Text 36] Nārada Muni Cursed by Prajāpati Dakṣa
303
Priyavrata and Uttānapāda. He had delivered Uttānapāda's son Dhruva and had even delivered Prācīnabarhi, who was engaged in fruitive activities. Nevertheless, he could not deliver Prajāpati Dakṣa. Prajāpati Dakṣa saw Nārada before him because Nārada had personally come to deliver him. Nārada Muni took the opportunity to approach Prajāpati Dakṣa in his bereavement because the time of bereavement is a suitable time for appreciating  bhakti-yoga . As stated in  Bhagavad-gītā  (7.16), four kinds of men— ārta  (one who is distressed),  arthārthī  (one in need of money),  jijñāsu  (one who is inquisitive) and  jñānī  (a person in knowledge)—try to understand devotional service. Prajāpati Dakṣa was in great distress because of the loss of his sons, and therefore Nārada took the opportunity to instruct him regarding liberation from material bondage.
TEXT 36
श्रीदक्ष उवाच
अहो असाधो साधूनां साधुलिङ्गेन नस्त्वया । असाध्वकार्यभेकाणां भिक्षोर्भार्गः प्रदर्शितः ॥३६॥
śrī-dakṣa uvāca aho asādho sādhūnām sādhu-liṅgena nas tvayā asādhv akāry arbhakāṇām bhikṣor mārgaḥ pradarśitaḥ
śrī-dakṣaḥ uvāca—Prajāpati Dakṣa said; aho asādho—O greatly dishonest nondevotee; sādhūnām—of the society of devotees and great sages; sādhu-liṅgena—wearing the dress of a saintly person; naḥ—unto us; tvayā—by you; asādhu—a dishonesty; akāri—has been done; arbhakāṇām—of poor boys who were very inexperienced; bhikṣoḥ mārgaḥ—the path of a beggar or mendicant sannyāsī; pradarśitaḥ—shown.
TRANSLATION
Prajāpati Dakṣa said: Alas, Nārada Muni, you wear the dress of a saintly person, but you are not actually a saint. Indeed, although I