Devanagari
विस्तरेणात्मनो योगं विभूतिं च जनार्दन ।
भूय: कथय तृप्तिर्हि शृण्वतो नास्ति मेऽमृतम् ॥ १८ ॥
Verse text
vistareṇātmano yogaṁ
vibhūtiṁ ca janārdana
bhūyaḥ kathaya tṛptir hi
śṛṇvato nāsti me ’mṛtam
Synonyms
vistareṇa
—
in detail
;
ātmanaḥ
—
Your
;
yogam
—
mystic power
;
vibhūtim
—
opulences
;
ca
—
also
;
jana-ardana
—
O killer of the atheists
;
bhūyaḥ
—
again
;
kathaya
—
describe
;
tṛptiḥ
—
satisfaction
;
hi
—
certainly
;
śṛṇvataḥ
—
hearing
;
na asti
—
there is not
;
me
—
my
;
amṛtam
—
nectar.
Translation
O Janārdana, again please describe in detail the mystic power of Your opulences. I am never satiated in hearing about You, for the more I hear the more I want to taste the nectar of Your words.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
18. O Janārdana, please tell me again in detail about Your vibhūtis and Your bhakti-yoga. Hearing Your nectar, I have no satiation.
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
18. O Janārdana, please tell me again in detail about Your vibhūtis and Your bhakti yoga. Hearing Your nectar, I have no satiation.
Purport
A similar statement was made to Sūta Gosvāmī by the ṛṣis of Naimiṣāraṇya, headed by Śaunaka. That statement is:
vayaṁ tu na vitṛpyāma uttama-śloka-vikrame yac chṛṇvatāṁ rasa-jṣānāṁ svādu svādu pade pade
“One can never be satiated even though one continuously hears the transcendental pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, who is glorified by excellent prayers. Those who have entered into a transcendental relationship with Kṛṣṇa relish at every step the descriptions of the pastimes of the Lord.” ( Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.1.19 ) Thus Arjuna is interested in hearing about Kṛṣṇa, and specifically how He remains as the all-pervading Supreme Lord.
Now as far as amṛtam, nectar, is concerned, any narration or statement concerning Kṛṣṇa is just like nectar. And this nectar can be perceived by practical experience. Modern stories, fiction and histories are different from the transcendental pastimes of the Lord in that one will tire of hearing mundane stories but one never tires of hearing about Kṛṣṇa. It is for this reason only that the history of the whole universe is replete with references to the pastimes of the incarnations of Godhead. The Purāṇas are histories of bygone ages that relate the pastimes of the various incarnations of the Lord. In this way the reading matter remains forever fresh, despite repeated readings.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
“I have already said that I am the source of everything and everything moves because of Me: ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ. Therefore you should understand that everything is My vibhūti. And by saying, “Knowing this, they worship Me” (iti matvā bhajante mām) I have indicated bhakti-yoga.”
“But speak in detail about Your vibhūtis and about bhakti. O Janārdana, in people such as me (jana), by the sweetness of Your beneficial instructions, you create longing. You make us agitated (ardana), and You make us beg. What can we do? For me, hearing nectar in the form of Your instructions, relishing through a tongue in the form of my ear, there is no satiation.”
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
“But I have already told many times about My auspicious qualities, such as not being born, with ajo’pi sann (BG 4.6) and about my vibhūtis as in raso’ham (BG 7.8). Why are you asking again?”
“Speak in detail (vistarena) about your qualities and vibhūtis.”
The meaning of the line is clear. The meaning of Janārdana is as previously explained. [Note: Chapter three, verse one. Janārdana is there explained as the person from whom people who are distressed ask relief.]
“Hearing nectar (of your words), tasting through the tongue of the ear, I have not been satisfied.” Omitting the phrase “your words” in the comparison (your words like nectar) is the literary device called apahnuti, statement of denial. Or the omission can be the first type of atiśayokti, extreme expression, hyperbole, by omitting the subject of comparison (your words which are like nectar). Or it can be a combination of both used as a literary ornament.
Surrender Unto Me
Viswanatha C. Thakura has described: "This sounds so funny, for the more I hear, the more I want to taste the nectar of Your words." Krsna points out: "with your hears are you tasting?" And Arjuna replies: "my ears had become like tongue, the agent of tasting the nectar of Your words!"
Now Krsna begins His descriptions of His opulences.
[D. KRSNA'S OPULENCES (10. 19‑42)
1. In response to Arjuna's request, Krsna replies that He'll explain the most prominent among His limitless, all‑pervading opulences. (19) ]