Text 10] The Son of Drona Punished 329

Saunaka uvaca
sa vai nivrtti-niratah
sarvatropeksako munih
kasya va brhatim etam
atmaramah samabhyasat

Saunakah uvaca—Sri Saunaka asked; sah—he; vai—of course; nivrtti—
on the path of self-realization; niratah—always engaged; sarvatra—in every
respect; upeksakah—indifferent; munih—sage; kasya—for what reason; va—
or; brhatim—vast; etam—this; atmaramah—one who is pleased in himself;
samabhyasat—undergo the studies.

TRANSLATION

Sri Saunaka asked Sita Gosvami: Sri Sukadeva Gosvami was already
on the path of self-realization, and thus he was pleased with his own self.
So why did he take the trouble to undergo the study of such a vast
literature?

PURPORT

For the people in general the highest perfection of life is to cease from
material activities and be fixed on the path of self-realization. Those who
take pleasure in sense enjoyment, or those who are fixed in material
bodily welfare work, are called karmis. Out of thousands and millions of
such karmis, one may become an atmdrama by self-realization. Atma
means self, and rama means to take pleasure. Everyone is searching after
the highest pleasure, but the standard of pleasure of one may be different
from the standard of another. Therefore, the standard of pleasure enjoyed
by the karmis is different from that of the atmaramas. The atmdramas are
completely indifferent to material enjoyment in every respect. Srila Suka-
deva Gosvami had already attained that stage, and still he was attracted to
undergo the trouble of studying the great Bhagavatam literature. This
means that Srimad-Bhdgavatam is postgraduate study even for the atma-
ramas, who have surpassed all the studies of Vedic knowledge.

TEXT 10

ae sara
ART GT Pa TERT |
HTT araeregaT ef oll
