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.
Wenn Menschen, die ernsthaft nach Befreiung streben, die Herrlichkeiten Anantadevas aus dem Mund eines spirituellen Meisters in der Schülernachfolge hören und stets über Saṅkarṣaṇa meditieren, dann tritt der Herr in den innersten Kern ihres Herzens ein, beseitigt die Verunreinigung der Naturweisen und zerschneidet rasch den harten Knoten im Herzen, der seit anfangsloser Zeit durch karmische Neigungen und den Wunsch, die Materie zu beherrschen, fest gebunden ist. Nārada Muni, der Sohn Brahmās, verherrlicht Anantadeva immer in der Versammlung seines Vaters; dort singt er selige Verse eigener Dichtung, begleitet von 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.