Shloka 17

Nārada’s Past Life, the Lord’s Brief Vision, and the Power of Kīrtana

Devanagari script

प्रेमातिभरनिर्भिन्नपुलकाङ्गोऽतिनिर्वृत: । आनन्दसम्प्लवे लीनो नापश्यमुभयं मुने ॥ १७ ॥

Transliteration

premātibhara-nirbhinna- pulakāṅgo ’tinirvṛtaḥ ānanda-samplave līno nāpaśyam ubhayaṁ mune

Translation

ഹേ വ്യാസദേവാ, അന്ന് പ്രേമാനന്ദത്തിന്റെ അതിഭാരത്തിൽ എന്റെ ശരീരമൊട്ടാകെ രോമാഞ്ചിതമായി. പരമാനന്ദസമുദ്രത്തിൽ ലീനനായ ഞാൻ എന്നെയും ഭഗവാനെയും രണ്ടിനെയും കാണാനായില്ല, മുനേ।

Synonyms

• prema-atibhara-nirbhinna-pulaka-aṅgaḥ: whose body had horripilation split forth by overwhelming love
• prema-atibhara-nirbhinna-pulaka-aṅgaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prema (प्रातिपदिक) + atibhara (प्रातिपदिक) + nirbhinna (कृदन्त; नि√भिद्) + pulaka (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिसमासः—‘प्रेमातिभरेण निर्भिन्नः पुलकः यस्य अङ्गे सः’ (having limbs with horripilation caused by overwhelming love)

• ati-nirvṛtaḥ: exceedingly blissful
• ati-nirvṛtaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (अव्यय) + nirvṛta (कृदन्त; नि√वृत्/नि√वृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘अत्यन्तं निर्वृतः’ (exceedingly delighted/at peace)

• ānanda-samplave: in the inundation of bliss
• ānanda-samplave: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ānanda (प्रातिपदिक) + samplava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध)—‘आनन्दस्य सम्प्लवः’ (in the flood of bliss)

• līnaḥ: merged/absorbed
• līnaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: līna (कृदन्त; √ली)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (particle of negation)

• apaśyam: I saw
• apaśyam: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ubhayam: both (things)
• ubhayam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ubhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• mune: O sage
• mune: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Purport

Spiritual feelings of happiness and intense ecstasies have no mundane comparison. Therefore it is very difficult to give expression to such feelings. We can just have a glimpse of such ecstasy in the words of Śrī Nārada Muni. Each and every part of the body or senses has its particular function. After seeing the Lord, all the senses become fully awakened to render service unto the Lord because in the liberated state the senses are fully efficient in serving the Lord. As such, in that transcendental ecstasy it so happened that the senses became separately enlivened to serve the Lord. This being so, Nārada Muni lost himself in seeing both himself and the Lord simultaneously.

Characters & Entities

• Narada Muni
• Vyasa (Vedavyasa)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about symptoms of prema-bhakti?

This verse describes classic ecstatic symptoms—goosebumps and complete absorption—arising when love for the Lord becomes overwhelming, leading to a flood of bliss where ordinary self-other awareness fades.

Why did Narada Muni say this to Vyasadeva in Canto 1 Chapter 6?

Narada is recounting his personal realization to instruct Vyasadeva that direct experience of the Lord comes through pure devotion, validating bhakti as the heart of Bhagavata-dharma.

Practical application of being “absorbed in a flood of bliss” in modern life?

Cultivate steady bhakti practices (hearing, chanting, remembrance) with sincerity; as attachment to the Lord deepens, inner satisfaction grows and worldly agitation reduces.