Devanagari
यथा धर्मादयश्चार्था मुनिवर्यानुकीर्तिता: ।
न तथा वासुदेवस्य महिमा ह्यनुवर्णित: ॥ ९ ॥
Verse text
yathā dharmādayaś cārthā
muni-varyānukīrtitāḥ
na tathā vāsudevasya
mahimā hy anuvarṇitaḥ
Synonyms
yathā
—
as much as
;
dharma
—
ādayaḥ — all four principles of religious behavior
;
ca
—
and
;
arthāḥ
—
purposes
;
muni
—
varya — by yourself, the great sage
;
anukīrtitāḥ
—
repeatedly described
;
na
—
not
;
tathā
—
in that way
;
vāsudevasya
—
of the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa
;
mahimā
—
glories
;
hi
—
certainly
;
anuvarṇitaḥ
—
so constantly described .
Translation
Although, great sage, you have very broadly described the four principles beginning with religious performances, you have not described the glories of the Supreme Personality, Vāsudeva.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
O venerable sage! You have not repeatedly described the glories of Vāsudeva Kṛṣṇa to the extent that you have glorified dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa.
Purport
The prompt diagnosis of Śrī Nārada is at once declared. The root cause of the despondency of Vyāsadeva was his deliberate avoidance of glorifying the Lord in his various editions of the
Purāṇas.
He has certainly, as a matter of course, given descriptions of the glories of the Lord (Śrī Kṛṣṇa), but not as many as given to religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and salvation. These four items are by far inferior to engagement in the devotional service of the Lord. Śrī Vyāsadeva, as the authorized scholar, knew very well this difference. And still, instead of giving more importance to the better type of engagement, namely devotional service to the Lord, he had more or less improperly used his valuable time, and thus he was despondent. From this it is clearly indicated that no one can be pleased substantially without being engaged in the devotional service of the Lord. In the
Bhagavad-gītā
this fact is clearly mentioned.
After liberation, which is the last item in the line of performing religiosity, etc., one is engaged in pure devotional service. This is called the stage of self-realization, or the
brahma-bhūta
stage. After attainment of this
brahma-bhūta
stage, one is satisfied. But satisfaction is the beginning of transcendental bliss. One should progress by attaining neutrality and equality in the relative world. And passing this stage of equanimity, one is fixed in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. This is the instruction of the Personality of Godhead in the
Bhagavad-gītā.
The conclusion is that in order to maintain the status quo of the
brahma-bhūta
stage, as also to increase the degree of transcendental realization, Nārada recommended to Vyāsadeva that he (Vyāsadeva) should now eagerly and repeatedly describe the path of devotional service. This would cure him from gross despondency.
Commentary (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
“But I have described the wonderful qualities and pastimes of Kṛṣṇa in the Padma Purāṇa and others as well.”
The word ca here means “though.” You have not described the glories of Vāsudeva as much as you have described artha, dharma, kāma and mokṣa as the goals of human life (arthā) even though they are much inferior to the glories of Vāsudeva. Though Vāsudeva is the crest jewel of human goals, you have not described him as the goal of human endeavor. Though you have described the glories of Kṛṣṇa abundantly in many places, they have been described only as a means of getting mokṣa. How can you mind be satisfied when there is a lack of regard for that which should have been given the most regard?
“But I have described bhakti to be higher than liberation in many places in other scriptures.
anyatra puṇya-tīrtheṣu muktir eva mahā-phalam |
muktaiḥ prārthyā harer bhaktir mathurāyāṁ ca labhyata
Liberation is the highest goal in visiting other holy places, but devotion to the Lord, prayed for by the liberated souls, can be obtained at Mathurā. Padma Purāṇa
brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati |
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām ||
One who attains brahman, equal to all living entities, does not lament or desire. He then attains pure devotion to me. BG 18.54”
“But you have not done so repeatedly (na anuvarṇitaḥ). You must do so, because it is said that the meaning of scriptures is revealed by repetition as in ānandamayo ’bhyāsāt: the ānandamaya-puruṣa is the supreme lord because of repetition of words to indicate this (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.13). Your mind will be satisfied only when you describe very clearly with repetition the glories of the Lord, since those glories alone are finally the most excellent.”