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Chapter 4: The Appearance of Śrī Nārada

Verse 2 of 31
SB 1.4.2

शौनक उवाच सूत सूत महाभाग वद नो वदतां वर कथां भागवतीं पुण्यां यदाह भगवाञ्छुकः

śaunaka uvāca sūta sūta mahā-bhāga vada no vadatāṁ vara kathāṁ bhāgavatīṁ puṇyāṁ yad āha bhagavāñ chukaḥ

Synonyms

śaunakaḥŚaunaka; uvācasaid; sūta sūtaO Sūta Gosvāmī; mahā-bhāgathe most fortunate; vadaplease speak; naḥunto us; vadatāmof those who can speak; vararespectful; kathāmmessage; bhāgavatīmof the Bhāgavatam; puṇyāmpious; yatwhich; āhasaid; bhagavāngreatly powerful; śukaḥŚrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī..

Translation

Śaunaka said: O Sūta Gosvāmī, you are the most fortunate and respected of all those who can speak and recite. Please relate the pious message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which was spoken by the great powerful sage Śukadeva Gosvāmī.

Purport

Sūta Gosvāmī is twice addressed herein by Śaunaka Gosvāmī out of great joy because he and the members of the assembly were eager to hear the text of Bhāgavatam uttered by Śukadeva Gosvāmī. They are not interested in hearing it from a bogus person who interprets in his own way to suit his own purpose. Generally the so-called Bhāgavatam reciters are either professional readers or so-called learned impersonalists who cannot enter into the transcendental personal activities of the Supreme Person. Such impersonalists eschew some meanings out of Bhāgavatam to suit and support impersonalist views, and the professional readers at once go to the Tenth Canto to misexplain the most confidential part of the Lord's pastimes. Both these reciters are not bona fide persons to recite Bhāgavatam. Only one who is prepared to present Bhāgavatam in the light of Śukadeva Gosvāmī and only those who are prepared to hear Śukadeva Gosvāmī and his representative are bona fide participants in the transcendental discussion of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Verse 2 of 31