Devanagari
उपविष्टं दर्भमय्यां बृस्यां ब्रह्म सनातनम् ।
नारदाय प्रवोचन्तं पृच्छते शृण्वतां सताम् ॥ ३७ ॥
Verse text
upaviṣṭaṁ darbhamayyāṁ
bṛsyāṁ brahma sanātanam
nāradāya pravocantaṁ
pṛcchate śṛṇvatāṁ satām
Synonyms
upaviṣṭam
—
seated
;
darbha
—
mayyām — made of darbha, straw
;
bṛsyām
—
on a mattress
;
brahma
—
the Absolute Truth
;
sanātanam
—
the eternal
;
nāradāya
—
unto Nārada
;
pravocantam
—
speaking
;
pṛcchate
—
asking
;
śṛṇvatām
—
listening
;
satām
—
of the great sages .
Translation
He was seated on a straw mattress and speaking to all present, including the great sage Nārada, to whom he specifically spoke about the Absolute Truth.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Śiva was seated on a kuśa mat among listening sages, and was speaking to Nārada who was asking about the eternal Vedas.
He was sitting on a mat used by ascetics (bṛsyām). Brahma means Vedas. Previously it was mentioned that Sanaka and others were worshipping Śiva. They were present, but Nārada was the best among them because of his bhakti. It should be understood that the main topic of the Vedas they were discussing was bhakti.
Purport
The lord was sitting on a mattress of straw because such a sitting place is accepted by persons who are practicing austerities to gain understanding of the Absolute Truth. In this verse it is specifically mentioned that he was speaking to the great sage Nārada, a celebrated devotee. Nārada was asking Lord Śiva about devotional service, and Śiva, being the topmost Vaiṣṇava, was instructing him. In other words, Lord Śiva and Nārada were discussing the knowledge of the
Veda,
but it is to be understood that the subject matter was devotional service. Another point in this connection is that Lord Śiva is the supreme instructor and the great sage Nārada is the supreme audience. Therefore the supreme subject matter of Vedic knowledge is
bhakti,
or devotional service.