Devanagari
श्रीशुक उवाच
गोविन्दभुजगुप्तायां द्वारवत्यां कुरूद्वह ।
अवात्सीन्नारदोऽभीक्ष्णं कृष्णोपासनलालस: ॥ १ ॥
Verse text
śrī-śuka uvāca
govinda-bhuja-guptāyāṁ
dvāravatyāṁ kurūdvaha
avātsīn nārado ’bhīkṣṇaṁ
kṛṣṇopāsana-lālasaḥ
Synonyms
śrī
—
śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śuka said
;
govinda
—
of Lord Govinda
;
bhuja
—
by the arms
;
guptāyām
—
protected
;
dvāravatyām
—
in the capital Dvāravatī
;
kuru
—
udvaha — O best of the Kurus
;
avātsīt
—
dwelled
;
nāradaḥ
—
Nārada Muni
;
abhīkṣṇam
—
constantly
;
kṛṣṇa
—
upāsana — to engage in the worship of Kṛṣṇa
;
lālasaḥ
—
who had great eagerness .
Translation
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Eager to engage in the worship of Lord Kṛṣṇa, O best of the Kurus, Nārada Muni stayed for some time in Dvārakā, which was always protected by the arms of Govinda.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O best of the Kurus! Eager to engage in the worship of Kṛṣṇa, Nārada Muni stayed constantly in Dvārakā, which was always protected by the arms of Govinda.
In the Second Chapter Vasudeva asks Nārada questions. In response to King Nimi’s question, Kavi and Havi speak about Vaiṣṇava principles.
Nārada stayed in Dvārakā constantly. By the influence of Kṛṣṇa, it could not be influenced by the curse of Dakṣa, and thus Nārada could remain there, though he had been cursed by Dakṣa to travel continuously.
Purport
In the Second Chapter of this canto,
bhāgavata-dharma,
or pure devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, is explained by Nārada Muni to Vasudeva, who had inquired with devotion. Nārada Muni cites a conversation between King Nimi and the Jāyanteyas. According to Jīva Gosvāmī, the word
abhīkṣṇam
indicates that although Nārada Muni was frequently sent by Lord Kṛṣṇa here and there for various pastimes, such as inquiring about the affairs of the world, Nārada continuously returned to reside in Dvārakā. The word
kṛṣṇopāsana-lālasaḥ
indicates that Nārada was very eager to be near Kṛṣṇa and worship Him. Because of the curse of Dakṣa, Nārada is never allowed to live continuously in one place. Śrīdhara Svāmī, however, has pointed out,
na tasyāṁ śāpādeḥ prabhāvaḥ:
in Dvārakā there is no influence of curses or other such evils, because Dvārakā is the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is always protected by His arms, as shown by the word
govinda-bhuja-guptāyām.
The conditioned souls are struggling within the kingdom of
māyā
against the cruel laws of material nature, such as birth, death, old age and disease, but if such conditioned souls have the good fortune to enter the city of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whether Dvārakā, Mathurā or Vṛndāvana, and live there under the direct protection of the omnipotent arms of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, they will experience the unlimited transcendental bliss of real life, which is eternal and which is meant to be lived in the personal company of God.