to devotees. Such wonderful topics always counteract the miseries of the materialistic way of life. Therefore great sages like Nārada always speak upon Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam because it gives one the facility to hear and chant about the wonderful activities of the Lord. Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Vyāsadeva and then begin describing topics concerning the activities of Lord Hari.
Purport

In this verse Śukadeva Gosvāmī offers his respectful obeisances kṛṣṇāya munaye, which means to Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa. One must first offer one’s respectful obeisances to one’s spiritual master. Śukadeva Gosvāmī’s spiritual master is his father, Vyāsadeva, and therefore he first offers his respectful obeisances to Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa and then begins describing topics of Lord Hari.

Whenever there is an opportunity to hear about the transcendental activities of the Lord, we must take it. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ: one should always engage in kṛṣṇa-kathā by chanting and talking about Kṛṣṇa and hearing about Him. That is the only occupation of a Kṛṣṇa conscious person.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Śukadeva said: O great King! You have asked the correct question, because in answer to that question the astonishing activities of the Lord, which increase bhakti and glorify devotees, are sung by sages like Nārada. Offering respects to Vyāsadeva, I will speak about the Lord. This is the correct questions because (yat) by that question the activities of the Lord must necessarily be described to answer you. Kṛṣṇāya means “to Vyāsa.”
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Śukadeva praises the question because hearing about the Lord's pastimes and His devotees counteracts material misery. Spiritual discussion is itself the medicine — when the mind dwells on Hari, the burdens of saṁsāra lose their grip. Make such hearing a daily practice.
Reflection Questions
  • What recurring misery in your life have you tried to fix without spiritual hearing?
  • When was the last time a conversation about the Divine actually lifted your mood?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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