← Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1962)

Chapter 5: Sri Narada's Instructions on Srimad Bhagwatam for Vyasdeva

Verse 24 of 40
SB 1.5.24

te mayy apetākhila-cāpale 'rbhake dānte 'dhṛta-krīḍanake 'nuvartini cakruḥ kṛpāṁ yadyapi tulya-darśanāḥ śuśrūṣamāṇe munayo 'lpa-bhāṣiṇi

Synonyms

tethey; mayiunto me; apetahaving not undergone; akhilaall kinds of; cāpaleproclvities; arbhakeunto a boy; dāntehaving controlled the senses; adhṛta-krīḍanakewithout being accustomed to sporting habits; anuvartiniobedient; cakruḥdid bestow. Kripam—causeless mercy; kṛpāmalthough; yadyapiimpartial by nature; tulya-darśanāḥunto the faithful; śuśrūṣamāṇethe muni followers of the Vedanta; munayaḥone who does not speak more than requirement.

Translation

Those followers of the Vedanta blessed me with their causeless mercy although they are impartial by nature. So far I was concerned, I was sense-controlled without any attachment for sporting habits even though I was only a boy and besides that I was not naughty neither I used to speak more than requirement.

Purport

In the Bhagwat Geeta the Lord says 'all the Vedas are searching after Me.' Lord Sri Chaitanya says that in the Vedas the subject matters are only three, namely to establish the relation of the living entities with the Personality of Godhead, perform the relative duties in devotional service and thus to achieve the ultimate goal back to Godhead. As such Vedanta-vedi or the followers of the Vedanta means pure devotee of the Personality of Godhead. Such Vedanta Vedi or the Bhaktivedantas are impartial in the matter of distributing the transcendental knowledge of devotional service. To them no body is enemy or friend no body is educated or non-educated. No body is specially favourable and no body is unfavourable. The Bhaktivedantas see to the people in general as wasting time in the matter of false senuous things and thus their business is to get the ignorant mass of people to the sense of re-establishing the lost relation with the Personality of Godhead. By such Bhaktivedanta's endeavour, even the most forgotten soul is roused up to the sense of spiritual life and thus being initiated by them the people in general become gradually progressive on the path of transcendental realisation. So the Vedantvedis initiated the boy even before he become self-controlled and was detached from childish, sporting etc. But before the initiation of favour by them upon the poor boy, he (the boy) become more and more advanced in the matter of discipline which is very essential for one who wish to make progress in the line. In the system of Varnashram Dharma, which is the beginning of actual human life, small boys after five years of age are sent to the Guru's Ashram to become Brahmabhary where these things were systematically tougt to the boys may he be a king's son or the son of an ordinary citizen. The training was compulsory not only to create good citizens of the state but also for the matter of preparing the boy's future life for spiritual realisation. Irresposible life of sense enjoyment by childish proclivities were unknown to the childeren of the followers of the Varanashram system. Even the boy was injected with spiritual acumen before he was placed by the father in the womb of the mother. Both the father and the mother were responsible for the boy's life as successful for being liberated from the material bondage. That is the process of successful family planning. It is to beget children for complete perfection. Without being self-controlled, without being disciplinary and without being full obedient no body can become successful in catching up the instruction of the spiritual master and without being so able no body is able to go back to Godhead.

Verse 24 of 40
Prabhupāda Says