Shloka 13
Nārada’s Past Life, the Lord’s Brief Vision, and the Power of Kīrtana
नलवेणुशरस्तन्बकुशकीचकगह्वरम् । एक एवातियातोऽहमद्राक्षं विपिनं महत् । घोरं प्रतिभयाकारं व्यालोलूकशिवाजिरम् ॥ १३ ॥
nala-veṇu-śaras-tanba- kuśa-kīcaka-gahvaram eka evātiyāto ’ham adrākṣaṁ vipinaṁ mahat ghoraṁ pratibhayākāraṁ vyālolūka-śivājiram
Dann zog ich ganz allein durch einen großen, schwer zu durchquerenden Wald voller Schilf, Bambus, Röhricht, scharfem Gras, Gestrüpp und Höhlen. Ich sah tiefe, dunkle und furchterregende Wälder, ein Tummelplatz für Schlangen, Eulen und Schakale.
It is the duty of a mendicant ( parivrājakācārya ) to experience all varieties of God’s creation by traveling alone through all forests, hills, towns, villages, etc., to gain faith in God and strength of mind as well as to enlighten the inhabitants with the message of God. A sannyāsī is duty-bound to take all these risks without fear, and the most typical sannyāsī of the present age is Lord Caitanya, who traveled in the same manner through the central Indian jungles, enlightening even the tigers, bears, snakes, deer, elephants and many other jungle animals. In this Age of Kali, sannyāsa is forbidden for ordinary men. One who changes his dress to make propaganda is a different man from the original ideal sannyāsī. One should, however, take the vow to stop social intercourse completely and devote life exclusively to the service of the Lord. The change of dress is only a formality. Lord Caitanya did not accept the name of a sannyāsī, and in this Age of Kali the so-called sannyāsīs should not change their former names, following in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya. In this age, devotional service of hearing and repeating the holy glories of the Lord is strongly recommended, and one who takes the vow of renunciation of family life need not imitate the parivrājakācārya like Nārada or Lord Caitanya, but may sit down at some holy place and devote his whole time and energy to hear and repeatedly chant the holy scriptures left by the great ācāryas like the Six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana.
FAQs
It describes Nārada’s solitary journey through a frightening wilderness, conveying the hardship and uncertainty faced by a seeker moving beyond worldly shelter toward spiritual dependence on the Lord.
Nārada is recounting his early life experiences to Vyāsa to show how his spiritual longing matured through wandering, austerity, and inner reliance, which culminated in devotion to Bhagavān.
It reminds a practitioner that spiritual growth may require passing through fear and discomfort—reducing dependence on external security and cultivating steady faith, discipline, and remembrance of God.