FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.15.72

అహం చ గాయంస్తద్విద్వాన్ స్త్రీభి: పరివృతో గత: । జ్ఞాత్వా విశ్వసృజస్తన్మే హేలనం శేపురోజసా । యాహి త్వం శూద్రతామాశు నష్టశ్రీ: కృతహేలన: ॥ ౭౨ ॥
ahaṁ ca gāyaṁs tad-vidvān
[aham cha gaayams tad-vidvaan]
strībhiḥ parivṛto gataḥ
[streebhih parivrito gatah]
jṣātvā viśva-sṛjas tan me
[jshaatvaa vishva-srijas tan me]
helanaṁ śepur ojasā
[helanam shepur ojasaa]
yāhi tvaṁ śūdratām āśu
[yaahi tvam shoodrataam aashu]
naṣṭa-śrīḥ kṛta-helanaḥ
[nashta-shreeh krita-helanah]
aham — I myself ca — and gāyan — singing the glories of other demigods rather than those of the Lord tat-vidvān — knowing very well the art of singing strībhiḥ — by women parivṛtaḥ — being surrounded gataḥ — went there jṣātvā — knowing well viśva-sṛjaḥ — the prajāpatis, to whom the management of universal affairs was entrusted tat — the attitude of my singing me — my helanam — negligence śepuḥ — cursed ojasā — with great force yāhi — become tvam — you śūdratām — a śūdra āśu — immediately naṣṭa — devoid of śrīḥ — beauty kṛta-helanaḥ — because of transgressing the etiquette.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ahaṁ ca gāyaṁs tad-vidvān
aham
I myself
ca
and
gāyan
singing the glories of other demigods rather than those of the Lord
tat-vidvān
knowing very well the art of singing
strībhiḥ parivṛto gataḥ
strībhiḥ
by women
parivṛtaḥ
being surrounded
gataḥ
went there
jṣātvā viśva-sṛjas tan me
jṣātvā
knowing well
viśva-sṛjaḥ
the prajāpatis, to whom the management of universal affairs was entrusted
tat
the attitude of my singing
me
my
helanaṁ śepur ojasā
helanam
negligence
śepuḥ
cursed
ojasā
with great force
yāhi tvaṁ śūdratām āśu
yāhi
become
tvam
you
śūdratām
a śūdra
āśu
immediately
naṣṭa-śrīḥ kṛta-helanaḥ
naṣṭa
devoid of
śrīḥ
beauty
kṛta-helanaḥ
because of transgressing the etiquette.
Nārada Muni continued: Being invited to that festival, I also joined, and, surrounded by women, I began musically singing the glories of the demigods. Because of this, the prajāpatis, the great demigods in charge of the affairs of the universe, forcefully cursed me with these words: “Because you have committed an offense, may you immediately become a śūdra, devoid of beauty.”

As far as kīrtana is concerned, the śāstras say, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ: one should chant the glories of the Supreme Lord and the holy name of the Supreme Lord. This is clearly stated. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ: one should chant about and glorify Lord Viṣṇu, not any demigod. Unfortunately, there are foolish persons who invent some process of kīrtana on the basis of a demigod’s name. This is an offense. Kīrtana means glorifying the Supreme Lord, not any demigod. Sometimes people invent Kālī-kīrtana or Śiva-kīrtana, and even big sannyāsīs in the Māyāvāda school say that one may chant any name and still get the same result. But here we find that millions and millions of years ago, when Nārada Muni was a Gandharva, he neglected the order to glorify the Lord, and being mad in the association of women, he began to chant otherwise. Thus he was cursed to become a śūdra. His first offense was that he went to join the saṅkīrtana party in the company of lusty women, and another offense was that he considered ordinary songs, like cinema songs and other such songs, to be equal to saṅkīrtana. For this offense he was punished with becoming a śūdra.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Knowing of this invitation, I went there singing, surrounded by many women. Understanding that I was making offense, the Prajāpatis cursed me in anger. “Because you have committed offense, you should immediately become a śūdra without beauty.” Knowing about this invitation, I also went, singing in an intoxicated way.
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 15