FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.10.5

అవతారానుచరితం హరేశ్చాస్యానువర్తినామ్ । పుంసామీశకథా: ప్రోక్తా నానాఖ్యానోపబృంహితా: ॥ ౫ ॥
avatārānucaritaṁ
[avataaraanucharitam]
hareś cāsyānuvartinām
[haresh chaasyaanuvartinaam]
puṁsām īśa-kathāḥ proktā
[pumsaam eesha-kathaah proktaa]
nānākhyānopabṛṁhitāḥ
[naanaakhyaanopabrimhitaah]
avatāra — incarnation of Godhead anucaritam — activities hareḥ — of the Personality of Godhead ca — also asya — of His anuvartinām — followers puṁsām — of the persons īśa-kathāḥ — the science of God proktāḥ — is said nānā — various ākhyāna — narrations upabṛṁhitāḥ — described.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
avatārānucaritaṁ
avatāra
incarnation of Godhead
anucaritam
activities
hareś cāsyānuvartinām
hareḥ
of the Personality of Godhead
ca
also
asya
of His
anuvartinām
followers
puṁsām īśa-kathāḥ proktā
puṁsām
of the persons
īśa-kathāḥ
the science of God
proktāḥ
is said
nānākhyānopabṛṁhitāḥ
nānā
various
ākhyāna
narrations
upabṛṁhitāḥ
described.
The science of God describes the incarnations of the Personality of Godhead and His different activities together with the activities of His great devotees.

During the course of the existence of the cosmic manifestation, the chronology of history is created, recording the activities of the living entities. People in general have a tendency to learn the history and narrations of different men and times, but due to a lack of knowledge in the science of Godhead, they are not apt to study the history of the incarnations of the Personality of Godhead. It should always be remembered that the material creation is created for the salvation of the conditioned souls. The merciful Lord, out of His causeless mercy, descends to various planets in the material world and acts for the salvation of the conditioned souls. That makes the history and narrations worth reading. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam offers such transcendental topics of the Lord in relationship with great devotees. Therefore the topics of the devotees and the Lord are to be given respectful aural reception.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Īśa-kathā refers to descriptions of the Lord’s avatāras and their devotees, filled with various stories.
Commentary

Īśa-kathā refers to the stories concerning the avatāras of the Lord and the devotees of the avatāras (asya anuvartinām). The avatāras and their devotees should be heard about and glorified. Thus in the material world (sthiti) the devotional aṅgas of hearing and chanting of the sādhaka devotees are described.

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