Devanagari
श्रीशुक उवाच
भक्तायैतां प्रपन्नाय विद्यामादिश्य नारद: ।
ययावङ्गिरसा साकं धाम स्वायम्भुवं प्रभो ॥ २६ ॥
Verse text
śrī-śuka uvāca
bhaktāyaitāṁ prapannāya
vidyām ādiśya nāradaḥ
yayāv aṅgirasā sākaṁ
dhāma svāyambhuvaṁ prabho
Synonyms
śrī
—
śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
;
bhaktāya
—
unto the devotee
;
etām
—
this
;
prapannāya
—
unto one who fully surrendered
;
vidyām
—
transcendental knowledge
;
ādiśya
—
instructing
;
nāradaḥ
—
the great sage Nārada
;
yayau
—
left
;
aṅgirasā
—
the great saint Aṅgirā
;
sākam
—
with
;
dhāma
—
for the topmost planet
;
svāyambhuvam
—
belonging to Lord Brahmā
;
prabho
—
O King .
Translation
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Nārada, having become the spiritual master of Citraketu, instructed him fully in this prayer because Citraketu was fully surrendered. O King Parīkṣit, Nārada then left with the great sage Aṅgirā for the topmost planet, known as Brahmaloka.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King! Nārada, having instructed the devotee Citraketu who was fully surrendered this knowledge, then left with the great sage Aṅgirā for Brahmaloka.
Nārada gave one (etām) great knowledge (the mantra) which contained many important statements. Aṅgirā was the person who bestowed Citraketu his son. Thus previously it was said Aṅgirā arrived with Nārada (SB 6.15.61). Now it is said, “Nārada left with Aṅgirā.” This indicates the importance of Nārada because he gave Citraketu the mantra. Śukadeva addresses the King as master (prabho) to indicate that he is very capable of understanding the meaning of these teachings.
Purport
When Aṅgirā had first come to visit King Citraketu, he did not bring Nārada with him. However, after the death of Citraketu’s son, Aṅgirā brought Nārada to instruct King Citraketu about
bhakti-yoga.
The difference was that in the beginning Citraketu was not in a temperament of renunciation, but after the death of his son, when he was overwhelmed by his great plight, he was awakened to the platform of renunciation by instructions regarding the falsity of this material world and material possessions. It is only at this stage that
bhakti-yoga
can be instructed. As long as one is attached to material enjoyment,
bhakti-yoga
cannot be understood. This is confirmed in
Bhagavad-gītā
(2.44)
:
bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ
tayāpahṛta-cetasām
vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ
samādhau na vidhīyate
“In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence, and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination of devotional service to the Supreme Lord does not take place.” As long as one is very much attached to material enjoyment, one cannot concentrate his mind on the subject matter of devotional service.
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is progressing successfully in the Western countries at the present moment because the youth in the West have reached the stage of
vairāgya,
or renunciation. They are practically disgusted with material pleasure from material sources, and this has resulted in a population of hippies throughout the Western countries. Now if these young people are instructed about
bhakti-yoga,
Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the instructions will certainly be effective.
As soon as Citraketu understood the philosophy of
vairāgya-vidyā,
the knowledge of renunciation, he could understand the process of
bhakti-yoga.
In this regard Śrīla Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya has said,
vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga.
Vairāgya-vidyā
and
bhakti-yoga
are parallel lines. One is essential for understanding the other. It is also said,
bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra ca
(
Bhāg.
11.2.42
). Advancement in devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is characterized by increasing renunciation of material enjoyment. Nārada Muni is the father of devotional service, and therefore, just to bestow causeless mercy upon King Citraketu, Aṅgirā brought Nārada Muni to instruct the King. These instructions were extremely effective. Anyone who follows in the footsteps of Nārada Muni is certainly a pure devotee.