Text 22]
Nārada's Instructions on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
253
idam hi puṁsas tapasaḥ śrutasya vā sviṣṭasya sūktasya ca buddhi-dattayoḥ . avicyuto'rthaḥ kavibhir nirūpito yad-uttamaśloka-guṇānuvarṇanam
idam—this; hi—certainly; puṁsaḥ—of everyone; tapasaḥ—by dint of austerities; śrutasya—by dint of study of the Vedas; vā—or; sviṣṭasya—sacrifice; sūktasya—spiritual education; ca—and; buddhi—culture of knowledge; dattayoḥ—charity; avicyutaḥ—infallible; arthaḥ—interest; kavibhiḥ—by the recognized learned fellow; nirūpitaḥ—concluded; yat—what; uttamaśloka—the Lord, who is described by choice poetry; guṇa-anuvarṇanam—description of the transcendental qualities of.
TRANSLATION
Learned circles have positively concluded that the infallible purpose of the advancement of knowledge, namely austerities, study of the Vedas, sacrifice, chanting of hymns and charity, culminates in the transcendental descriptions of the Lord, who is defined in choice poetry.
PURPORT
Human intellect is developed for advancement of learning in art, science, philosophy, physics, chemistry, psychology, economics, politics, etc. By culture of such knowledge the human society can attain perfection of life. This perfection of life culminates in the realization of the Supreme Being Viṣṇu. The  Śruti  therefore directs that those who are actually advanced in learning should aspire for the service of Lord Viṣṇu. Unfortunately persons who are enamored by the external beauty of  Viṣṇu-māyā  do not understand that culmination of perfection or self-realization depends on Viṣṇu.  Viṣṇu-māyā  means sense enjoyment, which is transient and miserable. Those who are entrapped by  Viṣṇu-māyā  utilize advancement of knowledge for sense enjoyment. Śrī Nārada Muni has explained that all parapharnalia of the cosmic universe is but an emanation from the Lord out of His different energies because the Lord has set in motion, by His inconceivable energy, actions and reactions of the created manifestation. They have come to be out of His energy, they rest on His energy, and after annihilation they merge into Him. Nothing is, therefore, different from Him, but at the same time the Lord is always different from them.
When advancement of knowledge is applied in the service of the Lord, the whole process becomes absolute. The Personality of Godhead, His