Shloka 19
Nārada’s Past Life, the Lord’s Brief Vision, and the Power of Kīrtana
दिदृक्षुस्तदहं भूय: प्रणिधाय मनो हृदि । वीक्षमाणोऽपि नापश्यमवितृप्त इवातुर: ॥ १९ ॥
didṛkṣus tad ahaṁ bhūyaḥ praṇidhāya mano hṛdi vīkṣamāṇo ’pi nāpaśyam avitṛpta ivāturaḥ
ആ ദിവ്യരൂപം വീണ്ടും കാണാൻ ഞാൻ ആഗ്രഹിച്ചു. ഹൃദയത്തിൽ മനസ്സിനെ ഏകാഗ്രമാക്കി ആകാംക്ഷയോടെ നോക്കിയിട്ടും അവനെ വീണ്ടും കണ്ടില്ല; അതിനാൽ തൃപ്തിയില്ലാതെ ഞാൻ അത്യന്തം വ്യഥിതനായി।
There is no mechanical process to see the form of the Lord. It completely depends on the causeless mercy of the Lord. We cannot demand the Lord to be present before our vision, just as we cannot demand the sun to rise whenever we like. The sun rises out of his own accord; so also the Lord is pleased to be present out of His causeless mercy. One should simply await the opportune moment and go on discharging his prescribed duty in devotional service of the Lord. Nārada Muni thought that the Lord could be seen again by the same mechanical process which was successful in the first attempt, but in spite of his utmost endeavor he could not make the second attempt successful. The Lord is completely independent of all obligations. He can simply be bound up by the tie of unalloyed devotion. Nor is He visible or perceivable by our material senses. When He pleases, being satisfied with the sincere attempt of devotional service depending completely on the mercy of the Lord, then He may be seen out of His own accord.
FAQs
This verse shows that a devotee may intensely desire the Lord’s darśana, yet even after deep inner concentration, the Lord may not appear—creating a sacred longing that deepens devotion.
In Nārada’s narrative, the Lord revealed Himself once and then withdrew; Nārada’s continued meditation did not immediately restore the vision, emphasizing that divine revelation occurs by the Lord’s will and increases the devotee’s eagerness and purity.
Keep steady devotional practice even when spiritual experiences feel absent—use that “unsatisfied longing” to intensify sincerity, attention in meditation, and dependence on God rather than on fleeting feelings.