Shloka 1
Brahmā’s Bewilderment and Kṛṣṇa Becoming the Calves and Cowherd Boys
Brahma-vimohana-līlā
श्रीशुक उवाच साधु पृष्टं महाभाग त्वया भागवतोत्तम । यन्नूतनयसीशस्य शृण्वन्नपि कथां मुहु: ॥ १ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca sādhu pṛṣṭaṁ mahā-bhāga tvayā bhāgavatottama yan nūtanayasīśasya śṛṇvann api kathāṁ muhuḥ
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O most fortunate Parīkṣit, best among the bhāgavatas, you have inquired most rightly, for though you constantly hear the Lord’s pastimes, you perceive them as ever fresh, moment after moment.
Unless one is very advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one cannot stick to hearing the pastimes of the Lord constantly. Nityaṁ nava-navāya-mānam: even though advanced devotees hear continually about the Lord for years, they still feel that these topics are coming to them as newer and fresher. Therefore such devotees cannot give up hearing of the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti. The word santaḥ is used to refer to persons who have developed love for Kṛṣṇa. Yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi ( Brahma-saṁhitā 5.38 ). Parīkṣit Mahārāja, therefore, is addressed as bhāgavatottama, the best of devotees, because unless one is very much elevated in devotional service, one cannot feel ecstasy from hearing more and more and appreciate the topics as ever fresher and newer.
FAQs
This verse teaches that a true devotee can hear the Lord’s narrations again and again, yet they remain ever-fresh—deepening devotion rather than becoming repetitive.
Because Parīkṣit’s questions are ideal for bhakti: they renew and illuminate the Lord’s pastimes, benefiting both the speaker and all listeners.
Regularly read or listen to Bhagavatam with attention and humility; revisit the same līlās to deepen understanding, steadiness, and devotion rather than seeking novelty elsewhere.