Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvitiya Skandha, Shloka 1
Parīkṣit’s Comprehensive Inquiries and the Bhāgavata as Śabda-avatāra
राजोवाच ब्रह्मणा चोदितो ब्रह्मन् गुणाख्यानेऽगुणस्य च । यस्मै यस्मै यथा प्राह नारदो देवदर्शन: ॥ १ ॥
rājovāca brahmaṇā codito brahman guṇākhyāne ’guṇasya ca yasmai yasmai yathā prāha nārado deva-darśanaḥ
Le roi Parīkṣit dit : Ô brāhmaṇa, poussé par Brahmā, à qui et de quelle manière Nārada Muni, doté de vision divine, exposa-t-il les qualités transcendantes du Seigneur, Lui qui est au-delà des qualités matérielles ?
Devarṣi Nārada was directly instructed by Brahmājī, who was also directly instructed by the Supreme Lord; therefore the instructions imparted by Nārada to his various disciples are as good as those of the Supreme Lord. That is the way of understanding Vedic knowledge. It comes down from the Lord by disciplic succession, and this transcendental knowledge is distributed to the world by this descending process. There is no chance, however, to receive the Vedic knowledge from mental speculators. Therefore, wherever Nārada Muni goes, he represents himself as authorized by the Lord, and his appearance is as good as that of the Supreme Lord. Similarly, the disciplic succession which strictly follows the transcendental instruction is the bona fide chain of disciplic succession, and the test for such bona fide spiritual masters is that there should be no difference between the instruction of the Lord originally imparted to His devotee and that which is imparted by the authority in the line of disciplic succession. How Nārada Muni distributed the transcendental knowledge of the Lord will be explained in later cantos.
FAQs
This verse raises the key Bhagavata principle: the Lord is beyond material qualities (aguṇa) yet possesses transcendental attributes that devotees can hear and glorify.
Parikshit wants the precise lineage and context of teachings—how Brahmā inspired Nārada, and how Nārada tailored the same transcendental truth according to the audience.
Seek authentic guidance through disciplic succession and hear about the Lord’s transcendental qualities in a way suited to your capacity—this makes spiritual practice both grounded and effective.