Text 4] Questions by the Sages 59
One should conclude, therefore, that the serious student of the rasa
should receive the message of Bhdgavatam in the chain of disciplic suc-
cession from Srila Sukadeva Gosvami, who describes the Bhagavatam from
its very beginning and not whimsically to satisfy the mundaner who has
very little knowledge in transcendental science. Srimad-Bhagavatam is so
carefully presented that a sincere and serious person can at once enjoy the
ripened fruit of Vedic knowledge simply by drinking the nectarean juice
through the mouth of Sukadeva Gosvami or his bona fide representative.
TEXT 4
x ha’
afristatTat TT: TRIGA: |
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TA AMAT ALATA IY I
naimise ’nimisaksetre
rsayah Saunakadayah
satram svargayalokaya
sahasra-samam asata
naimise—in the forest known as Naimisaranya; animisa-ksetre—the spot
which is especially a favorite of Visnu (who does not close His eyelids);
rsayah—sages; Saunaka-ddayah—headed by the sage Saunaka; satram—sacri-
fice; svargaya—the Lord who is glorified in heaven; lokd@ya—and for the
devotees who are always in touch with the Lord; sahasra—one thousand;
samam—years; dsata— performed.
TRANSLATION
Once, in a holy place in the forest of Naimisaranya, great sages headed
by the sage Saunaka assembled to perform a great thousand-year sacrifice
for the satisfaction of the Lord and His devotees.
PURPORT
The prelude of the Srimad-Bhdgavatam was spoken in the previous
three slokas. Now the main topic of this great literature is being presented.
Srimad-Bhagavatam, after its first recitation by Srila Sukadeva Gosvami,
was repeated for the second time at Naimisaranya.
In the Vayaviya Tantra, it is said that Brahma, the engineer of this
particular universe, contemplated a great wheel which could enclose the
universe. The hub of this great circle was fixed at a particular place known
