FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.16.24

श्रीकश्यप उवाच एतन्मे भगवान्पृष्ट: प्रजाकामस्य पद्मज: । यदाह ते प्रवक्ष्यामि व्रतं केशवतोषणम् ॥ २४ ॥
śrī-kaśyapa uvāca
[shree-kashyapa uvaacha]
etan me bhagavān pṛṣṭaḥ
[etan me bhagavaan prishtah]
prajā-kāmasya padmajaḥ
[prajaa-kaamasya padmajah]
yad āha te pravakṣyāmi
[yad aaha te pravakshyaami]
vrataṁ keśava-toṣaṇam
[vratam keshava-toshanam]
śrī-kaśyapaḥ uvāca — Kaśyapa Muni said etat — this me — by me bhagavān — the most powerful pṛṣṭaḥ — when he was requested prajā-kāmasya — desiring offspring padma-jaḥ — Lord Brahmā, who was born of a lotus flower yat — whatever āha — he said te — unto you pravakṣyāmi — I shall explain vratam — in the form of worship keśava-toṣaṇam — by which Keśava, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is satisfied.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-kaśyapa uvāca
śrī-kaśyapaḥ uvāca
Kaśyapa Muni said
etan me bhagavān pṛṣṭaḥ
etat
this
me
by me
bhagavān
the most powerful
pṛṣṭaḥ
when he was requested
prajā-kāmasya padmajaḥ
prajā-kāmasya
desiring offspring
padma-jaḥ
Lord Brahmā, who was born of a lotus flower
yad āha te pravakṣyāmi
yat
whatever
āha
he said
te
unto you
pravakṣyāmi
I shall explain
vrataṁ keśava-toṣaṇam
vratam
in the form of worship
keśava-toṣaṇam
by which Keśava, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is satisfied.
Śrī Kaśyapa Muni said: When I desired offspring, I placed inquiries before Lord Brahmā, who is born from a lotus flower. Now I shall explain to you the same process Lord Brahmā instructed me, by which Keśava, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is satisfied.

Here the process of devotional service is further explained. Kaśyapa Muni wanted to instruct Aditi in the same process recommended to him by Brahmā for satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is valuable. The guru does not manufacture a new process to instruct the disciple. The disciple receives from the guru an authorized process received by the guru from his guru. This is called the system of disciplic succession ( evaṁ paramparā-prāptaṁ imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ ). This is the bona fide Vedic system of receiving the process of devotional service, by which the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pleased. Therefore, to approach a bona fide guru, or spiritual master, is essential. The bona fide spiritual master is he who has received the mercy of his guru, who in turn is bona fide because he has received the mercy of his guru. This is called the paramparā system. Unless one follows this paramparā system, the mantra one receives will be chanted for no purpose. Nowadays there are so many rascal gurus who manufacture their mantras as a process for material advancement, not spiritual advancement. Still, the mantra cannot be successful if it is manufactured. Mantras and the process of devotional service have special power, provided they are received from the authorized person.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Kaśyapa said: I shall explain to you the process by which Keśava is satisfied, which Brahmā instructed to me when I inquired from him with a desire to produce progeny.
When I desired offspring, I asked Brahmā; now I'll tell you what he taught me. The guru does not invent new processes; he transmits what he received. Disciplic succession is the structure of authentic instruction.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I receiving 'innovations' rather than properly transmitted methods?
  • Have I checked whether my teacher is repeating their teacher, or improvising from scratch?
📝 My note

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