318 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 7
five sons of Draupadi while they were asleep, for which he was punished
by Arjuna. Before commencing the great epic Srimad-Bhdgavatam, Sri
Vyasadeva realized the whole truth by trance in devotion.
TEXT 2
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sitta uvaca
brahma-nadyam sarasvatyam
asramah pascime tate
Samy aprasa iti prokta
rsinam satra-vardhanah
siitah—Sri Sita; uvdca—said; brahmanadyam—on the bank of the river
intimately related with Vedas, brahmanas, saints, and the Lord; sarasvatyam
—Sarasvati; asramah—cottage for meditation; pascime—on the west; tate—
bank; samyaprasah—the place named SamyaAprasa; iti—thus; proktah—
said to be; rsinam—of the sages; satra-vardhanah—that which enlivens
activities.
TRANSLATION
Sri Sita said: On the western bank of the River Sarasvati, which is
intimately related with the Vedas, there is a cottage for meditation at
Samyaprasa which enlivens the transcendental activities of the sages.
PURPORT
For spiritual advancement of knowledge a suitable place and atmosphere
are definitely required. The place on the western bank of the Sarasvati is
especially suitable for this purpose. And there is the asrama of Vyasadeva
at Samyaprasa. Srila Vyasadeva was a householder, yet his residential
place is called an aSrama. An dsrama is a place where spiritual culture is
always foremost. It does not matter whether the place belongs to a house-
holder or a mendicant. The whole varnasrama system is so designed that
each and every status of life is called an asrama. This means that spiritual
