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Shloka 23

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

सत्सेवयादीर्घयापि जाता मयि द‍ृढा मति: । हित्वावद्यमिमं लोकं गन्ता मज्जनतामसि ॥ २३ ॥

sat-sevayādīrghayāpi jātā mayi dṛḍhā matiḥ hitvāvadyam imaṁ lokaṁ gantā maj-janatām asi

പരമസത്യത്തിന്റെ സേവനത്തിലൂടെ, കുറച്ച് ദിവസങ്ങൾക്കുള്ളിലും എനിക്കുള്ള ദൃഢവും സ്ഥിരവുമായ ബുദ്ധി ഉദിക്കുന്നു. അപ്പോൾ ഈ നിന്ദ്യമായ ഭൗതിക ലോകം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് എന്റെ ദിവ്യലോകത്തിൽ ചെന്നു എന്റെ പാർഷദനാകുന്നു।

सत्सेवयाby service to the good
सत्सेवया:
करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootसत् (प्रातिपदिक) + सेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सतां सेवा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन (Instr sg)
दीर्घयाlong (continued)
दीर्घया:
विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
TypeAdjective
Rootदीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying sevayā): ‘long (continued)’
अपिeven
अपि:
निपात (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, निपात (particle): ‘even/also’
जाताarose
जाता:
क्रिया-विशेषण/विधेय (Predicative)
TypeVerb
Rootजन् (धातु) + त (कृत्)
Formकृदन्त (past participle/भूतकृदन्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘arisen/produced’ (agreeing with matiḥ)
मयिin me
मयि:
अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसप्तमी एकवचन (Loc sg)
दृढाfirm
दृढा:
विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
TypeAdjective
Rootदृढ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying matiḥ)
मतिःunderstanding / devotion
मतिः:
कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootमति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg)
हित्वाhaving abandoned
हित्वा:
पूर्वकाल क्रिया (Pūrvakāla-kriyā/Absolutive)
TypeVerb
Rootहा (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having abandoned’
अवद्यम्blameworthy
अवद्यम्:
विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
TypeAdjective
Rootअवद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying lokam): ‘blameworthy’
इमम्this
इमम्:
विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
TypeAdjective
Rootइदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषण (this)
लोकम्world
लोकम्:
कर्म (Karma/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootलोक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc sg)
गन्ताwill go
गन्ता:
क्रिया (Kriyā/Predicative verb)
TypeVerb
Rootगम् (धातु)
Formकृदन्त (लृट्-अर्थे तृन्/agent noun used as future periphrastic sense), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘will go / is to go’
मत्my
मत्:
सम्बन्ध (Sambandha)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी एकवचन (Gen sg) रूप ‘of me/my’ (in compound)
जनताम्people / company
जनताम्:
कर्म (Karma/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootजनता (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc sg)
असिyou are
असि:
क्रिया (Kriyā)
TypeVerb
Rootअस् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘you are’ (periphrastic future construction with gantā)

Serving the Absolute Truth means rendering service unto the Absolute Personality of Godhead under the direction of the bona fide spiritual master, who is a transparent medium between the Lord and the neophyte devotee. The neophyte devotee has no ability to approach the Absolute Personality of Godhead by the strength of his present imperfect material senses, and therefore under the direction of the spiritual master he is trained in transcendental service of the Lord. And by such training, even for some days, the neophyte devotee gets intelligence in such transcendental service, which leads him ultimately to get free from perpetual inhabitation in the material worlds and to be promoted to the transcendental world to become one of the liberated associates of the Lord in the kingdom of God.

N
Nārada
V
Viṣṇu

FAQs

This verse states that long service to saintly devotees produces firm devotion to the Lord, strong enough to renounce the blameworthy material world and attain the Lord’s own association.

After Nārada described his childhood service to devotees and his growing bhakti, the Lord affirms that this saintly service has matured into unwavering devotion and assures him of the devotee’s ultimate destination—joining the Lord’s own devotees.

Seek regular association with genuine devotees, serve them in practical ways, and let that service shape your values—gradually weakening material attachments and strengthening steady devotion to God.