Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 5
Varṇāśrama-Dharma and the Thirty Qualities of a Human Being
श्रीनारद उवाच नत्वा भगवतेऽजाय लोकानां धर्मसेतवे । वक्ष्ये सनातनं धर्मं नारायणमुखाच्छ्रुतम् ॥ ५ ॥
śrī-nārada uvāca natvā bhagavate ’jāya lokānāṁ dharma-setave vakṣye sanātanaṁ dharmaṁ nārāyaṇa-mukhāc chrutam
Śrī Nārada Muni said: After first offering my obeisances unto Lord Kṛṣṇa, the protector of the religious principles of all living entities, let me explain the principles of the eternal religious system, of which I have heard from the mouth of Nārāyaṇa.
The word aja refers to Kṛṣṇa, who explains in Bhagavad-gītā (4.6) , ajo ’pi sann avyayātmā: “I am ever existing, and thus I never take birth. There is no change in My existence.”
FAQs
This verse introduces Sanātana-dharma as the eternal religious principle, presented by Nārada after offering obeisances to the unborn Lord, and grounded in divine revelation heard from Nārāyaṇa.
Nārada establishes the authority of his teachings: the dharma he will describe is not speculation, but śruti-like instruction received through direct divine transmission (paramparā).
See the Lord as the firm support for righteous living—anchor daily choices in devotion, truthfulness, and duty, using bhakti as the “bridge” that carries one safely across confusion and moral decline.