Devanagari
कथा इमास्ते कथिता महीयसां
विताय लोकेषु यश: परेयुषाम् ।
विज्ञानवैराग्यविवक्षया विभो
वचोविभूतीर्न तु पारमार्थ्यम् ॥ १४ ॥
Verse text
kathā imās te kathitā mahīyasāṁ
vitāya lokeṣu yaśaḥ pareyuṣām
vijṣāna-vairāgya-vivakṣayā vibho
vaco-vibhūtīr na tu pāramārthyam
Synonyms
kathāḥ
—
the narrations
;
imāḥ
—
these
;
te
—
unto you
;
kathitāḥ
—
have been spoken
;
mahīyasām
—
of great kings
;
vitāya
—
spreading
;
lokeṣu
—
throughout all the worlds
;
yaśaḥ
—
their fame
;
pareyuṣām
—
who have departed
;
vijṣāna
—
transcendental knowledge
;
vairāgya
—
and renunciation
;
vivakṣayā
—
with the desire for teaching
;
vibho
—
O mighty Parīkṣit
;
vacaḥ
—
of words
;
vibhūtīḥ
—
the decoration
;
na
—
not
;
tu
—
but
;
pārama
—
arthyam — of the most essential purport .
Translation
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O mighty Parīkṣit, I have related to you the narrations of all these great kings, who spread their fame throughout the world and then departed. My real purpose was to teach transcendental knowledge and renunciation. Stories of kings lend power and opulence to these narrations but do not in themselves constitute the ultimate aspect of knowledge.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
O mighty Parīkṣit! I have related to you the narrations of all these great devotees who attained the Lord, who spread their fame throughout the world, with a desire to speak about their renunciation and their realization of the Lord. I have not spoken to show the power of words, but to give you the highest spiritual knowledge.
The purpose of telling about the dynasties of kings is here explained. What was the purpose of telling about great devotees like Priyavrata who attained (īyusām) the Lord (para)? The listener should learn about the activities of these devotees, since I had a desire to speak about their realization of the Lord and their renunciation. O great one (vibho)! You will also be like them. I have spoken, not to show the power of words, but for you to gain the highest spiritual knowledge.
Purport
Since all the narrations of
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
bring the reader to the perfection of transcendental knowledge, they all give supreme spiritual lessons though apparently dealing with kings or other mundane subject matter. In relation with Kṛṣṇa, all ordinary topics become transcendental narrations, with the power to bring the reader to the perfection of life.