Text 22] Narada’s Instructions on Srimad-Bhagavatam 253
idam hi pumsas tapasah srutasya va
svistasya suktasya ca buddhi-dattayoh -
avicyuto’rthah kavibhir niriipito
yad-uttamasloka-gundnuvarnanam

idam—this; hi—certainly; pumsah—of everyone; tapasah—by dint of aus-
terities; srutasya—by dint of study of the Vedas; va—or; svistasya—sacri-
fice; siktasya—spiritual education; ca—and; buddhi—culture of knowledge;
dattayoh—charity; avicyutah—infallible; arthah—interest; kavibhih—by the
recognized learned fellow; nirupitah—concluded; yat—what; uttemasloka—
the Lord, who is described by choice poetry; guna-anuvarnanam—
description of the transcendental qualities of.

TRANSLATION
Learned circles have positively concluded that the infallible purpose
of the advancement of knowledge, namely austerities, study of the Vedas,
sacrifice, chanting of hymns and charity, culminates in the transcendental
descriptions of the Lord, who is defined in choice poetry.
PURPORT

Human intellect is developed for advancement of learning in art, science,
philosophy, physics, chemistry, psychology, economics, politics, etc. By
culture of such knowledge the human society can attain perfection of life.
This perfection of life culminates in the realization of the Supreme Being
Visnu. The Sruti therefore directs that those who are actually advanced in
learning should aspire for the service of Lord Visnu. Unfortunately persons
who are enamored by the external beauty of Visnu-maya do not under-
stand that culmination of perfection or self-realization depends on Visnu.
Visnu-maya@ means sense enjoyment, which is transient and miserable.
Those who are entrapped by Visnu-maya utilize advancement of knowledge
for sense enjoyment. Sri Narada Muni has explained that all parapharnalia
of the cosmic universe is but an emanation from the Lord out of His
different energies because the Lord has set in motion, by His inconceivable
energy, actions and reactions of the created manifestation. They have come
to be out of His energy, they rest on His energy, and after annihilation
they merge into Him. Nothing is, therefore, different from Him, but at
the same time the Lord is always different from them.

When advancement of knowledge is applied in the service of the Lord,
the whole process becomes absolute. The Personality of Godhead, His
