Shloka 5
Nārada’s Past Life, the Lord’s Brief Vision, and the Power of Kīrtana
नारद उवाच भिक्षुभिर्विप्रवसिते विज्ञानादेष्टृभिर्मम । वर्तमानो वयस्याद्ये तत एतदकारषम् ॥ ५ ॥
nārada uvāca bhikṣubhir vipravasite vijñānādeṣṭṛbhir mama vartamāno vayasy ādye tata etad akāraṣam
Śrī Nārada sprach: Die großen Weisen, die mir die Wissenschaft transzendenter Erkenntnis vermittelt hatten, zogen an andere Orte; und so führte ich mein Leben auf diese Weise.
In his previous life, when Nāradajī was impregnated with spiritual knowledge by the grace of the great sages, there was a tangible change in his life, although he was only a boy of five years. That is an important symptom visible after initiation by the bona fide spiritual master. Actual association of devotees brings about a quick change in life for spiritual realization. How it so acted upon the previous life of Śrī Nārada Muni is described by and by in this chapter.
FAQs
This verse shows that Nārada’s progress began through saintly mendicants who instructed him in realized knowledge; their association and teachings shaped his spiritual direction even in childhood.
He is explaining the narrative sequence: after receiving guidance from renunciant sages, they left, and he continued his spiritual life based on what he had learned, leading to the actions he will describe next.
Seek authentic guidance from realized devotees or teachers, learn sincerely, and then continue steady practice even when direct association is not always available.