Bhagavatam study 17 – 1.4.26-33 – Contemplation by the seeker makes consultation with the seer more effective

Shrimad Bhagavatam 1.4.25, 26 rather, so in this chapter till now, I think this chapter is the first chapter in the amount of three chapters of the Asanaar of the Samvat and this is one of the foundations of the Bhagavatam. This chapter began from the first verse to the thirteenth, roughly from the second verse to the thirteenth verse, it focused on how Suta Goswami is asked by Sonaka about the background around how did Vyasa compose Bhagavatam and how did Parikshit and Shuka meet and Suta focuses on answering the first question that is how did Vyasa compose the Bhagavatam and in the previous chapter, in the previous section from text 14 to 24, he has described how the Vedic wisdom was made accessible to people who were dull witted and Krupana Vatsala Vyasadeva was compassionate and because he was compassionate even to the fallen, so he made this wisdom accessible by dividing one Veda into four and then composing the Itihasa and Puranas, the Pancham Veda, entrusting each of these to different specialists and creating, thus leading eventually to the creation of the various Vedic Shakhas and he said that especially for Shruti Gaonchara, for those whom the Shrutis were not accessible, the Shruti Gaonchara, three Shudra Bhuji Bandhunam, so for them the Vedas were made accessible through the Mahabharata, so that they could also karmashreyamsi, they could also pursue the long-term welfare of life. Now, in this last section, the primary focus would be that in spite of doing this phenomenal literary work, Vyasadeva remains dissatisfied and then to help him diagnose and cure his dissatisfaction, we have Narada Muni entering and then the discussion will start.
So, in the Narada Vyasa Samvada, the fourth chapter is actually describing the background, the historical and the conceptual background for that Samvada, so the actual Samvada will begin from the fifth chapter, it will go on for two chapters over there. So, 26th text एवं प्रवृतस्यसदाम् भूतानाम् श्रेयसीतु जहां सर्वात्मिके नापियदा नातुष्यत् दुरुदयम् ततः नातुष्यत् तुष्य is satisfied, नातुष्यत् is not satisfied, दुरुदयम् ततः, दुरुदयम् means mind or heart, the mind is considered to be the doorway to the heart, so his heart was not satisfied, एवं प्रवृतस्यसदाम्, प्रवृत means engaged, so although he was engaged, it was a huge engagement and it was a very important and fruitful engagement, भूतानाम् श्रेयसीतु जहां, for doing good for all living beings, so his purpose was benevolent, his intention was good, सर्वात्मकेनापि, and सर्वात्मकेनापि, it was not that he was half-hearted, sometimes there is some important work, but we don’t feel inspired to do it, and that’s why even if we do the work, we feel bored, we feel let down and we don’t feel, we don’t feel inspired by the whole work, but it was not like that here, सर्वात्मकेनापि, he had wholeheartedly, he had wholeheartedly done the work with good intention, and still he was not satisfied, so it is not just why we do it, it’s not just how we do it, but it’s also what we do that matters, it’s not that anything and everything can be done and that will all give us satisfaction, yes, it can give us some level of satisfaction, but there is intellectual satisfaction, there is spiritual satisfaction, so there is an intellect that is used in the service of spirit, that gives us the sublime satisfaction, so here he had done intellectual work, but you will see that it had not been exactly devotional, and that’s why there was still dissatisfaction. He was not feeling very satisfied, so I am not very satisfied, actually this is just idiomatic way saying that he was dissatisfied, so his heart was not satisfied, so he sat on the banks of Saraswati, his ashram was over there, and he started doing reasoning while being situated in that isolated place, and that time he spoke, that was the lower of the principle of dharma, so even for Vyasadeva at that time, he had to do with Arkayal, when life presents us with perplexities, at that time, quite often life is so multifaceted and complex, that we may not find even within scripture, a precise immediate solution to the problem, yes, we may say that okay, whenever we have problem, we can chant Hare Krishna, we can remember Krishna, yes, that is good and that is what we should do, but along with that remembrance of Krishna, we need to do something practical to deal with the practical situation, and often we may not find that the situations that we are facing in real life, specifically those situations may not be there in scripture, so to understand how scripture principles apply in our life, we may need to think deeply, we may need to contemplate and integrate our thinking with that of scripture and do reasoning based on that, that is Shastra Moolak Anuman is called as Vichar, that means we do reasoning, we do inference, Shastra Moolak, it is rooted in scripture and by that we learn, with Arkayal, with Vittastha, in this way we learn with Vittastha, while we sit in an isolated place, he started reasoning, he started contemplating and watch, now it is interesting that he spoke to himself, he is all alone, he is sitting in isolation, so conversation with oneself, sometimes some people think if you talk with yourself you are foolish, it is not necessary, the foolishness is not the mode of talking, but it is the content of talking, the subject is foolish, sometimes when people are just in their own world shouting at someone, railing at someone and that sort of talking, the content is indicating there, the content is what makes it foolish, but sometimes there is a thinking aloud, so thinking aloud can be done in the presence of others, thinking aloud can be done alone also, but I sit with that, we sit at a particular place and start thinking, should I be doing this, should I be doing that, should I be going here, should I be going there, so here we see that, that is what Vyasadev is doing, he is watch, he is speaking to himself, so sometimes people do journaling, journaling is also what it is a conversation with oneself, now some people may say journaling is simply a waste of time, and it can be a waste of time, no doubt, if it is not done properly, but it can also be a very powerful way of contemplating, analysing and evaluating and then coming up to proper decisions about what is to be done and what is not to be done, so Vyasadev is having a self-conversation, sometimes when we have problems, we may think, oh immediately let me go to my spiritual authority and let me tell them and let me consult them, yes that consultation is good, but if we have contemplation before consultation, then that consultation can be more beneficial also, because sometimes if a patient goes to a doctor and the patient is not able to describe the symptoms properly, then the doctor cannot, doctors cannot prescribe so effectively, the doctor needs to know the symptoms, and sometimes the doctor may just say, okay, I will give you some pain medicine, go back and then you note down carefully, okay, what time do you get fever, what time do you get cough attacks, what do you, what, how frequently do you get the chills, so the doctor also needs proper information from the patient by which the doctor can diagnose and prescribe, similarly, when we consult our spiritual guides, the consultation alone is not important, sometimes we may be too eager, every problem we have, immediately we want to go and discuss spiritual guides, yes, for important issues, definitely we should consult, there is no objection to that kind of consultation, but we should know that, we should, we also have to do our part before the consultation, we think our situation through properly, we contemplate and analyze, okay, and with our intelligence, we do not use our intelligence necessarily to insist that this is what I want to do, we use our intelligence to present this is my situation and these are, this is what I feel this could be the problem or this could be the problem, or at least even if we cannot put a, we cannot diagnose the problem properly, at least we can describe the problem, diagnose means, you know, we see the problem and we see the cause of the problem, but even if we cannot diagnose, we should be able to describe the problem properly, okay, this is what is happening, this is what is happening, this is what is happening, and then certain discussions and deliberations and the decisions can be made, the prescriptions can be given, guidelines can be given by the spiritual master or the spiritual guides.
So, here we see that Vyasadev, when he is feeling dissatisfied, yes, he will consult Naradhoni, but before that he is contemplating himself, he is Dharmavet, Dharmavet means one who is knower of the principles of Dharma. So, what are his contemplations? Let us look at them now. 28th, 29th verses.
So, this is Vyasadev speaking to himself. So, he is talking about his own disposition and then his action. So, first he talks about his disposition in 28th text, this is 28th verse.
So, with a rigid determination, with rigid discipline, what I have done? I have, I have recited the Vedic verses, I have decided, I have worshipped the spiritual master, I have maintained the proper sacrificial fire. I have done it without any without any scrupulous intention, I have done it wholeheartedly. And I have also accepted whatever discipline is to be done, I have accepted the discipline also.
So, now he is first talking about disposition, his own internal discipline, internal purity. He said that, that whatever is expected from, of me as a spiritual candidate, I would have followed with rigid discipline, the principles that are expected to follow. So, the Yugadharma now is Haridamsakirtan, at that time, the primary activities were in terms of agnaya, maintaining the fire sacrifice, chandams, reciting the verses, guravo.
So, basically, the specific disciplines may vary according to time, place and circumstance, but the principle of being disciplined, maintaining one s purity through such discipline, that is something which is universal. And that is something which is being observed here by Vyasadev. And he is saying that actually I have done this, nirvelike, and I have not done this just for the sake of show, to show the world how pure I am or how strict I am.
No, I have done this actually, for the sake of, for the sake of purification, for the sake of, in a mood of service, for the sake of purification, contribution, in the mood of service, nirvelike. So, he is doing a honest, candid introspection over here. Greta Manushasanam, I have accepted the discipline, the traditional discipline that are required in this way.
And then he is saying, okay, this was what my, in terms of my personal sadhana, and then in terms of his service, Bharata Vyapadesena, I have compiled a Mahabharata. Sir, Mahabharata is repeatedly referred to in the Bhagavatam without the prefix Mahabharata. So, it is referred to as Bharata.
It is essentially the same thing. Vyapadesena. So, Vyapadesena is, he compiled it.
So, that which knowledge is received in the tradition, that artha, explain the artha properly. So, whatever dharma is appropriate, for Shri Shudra, Abhirapyuta. So, for those who are, for those who are not qualified for the traditional Vedic learning, for whom, for them, I have made the Mahabharata also accessible.
So, it’s not just been a duty. Vyasadeva has also acted not just out of duty, but also out of compassion. And he is saying that, if I have done all this, what reason is there that I should not be satisfied? So, he is analyzing.
So, we also need to analyze ourselves. In our spiritual life, if you are not feeling satisfied, what could be the cause of the dissatisfaction? And what it would be? What is the cure for that dissatisfaction? We need to look at that carefully. Such careful looking means that we need to observe, we need to contemplate, and by observation, contemplation, gradually we learn, okay, this is what I should be doing, this is what I should not be doing.
And thus, we can learn. Now, of course, when there are major issues, we need to go to a spiritual guide and consult them. But often our spiritual guides are also not accessible to us.
And it’s not just that their inaccessibility is not just a problem because of the present institutional scale of the movement, global scale of the movement, even in the past, if the spiritual masters were traveling preachers, then they would not always be accessible to their disciples. So, there was a broad bhakti culture that was there. And people could take guidance from different sources.
It was not that they had to take guidance from any one person alone. So, here, the point is being made that Vyasadev, he is contemplating to analyze and we do need to be introspective. We don’t want to just go through the motions of bhakti.
Yes, it is important to go through the motions of bhakti also, but we should go through the motions for, and we should also be observing whether we are in motion, whether we are actually moving towards Krishna. Whether our attraction to him is over time increasing or not, whether the taste we get in bhakti is increasing or not. So, Vyasadev, for him, there is a reality check that happens when he finds that he is no longer satisfied.
And when this reality check happens, he starts checking the reality of his own heart. So, reality check usually refers to something which happens externally, that externally you are no longer able to figure out, why did this happen? How did this happen? And then we start inquiring, okay, maybe I should be doing this, maybe I should be doing that. And from there, we start moving forwards.
So, we use a scriptural intelligence, whatever scripture-based intelligence that we have, and then we based on that script, using that scripture-based intelligence, we observe our heart, our practice, and then we try to learn how we should move forward. So, that is what is being talked about over here. That is what Vyasadev is doing.
And his own introspection will be confirmed by his spiritual mentor. So, he is continuing his introspection, 30th text. tathāpibatmedhayo Therefore, although tathāpibatmedhayo Although I cannot, although there is no defect in my practice, that I have practiced the way I have expected to practice, in sufficient practice I was instilled, asampana, asampana means I am feeling incomplete, it appears, I am feeling as if incomplete, brahma varchasya sattama Although, brahma varchasya, so what defect is there in me, there must be some defect in me, because of which I am feeling unfulfilled.
Because from the Vedic perspective, what is expected to be done, I have done, brahma varchasya sattama, that I have practiced, I have lived and taught according to the Vedas. Still, I am feeling satisfied. So, what is the defect that is making me do this? So, normally, for example, you know, we do a health checkup.
So, if all the health parameters are showing that, okay, you are healthy, your BP is normal, the cholesterol is normal, the blood count doesn’t show any problem, all the normal health parameters show normal, but still the person feels sickly, the person feels weak, the person feels dizzy. And you wonder, what is the defect? Maybe there is some symptom which I have not yet thought of. Which is not found through these normal parameters.
And it is that symptom which is causing all this. So, there is some defect and that defect I need to detect. So, he now will strive to detect that defect and he will come up with a tentative diagnosis himself.
So, 31. Could it be that the bhagavata dharma, could it be that the teaching of the bhagavata dharma, the teaching of devotion to the supreme, it is almost as if I have not narrated it. I have described it, but not in detail.
That which is dear to the pure beings. So, that is dear even to the Lord. So, he is now thinking, could it be that I have not described, I have not glorified adequately the Supreme Lord and it is that lacking, that deficiency in terms of not glorifying the Supreme that has caused my dissatisfaction.
And he is describing two characteristics that this, such glorification of the Lord is dear both to the Paramahamsas and Lord Achyuta himself. So, now we may say, how is it that Krishna’s glories are dear to Krishna? Actually, Krishna’s glories are never separated from his devotees. Krishna’s glories are related to his devotees and those glories give joy to his devotees and all of us as souls have some dormant devotion to him and hearing Krishna’s glories will give joy to us also.
So, the essential point is that Krishna’s glories are meant to elevate all of us and Krishna wants those glories to be accessible to us so that we can all become elevated and that is what he is saying over here, Vyasadeva. He is saying that, oh, glorify the Supreme. Now, we wonder, how can such an oversight happen? Isn’t it straightforward that the purpose of all the Vedas is to glorify the Supreme? Yes, it is and the subject to be discussed more and when Narad Muni instructs Vyasadeva in a slightly reproachful tone, but overall, it is the reproachful tone is only initial.
After that, it is a respectful discussion between the two and in that discussion, the focus is primarily on learning. The focus is primarily on assimilating, on internalizing and we will see that in the next chapter. So, here the point is that the Vedas talk about many subject matters and Vyasadeva does talk about the glorification of the Supreme also in the broad body of the Vedic literature, but not in a focused way, not in a sustained way, not in a prominent way and that is the defect which he is now detecting.
As he was thinking, oh, this is the defect, this is how there has been some fault in Atman, this is the fault which was there in me which caused all this problem. Understanding this, inferring this, he was lamenting. Krishnasya Narada Abhyagat.
So, Krishnasya, as Krishnasya here refers to Krishna Daipayana Vyasa. So, Narada Abhyagat. Narada came there.
Ashramam Praag Udharitam. So, Praag, at that time, near his cottage, Narada himself came. So, Narada is a traveling sage and nowadays if some spiritual master is coming, there is advanced schedule and there is advanced intimation.
But, okay, now, these are, then the traveling spiritual master comes, there are programs which are arranged. But in those days, Narada Muni would just spontaneously appear at various places, wherever he felt that his service was needed, he would be there, available for people. And even if it is one person who needs him, Narada Muni would come even if there are not a thousand people to attend the program.
Of course, in Kali Yuga, people have such ignorance that we want the knowledge to be made available to as many people as possible. That’s why it’s our duty when the spiritual master is coming that we try to invite spiritual master or any other spiritual teacher, whenever the spiritual teacher is coming, we try to organize big programs and invite a lot of people. But irrespective of that, the important point is that we all need to know that the purpose of the spiritual masters and the spiritual guides is to help us.
Narada Muni, in his own capacity as a transcendental traveling sage, he sees that actually, that his disciple is in need and just as Vyasadeva is lamenting, oh, this is a mistake I must have committed, at that time, Narada Muni appears over there. So, 33rd text So, Narada is a great person, he is surapujitam, he is worshiped even by the devatas. So, as is prescribed, when a great saint comes, he did the puja of that great sage.
So, seeing his sudden arrival, what happened is, Vyasadeva immediately got up. So, Vyasadeva got up, received him and as is prescribed in scripture, he offered respects, he performed his worship, Narada surapujitam. So, actually Prabhupada titled this chapter as the appearance of Shri Narada.
So, actually, the appearance happens in the last verse, but the whole chapter is leading towards that momentous appearance. Similarly, the last chapter of the first canto also Prabhupada titles as the appearance of Shukadeva Goswami and actually Shukadeva Goswami appears towards the end of the chapter. So, but the whole chapter is leading up towards that momentous appearance.
So, similarly, here, the appearance of Narada Muni, the whole background in terms of first, so there are, if you can say this chapter has three broad divisions. One is the from 1 to 13 is the description of Suta, the question that asked by Shana Krishna to Suta. Then from 14 onwards till 24, there is roughly the description of how the division of the Vedic literature was made till 25 actually.
So, that is how the division of the Vedic literature was made by Vyasadeva and 26 till 33 is the description of the dissatisfaction of Vyasa and that dissatisfaction will be addressed by Shukadeva Goswami, by Narada Muni in the next chapter, which we will discuss in our future classes. Thank you.

Disclaimer: This transcript was generated using AI and may contain occasional errors or inaccuracies.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1.4.25, so 26 rather, so in this chapter till now, this chapter is, the first chapter in the three chapters of the Asanaar of the Samvat and this is one of the foundations of the Bhagavatam. This chapter began from the first verse to the thirteenth, roughly from the second verse to the thirteenth verse, it focused on how Suta Goswami is asked by Sonaka about the background around how did Vyasa compose Bhagavatam and how did Parikshit and Shuka meet and Suta focuses on answering the first question that is how did Vyasa compose the Bhagavatam and in the previous chapter, in the previous section from text 14 to 24, he has described how the Vedic wisdom was made accessible to people who are Durmedha, who were deluded and Krupana Vatsala Vyasadeva was compassionate and because he was compassionate even to the fallen, so he made this wisdom accessible by dividing into one Veda into four and then composing the Itihasa and Puranas, the Pancham Veda, entrusting each of these to different specialists and creating, thus leading eventually to the creation of the various Vedic shakhas and she said that especially for Shruti Raghavachara, for those whom the Shrutis were not accessible, Vishwati Bhojara, three Shudras, so for them, the Vedas were made accessible through the Mahabharata, so that they could also karmashrayam, see, they could also pursue the long-term welfare of life. Now, in this last section, the primary focus would be that in spite of doing this phenomenal literary work, Vyasadeva remains dissatisfied and then to help him diagnose and cure his dissatisfaction, we have Narada Muni entering and then the discussion will start.

So in the Narada Vyasa Samvada, the fourth chapter is actually describing the background, the historical and the conceptual background for that Samvada. Actually, Samvada will begin from the fifth chapter, it will go on for two chapters over there. So, 26th text, evam pravrttasya sadaṃ bhūtānāṃ śreya-sītu-jahaṃ sarvātmike nāpiyataḥ nātuśyat dhrudayam tathāṃ nātuśyat tuśyat is satisfied, nātuśyat is not satisfied, dhrudayam tathāṃ, dhrudayam means mind or heart, the mind is considered to be the doorway to the heart.

So his heart was not satisfied, evam pravrttasya sadaṃ, pravrtta means engaged, so although he was engaged, it was a huge engagement and it was a very important and fruitful engagement, bhūtānāṃ śreya-sītu-jahaṃ for doing good for all living beings. So his purpose was benevolent, his intention was good, sarvātmike nāpiyataḥ, and sarvātmike nāpiyataḥ, it was not that he was half-hearted, sometimes there is some important work but we don't feel inspired to do it and that's why even if we do the work, we feel bored, we feel let down and we don't feel inspired by the whole work, but it was not like that here. Sarvātmike nāpiyataḥ, he had wholeheartedly done the work with good intention and still he was not satisfied.

So it is not just why we do it, it's not just how we do it, but it's also what we do that matters. It's not that anything and everything can be done and that will all give us satisfaction. Yes, it can give us some level of satisfaction, but there is intellectual satisfaction, there is spiritual satisfaction.

So when the intellect is used in the service of spirit, that gives us the sublime satisfaction. So here he had done intellectual work, but you will see that it had not been exactly devotional and that's why there was still dissatisfaction. nāti prasīdat rudhayāṁ sarasvatya sateṣu ca uttarkayan vikta-sthaṁ idam ca vāca dharma-ved nāti prasīdat rudhayāṁ sarasvatya sateṣu ca uttarkayan vikta-sthaṁ idam ca vāca dharma-ved.

And that time he spoke ca vāca dharma-ved, that was the lower of the principle of dharma. So even for Vyāsadeva at that time, he had to do uttarkayan. When life presents us with perplexities, at that time, quite often life is so multifaceted and complex that we may not find, even within scripture, a precise, immediate solution to the problem.

Yes, we may say that, okay, whenever we have problem, we can chant Hare Krishna, we can remember Krishna. Yes, that is good and that is what we should do. But along with that remembrance of Krishna, we need to do something practical to deal with the practical situation.

And often, we may not find that the situations that we are facing in real life, specifically those situations may not be there in scripture. So to understand how scripture principles apply in our life, we may need to think deeply, we may need to contemplate and integrate our thinking with that of scripture and do reasoning based on that. That is, śāstra-mūlaka-anumāna is called as vichāra.

That means we do reasoning, we do inference, śāstra-mūlaka, which is rooted in scripture. And by that we learn. Uttarkayan vimittastha.

In this way we learn vimittastha while we sit in an isolated place. He started reasoning, he started contemplating and watch, now it is interesting that he spoke to himself. He is all alone.

He is sitting in isolation. So conversation with oneself, sometimes some people think if you talk with yourself, you are foolish. It is not necessary.

The foolishness is not the mode of talking, but it is the content of talking. The subject is foolish. Sometimes people are just in their own world shouting at someone, railing at someone and that sort of talking, the content is what makes it foolish.

But sometimes there is thinking allowed. So thinking allowed can be done in the presence of others, thinking allowed can be done alone also. But I sit with that, we sit at a particular place and start thinking.

Okay, should I be doing this? Should I be doing that? Should I be going here? Should I be going there? So here we see that, that is what Vyasa Dev is doing. He is watch, he is speaking to himself. So sometimes people do journaling.

Journaling is also what it is a conversation with oneself. Now some people will say journaling is simply a waste of time and it can be a waste of time if it is not done properly. But it can also be a very powerful way of contemplating, analyzing and evaluating and then coming up to proper decisions about what is to be done and what is not to be done.

So Vyasa Dev is having a self-conversation. Sometimes when we have problems, we may think, immediately let me go to my spiritual authority and then let me tell them and let me consult them. Yes, that consultation is good.

But if we have contemplation before consultation, then that consultation can be more beneficial also. Because sometimes if a patient goes to a doctor and the patient is not able to describe the symptoms properly, then the doctor cannot, doctors cannot prescribe so effectively. The doctor needs to know the symptoms and sometimes the doctor may just say, okay, I will give you some pain medicine, go back and then you note down carefully.

Okay, what time do you get fever? What time do you get cough attacks? What do you, what, how frequently do you get the chills? So the doctor also needs proper information from the patient by which the doctor can diagnose and prescribe. Similarly, when we consult our spiritual guides, the consultation alone is not important. Sometimes we are, we may be too eager.

Every problem we have, immediately we want to go and start spiritual guides. Yes, for important issues, definitely you should consult. There is no objection to that kind of consultation.

But we should also have to do our part before the consultation. We think our situation through properly. We contemplate and analyze, okay.

And with our intelligence, we do not use our intelligence necessarily to insist that this is what I want to do. We use our intelligence to present, this is my situation and these are, this is what I feel this could be the problem, this could be the problem. Or at least even if we cannot put a, we cannot diagnose the problem properly, at least we can describe the problem.

Diagnose means, you know, we see the problem and we see the cause of the problem. But even if we cannot diagnose, we should be able to describe the problem properly. Okay, this is what is happening, this is what is happening, this is what is happening.

And then certain discussions and deliberations and the decisions can be made. The prescriptions can be, guidelines can be given by the spiritual master or the spiritual guides. So here we see that Vyasa Dev, when he is feeling dissatisfied, yes, he will consult Naradhoni.

But before that, he is contemplating himself. He is Dharmavet. Dharmavet means one who is knower of the principles of Dharma.

So what are his contemplations? Let us look at them now. 28th, 29th verses. So this is Vyasa Dev speaking to himself.

दुर्धव्रतेन हिमया चन्दांसि गुरवोगनयः मानीतान् निर्वलीकेन दुहीतं चानुशासनं भारत व्यपदेशेन आम्नायार्थष्च प्रदर्शितः दुर्ष्यतेयत् रतधर्मादि स्रिषुत्र दिभ्यऽप्यव्त So he is talking about his own disposition and then his action. So first he talks about his disposition in 28th text. This is दुर्धव्रतेन हिमया So with a rigid determination, with rigid discipline, what I have done? चन्दांसि गुरवोगनयः चन्दांसि I have recited the Vedic verses.

I have recited the Vedic Guru. I have worshipped the special master अगनयः. I have maintained the proper sacrificial fire.

मानिता निर्वलिकेन मानिता I have done it without any scrupulous intention. I have done it wholeheartedly. गुर्वितं चानुशासनं गुर्वितं And I have also accepted whatever discipline is to be done.

I have accepted that discipline also. भारत विपदेशेन So, भारत विपदेशेन Now he is first talking about disposition, his own internal discipline, internal purity. He said that whatever is expected of me as a spiritual candidate.

दुर्वित्तेइन I expect a follower with rigid discipline. The principles that are expected of follower. So, the Yuga Dharma now is Haridamsakirtan.

At that time, the primary activities were in terms of अगनयः, maintaining the fire sacrifice, चन्दांस, reciting the verses, गुर्वो. So basically, the specific disciplines may vary according to time, place, circumstance. But the principle of being disciplined, maintaining one's purity through such discipline, that is something which is universal.

And that is something which is being observed here by Vyasadeva. And he is saying that actually I have done this. निर्वलिकेन And I have not done this just for the sake of show, to show the world how pure I am or how strict I am.

No, I have done this actually for the sake of purification, for the sake of, in the mood of service, for the sake of purification contribution, in the mood of service. निर्वलिकेन So, he is doing a honest, candid introspection over here. गृताउनुशासनम् I have accepted the discipline, the traditional discipline that are required in this way.

And then he is saying, okay, this was what my, in terms of my personal साधन, and then in terms of his service, भारत व्यापदेशिन, I have compiled the Mahabharata. Mahabharata is repeatedly referred to in the Bhagavatam without the prefix Mahabharata. So, it is referred to as Bharata.

It is essentially the same thing. व्यापदेशिन, व्यापदेशिन So, व्यापदेशिन is compiled with या आम्नाया अर्थष् दर्शितः So, that which knowledge is received in the tradition, आम्नाया, that अर्थः, पदर्शितः, explain the अर्थः properly, दृश्यते यत्रधर्मादी So, whatever dharma is appropriate, आदिनी, for स्त्रिषुत्रभिरप्यूत So, for those who are not qualified for the traditional Vedic learning, for whom, for them, I have made the Mahabharata also accessible. So, it's not just been a duty.

Vyasadeva has also acted not just out of duty, but also out of compassion. And he's saying that, if I've done all this, what reason is there that I should not be satisfied? So, he's analyzing. So, we also need to analyze ourselves.

In our spiritual life, if you're not feeling satisfied, what could be the cause of the dissatisfaction? And what is the cure for the dissatisfaction? We need to look at that carefully. So, careful looking means that we need to observe, we need to contemplate. And by this contemplation, gradually we learn, okay, this is what I should be doing, this is what I should not be doing.

And thus, we can learn. Now, of course, when there are major issues, we need to go to our spiritual guides and consult them. But often our spiritual guides may also not be accessible to us.

And it's not just that their inaccessibility is not just a problem because of the present institutional scale of the movement, global scale of the movement. Even in the past, if the spiritual masters were traveling preachers, then they would not always be accessible to their disciples. So, there was a broad bhakti culture that was there.

And people could take guidance from different sources. It was not that they had to take guidance from any one person alone. So, here the point is being made that Vyasadev, he is contemplating to analyze.

And we too need to be introspective. We don't have to just go through the motions of bhakti. Yes, it's important to go through the motions of bhakti also.

But we should also be observing whether we are in motion. Whether we are actually moving towards Krishna. Whether our attraction to Him is over time increasing or not.

Whether the taste we get in bhakti is increasing or not. So, Vyasadev, for him there is a reality check that happens when he finds that he is no longer satisfied. And when this reality check happens, he starts checking the reality of his own heart.

So, reality check usually refers to something which happens externally that externally we are no longer able to figure out. Why did this happen? How did this happen? And then we start inquiring. Okay, maybe I should be doing this.

Maybe I should be doing that. And from there, we start moving forwards. So, we use a scriptural intelligence, whatever scriptural-based intelligence that we have.

And then using that scriptural-based intelligence, we observe our heart, our practice and then we try to learn how we should move forward. So, that's what is being talked about over here. That's what Vyasadev is doing.

And his own introspection will be confirmed by his spiritual mentor. So, he is continuing his introspection, 30th text. Therefore, although Although there is no defect in my practice that I have practiced the way I am expected to practice.

In sufficient practice I was in. Asampana means I am feeling incomplete. It appears, I am feeling as if incomplete.

Although So, what defect is there in me? There must be some defect in me because of which I am feeling unfulfilled. Because from the Vedic perspective, what is expected to be done? That I have practiced, I have lived and taught according to the Vedas. Still, I am feeling satisfied.

So, what is the defect that is making me do this? So, normally for example, we do a health check-up. So, if all the health parameters are showing that, okay, you are healthy. Your BP is normal, the cholesterol is normal, the blood count doesn't show any problem.

All the normal health parameters show normal, but still the person feels sickly. The person feels weak, the person feels dizzy. And you wonder, what is the defect? Maybe there is some symptom which I have not yet thought of, which is not found through these normal parameters.

And it is that symptom which is causing all this. So, there is some defect and that defect I need to detect. So, he now will strive to detect that defect and he will come up with a tentative diagnosis himself.

So, 31. Could it be that the Bhagavata Dharma, could it be that the teaching of the Bhagavata Dharma, the teaching of devotion to the Supreme, It is almost as if I have not narrated it. I have described it, but not in detail.

That which is dear to the Paramahamsa, the pure beings. So, that is dear even to the Lord. So, he is now thinking, could it be that I have not described, I have not glorified adequately the Supreme Lord, and it is that lacking, that deficiency in terms of I have not glorified the Supreme, that has caused my dissatisfaction, Bhagavata Dharma.

And he is describing two characteristics that this, such glorification of the Lord is dear both to the Paramahamsa and Lord Achyuta himself. So, now we may say, how is it that Krishna's glories are dear to Krishna? Actually, Krishna's glories are never separated from his devotees. Krishna's glories are related to his devotees.

And those glories give joy to his devotees. And all of us as souls have some dormant devotion to him. And hearing Krishna's glories will give joy to us also.

So, the essential point is that Krishna's glories are meant to elevate all of us. And Krishna wants those glories to be accessible to us so that we can all become elevated. And that is what he is saying over here.

Vyasadeva, he is saying that, oh, maybe I did not glorify the Supreme Lord adequately. Now, you may wonder, how can such an oversight happen? Isn't it straightforward that the purpose of all the Vedas is to glorify the Supreme? Yes, it is. And the subject we will discuss more when Narad Muni instructs Vyasadeva in a slightly reproachful tone.

But overall, the reproachful tone is only initial. After that, it is a respectful discussion between the two. And in that discussion, the focus is primarily on learning.

The focus is primarily on assimilating, on internalizing. And we will see that in the next chapter. So here, the point is that the Vedas talk about many subject matters.

And Vyasadeva does talk about the glorification of the Supreme also in the broad body of the Vedic literature. But not in a focused way. Not in a sustained way.

Not in a prominent way. And that's how that neglect, that is the defect which he is now detecting. 32 Tasya evam khilam atmanam Manyamanasya khidyatah Krishnasya narado bhagat Ashramam pragu dharutam Tasya evam khilam atmanam Tasya evam khilam As he was thinking, oh, this is the defect.

This is how there has been some fault in atmanam. This is the fault which was there in me, which caused all this problem. Manyamanasya khidyatah And understanding this, inferring this khidyatah, he was lamenting.

Krishnasya narado bhagat So Krishnasya, as Krishnasya here refers to Krishna, So narado bhagat Narada came there. Ashramam pragu dharutam So Prague, at that time, near his cottage, Narada himself came. So Narada is a travelling sage.

And nowadays, if some spiritual master is coming, there is advance schedule and there is advance intimation. That, okay, now, and these are, and when that travelling spiritual master comes, there are programs which are arranged. But in those days, and there is, Narada Muni would just spontaneously appear at various places.

Wherever he felt that his service was needed, he would be there, available for people. And even if it is one person who needs him, Narada Muni would come even if there are not a thousand people to attend the program. Of course, in Kali Yuga, people have such spiritual ignorance that we want the knowledge to be made available to as many people as possible.

That's why it's our duty when the spiritual master is coming that we try to invite spiritual master or any other spiritual teacher, whenever the spiritual teacher is coming, we try to organize big programs and invite a lot of people. But irrespective of that, the important point is that we all need to know that the purpose of the spiritual masters and the spiritual guides is to help us. Narada Muni, in his own capacity as a Transcendental Travelling Sage, he sees that, actually, that his disciple is in need.

And just as Vyasudeva is lamenting, Oh, this is a mistake I must have committed. At that time, Narada Muni appears over there. So, 33rd text.

So, Narada is a great person. He is worshipped even by the Devatas. So, as is prescribed, when a great saint comes, he did the puja of that great saint.

After doing the puja, So, seeing his sudden arrival, what happened is, Vyasudeva immediately got up. So, Vyasudeva got up, received him, and immediately after, as is prescribed in scripture, he offered respects. He performed his worship.

So, actually, Prabhupada titles this chapter as the appearance of Shri Narada. So, actually, the appearance happens in the last verse. But the whole chapter is leading towards that momentous appearance.

Similarly, the last chapter of the first canto also Prabhupada titles as the appearance of Shukadeva Goswami. And actually, Shukadeva Goswami appears towards the end of the chapter. But the whole chapter is leading up towards that momentous appearance.

So, similarly, here, the appearance of Narada Muni, the whole background in terms of first, so, you can say this chapter has three broad divisions. One is, from 1 to 13 is the description of Suta, the question that is asked by Shanakrishi to Suta. Then from 14 onwards till 24, that is roughly the description of Shukadeva of how the division of the Vedic literature was made till 25, actually.

So, that is how the division of the Vedic literature was made by Vyasudeva. From 25 and 26 till 33 is the description of the dissatisfaction of Vyasa. And that dissatisfaction will be addressed by Shukadeva Goswami, by Narada Muni in the next chapter, which we will discuss in our future classes.

Thank you.