Shloka 26
Nārada’s Past Life, the Lord’s Brief Vision, and the Power of Kīrtana
नामान्यनन्तस्य हतत्रप: पठन् गुह्यानि भद्राणि कृतानि च स्मरन् । गां पर्यटंस्तुष्टमना गतस्पृह: कालं प्रतीक्षन् विमदो विमत्सर: ॥ २६ ॥
nāmāny anantasya hata-trapaḥ paṭhan guhyāni bhadrāṇi kṛtāni ca smaran gāṁ paryaṭaṁs tuṣṭa-manā gata-spṛhaḥ kālaṁ pratīkṣan vimado vimatsaraḥ
তারপর আমি অনন্ত প্রভুর পবিত্র নাম ও যশ বারবার জপ করতে লাগলাম, জড় জগতের সব আনুষ্ঠানিক লজ্জা ত্যাগ করে। প্রভুর দিব্য লীলার কীর্তন ও স্মরণ মঙ্গলময়। এভাবে আমি পৃথিবীজুড়ে ভ্রমণ করলাম—পরিতৃপ্ত, বিনয়ী, নির্ঈর্ষ—এবং সময়ের অপেক্ষায় রইলাম।
The life of a sincere devotee of the Lord is thus explained in a nutshell by Nārada Muni by his personal example. Such a devotee, after his initiation by the Lord or His bona fide representative, takes very seriously chanting of the glories of the Lord and traveling all over the world so that others may also hear the glories of the Lord. Such devotees have no desire for material gain. They are conducted by one single desire: to go back to Godhead. This awaits them in due course on quitting the material body. Because they have the highest aim of life, going back to Godhead, they are never envious of anyone, nor are they proud of being eligible to go back to Godhead. Their only business is to chant and remember the holy name, fame and pastimes of the Lord and, according to personal capacity, to distribute the message for others’ welfare without motive of material gain.
FAQs
This verse shows Narada openly chanting the Lord’s names (Ananta) without concern for social judgment, indicating that sincere nāma-bhakti transcends worldly hesitation and becomes the devotee’s natural life.
Narada recounts how devotion matured after his early spiritual awakening—by chanting and remembering the Lord’s intimate, auspicious pastimes—so Vyasa can understand the path of pure bhakti and present it fully through the Bhagavatam.
Practice daily chanting and remembrance, and consciously replace comparison and self-importance with service-attitude—measuring progress by steadiness in devotion and inner contentment rather than status or recognition.