SB 4.29.13 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

प्रवृत्तं च निवृत्तं च शास्त्रं पञ्चालसंज्ञितम् । पितृयानं देवयानं श्रोत्राच्छ्रुतधराद्‌व्रजेत् ॥ १३ ॥

Verse text

pravṛttaṁ ca nivṛttaṁ ca śāstraṁ paṣcāla-saṁjṣitam pitṛ-yānaṁ deva-yānaṁ śrotrāc chruta-dharād vrajet

Synonyms

pravṛttam — the process of sense enjoyment ; ca — also ; nivṛttam — the process of detachment ; ca — also ; śāstram — scripture ; paṣcāla — Paṣcāla ; saṁjṣitam — is described as ; pitṛ — yānam — going to Pitṛloka ; deva — yānam — going to Devaloka ; śrotrāt — by hearing ; śruta — dharāt — by the companion named Śrutadhara ; vrajet — one can be elevated .

Translation

Nārada Muni continued: The city spoken of as Dakṣiṇa-paṣcāla represents the scriptures meant for directing pravṛtti, the process of sense enjoyment in fruitive activities. The other city, named Uttara-paṣcāla, represents the scriptures meant for decreasing fruitive activities and increasing knowledge. The living entity receives different kinds of knowledge by means of two ears, and some living entities are promoted to Pitṛloka and some to Devaloka. All this is made possible by the two ears.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

With the sense organ called the ear, the jīva hears scriptures encouraging enjoyment leading to Pitṛloka (Dakṣaina-paṣcāla) by the left ear, and he hears scriptures for liberation (Uttara-pāṣcāla) by the right ear. Śruti-dharaḥ refers to the ear.

Purport

The Vedas are known as śruti, and the knowledge received from them through aural reception is called śruta-dhara. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, one can be promoted to the planets of the demigods or to the planets of the Pitās (forefathers), or even to the Vaikuṇṭha planets, simply through the process of hearing. These things have already been explained in previous chapters.