Devanagari
नारायणपरा विप्रा धर्मं गुह्यं परं विदु: ।
करुणा: साधव: शान्तास्त्वद्विधा न तथापरे ॥ ४ ॥
Verse text
nārāyaṇa-parā viprā
dharmaṁ guhyaṁ paraṁ viduḥ
karuṇāḥ sādhavaḥ śāntās
tvad-vidhā na tathāpare
Synonyms
nārāyaṇa
—
parāḥ — those who are always devoted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa
;
viprāḥ
—
the best of the brāhmaṇas
;
dharmam
—
religious principle
;
guhyam
—
the most confidential
;
param
—
supreme
;
viduḥ
—
know
;
karuṇāḥ
—
such persons are very merciful (being devotees)
;
sādhavaḥ
—
whose behavior is very exalted
;
śāntāḥ
—
peaceful
;
tvat
—
vidhāḥ — like Your Honor
;
na
—
not
;
tathā
—
so
;
apare
—
others (followers of methods other than devotional service) .
Translation
No one is superior to you in peaceful life and mercy, and no one knows better than you how to execute devotional service or how to become the best of the brāhmaṇas. Therefore, you know all the principles of confidential religious life, and no one knows them better than you.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Peaceful brāhmaṇa devotees like you, dedicated to Nārāyaṇa, know the secret dharma. Others do not know.
“Why don’t you ask other sages dedicates to the principles of smṛti scriptures?” You are dedicated to Nārāyaṇa.
Purport
Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja knew that Nārada Muni is the supreme spiritual master of human society who can teach the path of spiritual liberation leading to the understanding of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Actually, it is for this purpose that Nārada Muni compiled his
Bhakti-sūtra
and gave directions in the
Nārada-paṣcarātra.
To learn about religious principles and the perfection of life, one must take instruction from the disciplic succession of Nārada Muni. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is directly in the line of the Brahma
sampradāya.
Nārada Muni received instructions from Lord Brahmā and in turn transmitted the instructions to Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva instructed his son Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who spoke
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is based on
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
and
Bhagavad-gītā.
Because
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
was spoken by Śukadeva Gosvāmī and
Bhagavad-gītā
was spoken by Kṛṣṇa, there is no difference between them. If we strictly follow the principle of disciplic succession, we are certainly on the right path of spiritual liberation, or eternal engagement in devotional service.