Text 36]
The Lord in the Heart
123
TEXT 36
तसात् सर्वात्मना राजन् हरिः सर्वत्र सर्वदा । श्रोतव्यः कीर्तितव्यश्च सर्तव्यो भगवान्नृणाम् ॥ ३६ ॥
tasmāt sarvātmanā rājan hariḥ sarvatra sarvadā śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca smartavyo bhagavān nṛṇām
tasmāt —therefore;  sarva —all;  ātmanā —soul;  rājan —O King;  hariḥ —the Lord;  sarvatra —everywhere;  sarvadā —always;  śrotavyaḥ —must be heard;  kīrtitavyaḥ —glorified;  ca —also;  smartavyaḥ —be remembered;  bhagavān —the Personality of Godhead;  nṛṇām —by the human being.
TRANSLATION
O King, it is therefore essential that every human being hear, glorify and remember the Supreme Lord Personality of Godhead always and everywhere.
PURPORT
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī begins this verse with the word  tasmāt , or “therefore,” because in the previous verse he has already explained that there is no auspicious means for salvation other than the sublime process of  bhakti-yoga . The  bhakti-yoga  process is practiced by the devotees in different methods like hearing, chanting, remembering, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, worshiping, praying, rendering service of love, becoming friendly, and offering all that one may possess. All nine methods are bona fide methods, and either all of them, some of them or even one of them can bring about the desired result for the sincere devotee. But out of all the nine different methods, the first one, namely hearing, is the most important function in the process of  bhakti-yoga . Without hearing sufficiently and properly, no one can make any progress by any of the practicing methods. And for hearing only, all the Vedic literatures are there, compiled by authorized persons like Vyāsadeva, who is the powerful incarnation of Godhead. And as it is ascertained that the Lord is the