Shloka 38
निवृत्तिलक्षणमार्ग आदावेव व्याख्यात: । एतावानेवाण्डकोशो यश्चतुर्दशधा पुराणेषु विकल्पित उपगीयते यत्तद्भगवतो नारायणस्य साक्षान्महापुरुषस्य स्थविष्ठं रूपमात्ममायागुणमयमनुवर्णितमादृत: पठति शृणोति श्रावयति स उपगेयं भगवत: परमात्मनोऽग्राह्यमपि श्रद्धाभक्तिविशुद्धबुद्धिर्वेद ॥ ३८ ॥
nivṛtti-lakṣaṇa-mārga ādāv eva vyākhyātaḥ; etāvān evāṇḍa-kośo yaś caturdaśadhā purāṇeṣu vikalpita upagīyate yat tad bhagavato nārāyaṇasya sākṣān mahā-puruṣasya sthaviṣṭhaṁ rūpam ātmamāyā-guṇamayam anuvarṇitam ādṛtaḥ paṭhati śṛṇoti śrāvayati sa upageyaṁ bhagavataḥ paramātmano ’grāhyam api śraddhā-bhakti-viśuddha-buddhir veda.
I have already explained, at the outset, the path of liberation marked by renunciation (nivṛtti). In the Purāṇas the vast universe—like an egg divided into fourteen regions—is sung of; it is regarded as the Lord Nārāyaṇa’s gross external form, the Mahāpuruṣa’s body, fashioned of His own energy (ātma-māyā) and the guṇas, and is known as the virāṭ-rūpa. One who, with deep faith, reads this description, hears it, or teaches it to others to spread bhāgavata-dharma, gradually increases in śraddhā and bhakti and in purified understanding; though difficult to grasp, by this process he becomes cleansed and slowly awakens to the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Paramātmā.
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is pushing forward the publication of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, as explained especially for the understanding of the modern civilized man, to awaken him to his original consciousness. Without this consciousness, one melts into complete darkness. Whether one goes to the upper planetary systems or the hellish planetary systems, he simply wastes his time. Therefore one should hear of the universal position of the virāṭ form of the Lord as described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That will help one save himself from material conditional life and gradually elevate him to the path of liberation so that he can go back home, back to Godhead.
FAQs
This verse states that the universe, described in the Purāṇas as fourteenfold planetary systems, is to be understood as the gross, manifest form of Lord Nārāyaṇa, described for the sake of contemplation and glorification.
He presents the cosmos as Bhagavān’s manifest form so that reciting and hearing these descriptions becomes devotional hearing (śravaṇam), purifying the mind and leading to realization of the otherwise ungraspable Paramātmā.
Practice respectful hearing/reading of Bhagavatam regularly and share it with others; the verse emphasizes that śraddhā and bhakti purify intelligence, enabling deeper spiritual understanding beyond material perception.