Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 20
Kapila’s Advent: Brahmā’s Confirmation, the Marriage of the Nine Daughters, and Kardama’s Renunciation
मैत्रेय उवाच तावाश्वास्य जगत्स्रष्टा कुमारै: सहनारद: । हंसो हंसेन यानेन त्रिधामपरमं ययौ ॥ २० ॥
maitreya uvāca tāv āśvāsya jagat-sraṣṭā kumāraiḥ saha-nāradaḥ haṁso haṁsena yānena tri-dhāma-paramaṁ yayau
圣者迈特雷亚说：如此安慰迦尔达摩牟尼与提婆呼蒂之后，宇宙的创造者梵天——亦名“哈姆萨”——与四位库玛罗及那罗陀同乘天鹅座驾，返回三界中至高的居处。
The words haṁsena yānena are very significant here. Haṁsa-yāna, the airplane by which Brahmā travels all over outer space, resembles a swan. Brahmā is also known as Haṁsa because he can grasp the essence of everything. His abode is called tri-dhāma-paramam. There are three divisions of the universe — the upper planetary system, the middle planetary system and the lower planetary system — but his abode is above even Siddhaloka, the upper planetary system. He returned to his own planet with the four Kumāras and Nārada because they were not going to be married. The other ṛṣis who came with him, such as Marīci and Atri, remained there because they were to be married to the daughters of Kardama, but his other sons — Sanat, Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanātana and Nārada — went back with him in his swan-shaped airplane. The four Kumāras and Nārada are naiṣṭhika-brahmacārīs. Naiṣṭhika-brahmacārī refers to one who never wastes his semen at any time. They were not to attend the marriage ceremony of their other brothers, Marīci and the other sages, and therefore they went back with their father, Haṁsa.
FAQs
In this verse, ‘haṁsa’ indicates a supremely pure, liberated saint—one who moves in transcendence and is not entangled by worldly dualities, thus fit to travel to the highest spiritual abode.
The narrative shows Nārada fulfilling his role as a divine teacher: he reassures and guides exalted sages (the Kumāras) and then departs to continue his service of awakening devotion across the worlds.
Serve like Nārada—offer encouragement and spiritual direction without attachment to recognition—then continue steady devotional practice aimed at the highest goal: remembrance of the Lord and return to His abode.