Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.80.2
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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uttamaḥ - śloka
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of Lord Kṛṣṇa (one praised by the finest verses)
Compound: uttama (highest) + śloka (verse, fame). A signature Bhāgavatam name for Kṛṣṇa — the One whose qualities the Vedas themselves struggle to praise. Gauḍīyas hear Caitanya's saṅkīrtana in this title.
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sat
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transcendental
Sat — eternal, real. Kṛṣṇa-kathā is sat-kathā because it is about sat-tattva, the unchanging Person. Mundane topics (asat-kathā) cannot satiate; sat-kathā does.
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kathāḥ
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topics
From √kath. In Gauḍīya idiom kathā is not narration but rasa-bearing speech — saṅkīrtana in prose form. To hear kathā is to ingest the Person being narrated.
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viṣaṇṇaḥ
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disgusted
Past participle of vi-√sad. The Gauḍīya precondition for sat-kathā is not neutrality but viṣaṇṇatā — a tasted-and-rejected weariness with sense-pursuit. Dispassion here is the doorway, not the goal.
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kāma
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for material desire
Kāma in this verse is the chase after sense-objects, the opposite pole from bhakti. Gauḍīyas distinguish this from gopī-kāma — the latter is prema misnamed; this kāma is the disease.
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mārgaṇaiḥ
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with seeking
Plural — the many tracks the senses run on. The verse's logic: only one who is tired of the many tracks can stay on the one track of kṛṣṇa-kathā.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī comments herein that we see many persons who, even after hearing the topics of the Lord repeatedly, give up their spiritual dedication. The ācārya replies that the word viśeṣa-jña is therefore significant here. Those who have actually understood the essence of life do not give up Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A further qualification is to be viṣaṇṇaḥ kāma-mārgaṇaiḥ, disgusted with material sense gratification. These two qualities are complementary. One who has experienced the real taste of Kṛṣṇa consciousness automatically becomes disgusted with the inferior taste of material pleasure. Such a genuine hearer of the topics of Kṛṣṇa cannot give up hearing about the Lord’s fascinating pastimes.
There are many who constantly (asakrd) hearing about the Lord give up those topics. The jnanis fixed on the impesonal Brahman give up those topics. But the person who has special knowledge (visesa jna) of the spiritual qualities, form, pastimes and rasa does not give up those topics. He does not give up hearing even, for trying to destroy the suffering of this world which is constantly afflicting him (visannah). Using the ears for other purposes becomes useless.
“You have heard many stories. Why do you want to hear more?” After repeatedly hearing about the Lord who could give up those topics? No one could. This is because the Lord’s glory is most excellent (uttama) or is beyond ignorance and suffering (ut—tama). These topics are the best (sat) among all topics of the Lord since they are about Kṛṣṇa. “But we see many people give up the topics.” The person who realizes the special sweetness and powers of Kṛṣṇa (viśeṣa-jṣaḥ ) does not give up those topics. Let that be. Having realization, one does not give up the topics but also in order to destroy suffering which is experienced at all times one does not give up the topics. That person is disgusted with searching for material enjoyment, or is suffering from the arrows of material enjoyment.
“You have heard many stories. Why do you want to hear more?” After repeatedly hearing about the Lord, who could give up those topics? No one could. The reason is given. They are stories concerning the Lord whose fame (śloka) uproots saṁsāra or ignorance (uttama), or is most excellent (uttama). Will one not become satisfied by hearing constantly, drinking plentifully the sweetness? No, the desire constantly increases because of the ever fresh quality for persons with special taste (viśeṣa-jṣa). He is never fully satisfied. Śaunaka says: vayaṁ tu na vitṛpyāma uttama?śloka?vikrame | yac?chṛṇvatāṁ rasa?jṣānāṁ svādu svādu pade pade || We are not fully satisfied with the exploits of the Lord whose fame is the highest, because at every moment those exploits become more relishable for the hearers who have knowledge of rasa. SB 1.1.19 “Being without taste, we will give up these topics, since we do not experience any rasa.” In order to destroy the constant suffering of life, one should not give up these topics. One should have disgust for arrows of lust (viṣaṇṇaḥ kāma-mārganaiḥ). Lust represents other anarthas also. Anger and other anarthas follow from lust. Gītā says kāma eṣa krodha eṣaḥ: the cause is lust later transformed into anger. (BG3.39) Or one should be disgusted with the pursuit of enjoyment of sense objects (kāma-mārganaiḥ). They are in the plural because the pursuits are many. Or the phrase can be taken as aviṣaṇṇaḥ kāma-mārganaiḥ: even though one is an ātmārāma, not disturbed by the arrows of lust, if one has special taste (viśeṣa-jṣaḥ), one should not give up the topics of the Lord. You know this in truth (brahman).
A bee, once it has tasted lotus honey, will not turn back to dry grass. The person who has truly heard about Uttamaḥśloka and is sickened by the chase after sense-objects has the same physiology — he cannot un-taste; further hearing becomes the only direction he can fly.
At Naimiṣāraṇya the sages performed a sacrifice meant to last a thousand years — and at its core was nothing but hearing about Kṛṣṇa from Sūta Gosvāmī. The whole Bhāgavatam frame is built on their refusal to desist (SB 1.1).
When Parīkṣit asks 'who, having heard, can give up?', he is naming the rasa the Naimiṣāraṇya sages have already proven — kṛṣṇa-kathā satiates and intensifies at once.
My note
Source: vedabase.io