Text 4]
Conversation Between Nārada and Vyāsa
283
svāyambhuva kayā vṛttyā vartitaṁ te paraṁ vayaḥ kathaṁ cedam udasrākṣīḥ kāle prāpte kalevaram
svāyambhuva—O son of Brahmā; kayā—under what condition; vṛttyā—occupation; vartitam—was spent; te—you; param—after the initiation; vayaḥ—duration of life; katham—how; cedam—how that; udasrākṣīḥ—did you quit; kāla—in due course; prāpte—having attained; kalevaram—body.
TRANSLATION
O son of Brahmā, how did you pass your life after initiation, and how did you attain this body, having quit your old one in due course?
PURPORT
Śrī Nārada Muni in his previous life was just an ordinary maidservant's son, so how he became so perfectly transformed into the spiritual body of eternal life, bliss and knowledge was certainly important. Śrī Vyāsadeva desired him to disclose the facts for everyone's satisfaction.
TEXT 4
शङ्कत्यविषयामेतां स्मृतिं ते मुनिसत्तम । न क्षेप न्यवधात्काल एष सर्वनिराकृतिः ॥ ४ ॥
prāk kalpa-viṣayām etāṁ smṛtiṁ te muni-sattama na hy eṣa vyavadhāt kāla eṣa sarva-nirākṛtiḥ
prāk—prior; kalpa—the duration of Brahmā's day; viṣayām—subject matter; etām—all these; smṛtim—remembrance; te—your; muni-sattama—O great sage; na—not; hi—certainly; eṣaḥ—all these; vyavadhāt—made any difference; kālaḥ—course of time; eṣaḥ—all these; sarva—all; nirākṛtiḥ—annihilation.
TRANSLATION
O great sage, time annihilates everything in due course, so how is it that this subject matter, which happened prior to this day of Brahmā, is still fresh in your memory, undisturbed by time?