Shloka 27
Nārada’s Instruction to Vyāsa: The Defect of Bhakti-less Literature and the Mandate of Kṛṣṇa-kathā
तस्मिंस्तदा लब्धरुचेर्महामते प्रियश्रवस्यस्खलिता मतिर्मम । ययाहमेतत्सदसत्स्वमायया पश्ये मयि ब्रह्मणि कल्पितं परे ॥ २७ ॥
tasmiṁs tadā labdha-rucer mahā-mate priyaśravasy askhalitā matir mama yayāham etat sad-asat sva-māyayā paśye mayi brahmaṇi kalpitaṁ pare
โอมหามุนี ครั้นข้าพเจ้าได้ลิ้มรสศรัทธาต่อพระภควานแล้ว ใจที่ฟังพระกถาของพระองค์ก็มั่นคงไม่หวั่นไหว เมื่อรสนั้นเจริญขึ้น ข้าพเจ้ารู้ว่าเพราะอวิชชาจึงยอมรับเครื่องหุ้มทั้งหยาบและละเอียด ทั้งที่ข้าพเจ้าและพระภควานผู้เป็นปรพรหมนั้นอยู่เหนือวัตถุ
Ignorance in material existence is compared to darkness, and in all Vedic literatures the Personality of Godhead is compared to the sun. Wherever there is light there cannot be darkness. Hearing of the Lord’s pastimes is itself transcendental association with the Lord because there is no difference between the Lord and His transcendental pastimes. To become associated with the supreme light is to dissipate all ignorance. By ignorance only, the conditioned soul wrongly thinks that both he and the Lord are products of material nature. But in fact the Personality of Godhead and the living beings are transcendental, and they have nothing to do with the material nature. When ignorance is removed and it is perfectly realized that there is nothing existing without the Personality of Godhead, then nescience is removed. Since the gross and subtle bodies are emanations from the Personality of Godhead, the knowledge of light permits one to engage both of them in the service of the Lord. The gross body should be engaged in acts of rendering service to the Lord (as in bringing water, cleansing the temple or making obeisances, etc.). The path of arcanā, or worshiping the Lord in the temple, involves engaging one’s gross body in the service of the Lord. Similarly, the subtle mind should be engaged in hearing the transcendental pastimes of the Lord, thinking about them, chanting His name, etc. All such activities are transcendental. None of the gross or subtle senses should otherwise be engaged. Such realization of transcendental activities is made possible by many, many years of apprenticeship in the devotional service, but simply attraction of love for the Personality of Godhead, as it was developed in Nārada Muni, by hearing, is highly effective.
FAQs
This verse says that when one develops real taste for hearing the Lord’s beloved glories, the mind becomes steady, and one can perceive the world of sat-asat as a superimposition created by the Lord’s māyā upon the Supreme reality.
Nārada is explaining his own transformation: devotion awakened through hearing, which stabilized his intelligence and gave him clear vision of māyā—guiding Vyāsa to compile Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as the pure remedy for spiritual dissatisfaction.
Cultivate consistent hearing of authentic Bhagavatam/Kṛṣṇa-kathā; as taste grows, mental distraction reduces, and you begin to relate to worldly ups and downs as temporary māyā rather than your ultimate identity or shelter.