64
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 6, Ch. 15]
kumāraḥ —Sanat-kumāra;  nāradaḥ —Nārada Muni;  ṛbhuḥ —Rbhu;  aṅgirāḥ —Aṅgirā;  devalaḥ —Devala;  asitaḥ —Asita;  apāntaratamāḥ —Vyāsa's previous name, Apāntaratamā;  vyāsaḥ —Vyāsa;  mārkaṇ-deyaḥ —Mārkaṇḍeya;  atha —and;  gautamaḥ —Gautama;  vasiṣṭhaḥ —Vasiṣṭha;  bhagavān rāmaḥ —Lord Paraśurāma;  kapilaḥ —Kapila;  bādarāyaṇiḥ —Sukadeva Gosvāmī;  durvāsāḥ —Durvāsā;  yājña-valkyaḥ —Yājñavalkya;  ca —also;  jātukarṇaḥ —Jātukarṇa;  tathā —as well as;  aruṇiḥ —Aruṇi;  romaśaḥ —Romaśa;  cyavanaḥ —Cyavana;  dattaḥ —Dattātreya;  āsuriḥ —Āsuri;  sa-patañjaliḥ —with Patañjali Rṣi;  ṛṣiḥ —the sage;  veda-śirāḥ —the head of the  Vedas ;  dhaumyaḥ —Dhaumya;  muniḥ —the sage;  pañcaśikhaḥ —Pañcaśikha;  tathā —so also;  hiraṇyanābhaḥ —Hiraṇyanābha;  kauśalyaḥ —Kauśalya;  śrutadevaḥ —Śrutadeva;  ṛtadhvajaḥ —Rtadhvaja;  ete —all of these;  pare —others;  ca —and;  siddha-īśāḥ —the masters of mystic power;  caranti —wander;  jñāna-hetavaḥ —very learned persons who preach all over the world.
TRANSLATION
O great souls, I have heard that among the great and perfect persons wandering the surface of the earth to instruct knowledge to people covered by ignorance are Sanat-kumāra, Nārada, Rbhu, Aṅgirā, Devala, Asita, Apāntaratamā [Vyāsadeva], Mārkaṇḍeya, Gautama, Vasiṣṭha, Bhagavān Paraśurāma, Kapila, Śukadeva, Durvāsā, Yājñavalkya, Jātukarṇa and Aruṇi. Others are Romaśa, Cyavana, Dattātreya, Āsuri, Patañjali, the great sage Dhaumya who is like the head of the  Vedas , the sage Pañcaśikha, Hiraṇyanābha, Kauśalya, Śrutadeva and Rtadhvaja. You must certainly be among them.
PURPORT
The word  jñāna-hetavaḥ  is very significant because great personalities like those listed in these verses wander on the surface of the globe not to mislead the populace, but to distribute real knowledge. Without this knowledge, human life is wasted. The human form of life is meant for realization of one's relationship with Kṛṣṇa, or God. One who lacks this knowledge is categorized among the animals. The Lord Himself says in  Bhagavad-gītā  (7.15):