Text 7]
Questions by the Sages
63
from the above mentioned vices. He should not only be freed from all such vices, but he must also be well versed in all revealed scriptures or in the  Vedas . The  Purāṇas  are also parts of the  Vedas . And histories like the  Mahābhārata  or  Rāmāyaṇa  are also parts of the  Vedas . The  ācārya  or the  gosvāmī  must be well acquainted with all these literatures. To hear and explain them is more important than reading them. One can only assimilate the knowledge of the revealed scriptures by hearing and explaining. Hearing is called  śravaṇa , and explaining is called  kīrtaṇa . The two processes of  śravaṇa  and  kīrtaṇa  are of primary importance to progressive spiritual life. Only one who has properly grasped the transcendental knowledge from the right source by submissive hearing can properly explain the subject.
TEXT 7
यानि वेदविदां श्रेष्ठो भगवान् बादरायणः । अन्ये च मुनयः क्षत परावरविदो विदुः ॥ ७ ॥
yāni veda-vidām śreṣṭho bhagavān bādarāyaṇaḥ anye ca munayaḥ sūta parāvara-vido viduḥ
yāni —all that;  veda-vidām —scholars of the  Vedas ;  śreṣṭhaḥ —seniormost;  bhagavān —incarnation of Godhead;  bādarāyaṇaḥ —Vyāsadeva;  anye —others;  ca —and;  munayaḥ —the sages;  sūta —O Sūta Gosvāmī:  parāvara-vidaḥ —amongst the learned scholars, one who is conversant with physical and metaphysical knowledge;  viduḥ —one who knows.
TRANSLATION
Being the eldest learned Vedāntist, O Sūta Gosvāmī, you are acquainted with the knowledge of Vyāsadeva, who is the incarnation of Godhead, and you also know other sages who are fully versed in all kinds of physical and metaphysical knowledge.
PURPORT
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  is a natural commentation on the  Brahma-sūtra  or the  Bādarāyaṇa Vedānta-sūtras . It is called natural because Vyāsadeva is