Devanagari
परिनिष्ठितोऽपि नैर्गुण्य उत्तमश्लोकलीलया ।
गृहीतचेता राजर्षे आख्यानं यदधीतवान् ॥ ९ ॥
Verse text
pariniṣṭhito ’pi nairguṇya
uttama-śloka-līlayā
gṛhīta-cetā rājarṣe
ākhyānaṁ yad adhītavān
Synonyms
pariniṣṭhitaḥ
—
fully realized
;
api
—
in spite of
;
nairguṇye
—
in transcendence
;
uttama
—
enlightened
;
śloka
—
verse
;
līlayā
—
by the pastimes
;
gṛhīta
—
being attracted
;
cetāḥ
—
attention
;
rājarṣe
—
O saintly King
;
ākhyānam
—
delineation
;
yat
—
that
;
adhītavān
—
I have studied .
Translation
O saintly King, I was certainly situated perfectly in transcendence, yet I was still attracted by the delineation of the pastimes of the Lord, who is described by enlightened verses.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Though I was fixed in brahman and beyond the guṇas, my mind became attracted to the pastimes of the Lord. I thus learned about his pastimes. I will tell them to you. You are a great personality, who, among the faithful, will quickly fix your pure mind on Kṛṣṇa.
Purport
The Absolute Truth is realized at the first instance as the impersonal Brahman by philosophical speculation and later as the Supersoul by further progress of transcendental knowledge. But if, by the grace of the Lord, an impersonalist is enlightened by the superior statements of
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
he is also converted into a transcendental devotee of the Personality of Godhead. With a poor fund of knowledge, we cannot adjust to the idea of the personality of the Absolute Truth, and therefore the personal activities of the Lord are deplored by the less intelligent impersonalists; but reasons and arguments, together with the transcendental process of approaching the Absolute Truth, help even the staunch impersonalist to become attracted by the personal activities of the Lord. A person like Śukadeva Gosvāmī cannot be attracted by any mundane activity, but when such a devotee is convinced by a superior method, he is certainly attracted by the transcendental activities of the Lord. The Lord is transcendental, as are His activities. He is neither inactive nor impersonal.
Commentary (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
“You are very famous. From birth you had realized brahman and left the house to walk the world. You did not even learn from your father who was pursuing you. How then can you say this now?” This verse explains. “Though I was fixed in the brahman, my mind became attracted (gṛhīta-cetā) to the pastimes of the Lord. I am the proof that the pastimes of the Lord are sweeter than the realization of brahman.” “I should also attain this rare thing. I desire that you should make me taste it from head to foot.” Seeing this eagerness in Parīkṣit, Śukadeva speaks. “You are a person who should attain Kṛṣṇa who is the mahā-puruṣa (mahā-pauruṣikaḥ).” Or it can simply mean mahā-puruṣa following the words like vinaya which becomes vainayika without changing the meaning. (Pāṇini 5.4.34) This is the Bhāgavatam, having faith in which (yasya), the pure mind will quickly be fixed in the Lord (mukunde matiḥ satī). Or you are a great personality, whose mind, when it has faith, will be fixed on the Lord. It should be understood that the Bhāgavatam was heard from the first verse starting with janmādy asya to the last verse ending with viṣṇu-rātam amūmucat. Thus, though Sūta spoke the verses of the first and twelfth cantos, the following statement is completely acceptable: "O Ambarīśa! Please hear continually the Bhāgavatam spoken by Śukadeva." (Padma Purāṇa). [Note: Śukadeva begins speaking in the Second Canto and finishes with the Fifth Chapter of the Twelfth Canto. Sūta speaks the First Canto and the remainder of the Twelfth Canto. ]