SB 1.5.11 (1962)

SB (1962) Fifth Chapter - Sri Narada's instructions on Srimad Bhagwatam for Vyasdeva

SB 1.5.10 (1962) - SB 1.5.12 (1962)

Compare Versions: SB 1962 with SB 1972-77

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

TEXT No. 11

Tad baga visarga janata agha viplavbo Yasmin pratislokam abaddha vatyapi Namani anantasya jasho ankitani yat Srinnwanti gayanti grinanti sadhabah

ENGLISH SYNONYMS

Tad—that, Baga—vocabulary, Visarga—creation, Janata—the people in general, Agha—sins, Viplavbo—revolutionary, Yasmin—in which, Pratislokam—each and every stanza, Abaddhabat—irregularly composed, Api—inspite of, Namani—transcendental names etc, Anantasya—of the unlimited Lord, Jasho—glories, Ankitani—depicted, Yat—what, Shrinnwanti—do hear, Gayanti—do sing, Grinanti—do accept, Sadhabah—the purified honest.

TRANSLATION

On the other hand the literature which is full with description of transcendental glories of the Name, Fame, Forms, Pastimes etc. of the Unlimited supreme Lord,—is a different creation of transcendental vocabulary all meant for bringing about a revolution in the impious life of a misdirected civilization of the world. Such transcendental literatures even though irregularly composed, is heard, sung and accepted by the purified men who are thoroughly honest.

PURPORT

It is a part of qualification of the great thinkers to pick up best even from the worst. It is said that intelligent man should pick up nectar from the stock of poison, he should accept gold even from the filthy place, he should accept a good and qualified wife even from the obscure family and he should accept good lesson from a man or from a teacher who may come from the untouchables. These are some of the ethical instructions for everyone in every place without any exception. But a saint is far above the level of an ordinary man and he is always absorbed in the business of glorifiying the Supreme Lord because by broadcasting the holy name, fame of the Supreme Lord, the poluted atmosphere of the world will have a change of heart of the people in general and as a result of such propaganda through the transcendental literatures like Srimad Bhagwatam people will become sane in their transactions honestly and diligently. While preparing this commentation on this particular stanza of Srimad Bhagwatam we have a crisis before us that our neighbouring friend China has attacked the border of India in a millitant spirit. We have practically no business in the political field and yet we study a situation that in old age there were both China and India and they lived peacefully for centuries without any ill feeling between them. The reason is that they lived in those days in an atmosphere of God-consciousness and therefore every country, over the surface of the world, was God fearing pure hearted simple populace and there was no question of political diplomacy for nothing. Practically there is no cause of quarrel between the two countries of China and India on the issue of a land which is not very suitable for habitation and reasonably there is no cause of fighting on this issue. But due to the age of quarrel Kali which we have discussed in these pages of Srimad Bhagwatam, there is always a chance of quarrel on slight provocation. This is due not to the issue at question, but it is due to the poluted atmosphere of this age when systematically there is propaganda, by a section of people, to stop glorification of the Name and Fame of the Supreme Lord. Therefore, there is great need of disseminating the message of Srimad Bhagwatam all over the world. It is the duty of every responsible Indian to broadcast the transcendental message of Srimad Bhagwatam throughout the world to do them the supermost good as well as to bring about the desired peace in the world. Because India has failed in her duty by neglecting this responsible work there is so much quarrel and trouble all over the world. We are confident if the transcendental messages of Srimad Bhagwatam is received only by the leading men of the world, certainly there will be a change of heart and naturally the people in general will follow them. The mass of people in general are so to say tools in the hands of the modern politicians and leaders of the people. If there is a change of heart of the leaders only, certainly there will be a radical change in the atmosphere of the world siuation. We know that in our honest attempt for presenting this great literature conveying the transcendental message for reviving God-consciousness of the people in general, as a matter of re-spiritualisation of the world atmosphere,—is fret with many difficulties. Regard being had to the facts that our capacity of presenting the matter in adequate language, specially a foreign language, will certainly fail and there may be so many literary discrepancies inspite of our honest attempt to present it in the proper way. But we are sure that with our all faults in this connection the seriousness of the subject matter will be taken into consideration and the leaders of the society will still accept this on account of its being an honest attempt for glorifying the Almighty Great so much now badly needed. When there is fire in the house, the inmates of the house go out for help from the neighbours who may be foreigners to such inmates and yet without any adequate language the victims of the fire express themselves and the neighbours understand the need even though not expressed in adequate language. The same spirit of co-operation is needed in the matter of broadcasting this transcendental message of the Srimad Bhagwatam throughout the whole poluted atmosphere of the present day world situation. After all it is a technical science of spiritual values and as such we are concerned with the techniques and not with the language. If the techniques of this great literature are understood by the people of the world, there is the success.

When there is too much materialistic activities by the people in general all over the world there is nothing to be astonished if a person or a nation attacks another person or nation on slight provocation. That is the rule of this age of Kali or quarrel. The atmosphere is already poluted with corruption of all description and everyone knows it well than we can describe herewith. There are so many unwanted literatures full of materialistic ideas of sense gratification. In many countries there are census-body appointed by the state to detect obscene literatures. This means both the Government, and the saner section of public do not want that such unwanted literatures should it be publised but still they are in the market place because the people want it for sense gratification. The people in general want to read that is a natural instinct but because their mind is poluted they want such literatures. Under the circumstances transcendental literatures like Srimad Bhagwatam will not only diminish activities of the corrupted mind of the people in general but also it wlll supply food for their hankering after reading some interesting literature. In the beginning they may not like it because in the diseased condition suffering from jaundice one is reluctant to take sugar-candy but we must know it that Sugar candy is the only remedy for the jaundice disease. Similarly let there be a systematic propaganda for popularising reading of the Bhagwat Geeta and the Srimad Bhagwatam which will act like the sugar-candy in the Jaundice-like diseased condition of sense gratification. When they have taste for this literature the other literatures which are catering poison in the society will then automatically cease; because they will cease to read them on account of transcendental literature like Srimad Bhagwatam being available for reading propensity.

We are sure, therefore, that everyone in the human society will welcome Srimad Bhagwatam eventhough it is now presented with so many faulty and broken linguistic technicalities, because it is recommended by such an authorised personality as Sri Narada who has very kindly appeared from this chapter.

(Compare SB 1.5.11 Current Edition)

SB 1.5.10 (1962) - SB 1.5.12 (1962)