Shloka 1
Nārada’s Past Life, the Lord’s Brief Vision, and the Power of Kīrtana
सूत उवाच एवं निशम्य भगवान्देवर्षेर्जन्म कर्म च । भूय: पप्रच्छ तं ब्रह्मन् व्यास: सत्यवतीसुत: ॥ १ ॥
sūta uvāca evaṁ niśamya bhagavān devarṣer janma karma ca bhūyaḥ papraccha taṁ brahman vyāsaḥ satyavatī-sutaḥ
Sūta berkata: Wahai para brāhmaṇa, setelah mendengar kelahiran dan perbuatan Śrī Nārada, Vyāsadeva—putera Satyavatī, jelmaan Tuhan—bertanya kepadanya sekali lagi seperti berikut.
Vyāsadeva was further inquisitive to know about the perfection of Nāradajī, and therefore he wanted to know about him more and more. In this chapter Nāradajī will describe how he was able to have a brief audience with the Lord while he was absorbed in the transcendental thought of separation from the Lord and when it was very painful for him.
FAQs
It introduces that after hearing about Devarṣi Nārada’s birth and deeds, Vyāsa asks Nārada further questions—setting up Nārada’s key teachings on bhakti.
Because Nārada’s life and realization are exemplary; Vyāsa seeks deeper guidance to understand devotion and the proper way to present spiritual truth for the welfare of all.
It emphasizes the value of attentive hearing and then sincere inquiry from realized teachers—learning through śravaṇa (hearing) and praśna (questions) with humility.