Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 8
The Glories of Lord Ananta (Śeṣa/Saṅkarṣaṇa) and the Cosmic Foundation Beneath Pātāla
य एष एवमनुश्रुतो ध्यायमानो मुमुक्षूणामनादिकालकर्मवासनाग्रथितमविद्यामयं हृदयग्रन्थिं सत्त्वरजस्तमोमयमन्तर्हृदयं गत आशु निर्भिनत्ति तस्यानुभावान् भगवान् स्वायम्भुवो नारद: सह तुम्बुरुणा सभायां ब्रह्मण: संश्लोकयामास ॥ ८ ॥
ya eṣa evam anuśruto dhyāyamāno mumukṣūṇām anādi-kāla-karma-vāsanā-grathitam avidyāmayaṁ hṛdaya-granthiṁ sattva-rajas-tamomayam antar-hṛdayaṁ gata āśu nirbhinatti tasyānubhāvān bhagavān svāyambhuvo nāradaḥ saha tumburuṇā sabhāyāṁ brahmaṇaḥ saṁślokayām āsa.
If persons who are very serious about being liberated from material life hear the glories of Anantadeva from the mouth of a spiritual master in the chain of disciplic succession, and if they always meditate upon Saṅkarṣaṇa, the Lord enters the cores of their hearts, vanquishes all the dirty contamination of the material modes of nature, and cuts to pieces the hard knot within the heart, which has been tied tightly since time immemorial by the desire to dominate material nature through fruitive activities. Nārada Muni, the son of Lord Brahmā, always glorifies Anantadeva in his father’s assembly. There he sings blissful verses of his own composition, accompanied by his stringed instrument [or a celestial singer] known as Tumburu.
None of these descriptions of Lord Anantadeva are imaginary. They are all transcendentally blissful and full of actual knowledge. However, unless one hears them directly from a bona fide spiritual master in the line of disciplic succession, one cannot understand them. This knowledge is delivered to Nārada by Lord Brahmā, and the great saint Nārada, along with his companion, Tumburu, distributes it all over the universe. Sometimes the Supreme Personality of Godhead is described as Uttamaśloka, one who is praised by beautiful poetry. Nārada composes various poems to glorify Lord Ananta, and therefore the word saṁślokayām āsa (praised by selected poetry) is used in this verse.
FAQs
This verse says that hearing about and meditating on the Lord (here, Ananta) enables Him to enter the inner heart and swiftly break the ignorance-made knot tied by beginningless karmic impressions.
The verse highlights the Lord’s extraordinary power to liberate; witnessing this potency, Nārada—together with the Gandharva Tumburu—offers hymns of praise before Brahmā, underscoring authoritative devotional testimony.
Regularly hear authentic Bhagavatam teachings and meditate on the Lord’s names and qualities; this practice gradually loosens deep habits and anxieties rooted in karma and ignorance, leading to clarity, detachment, and devotion.