948 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 18

the science of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service of the Lord. Thus it is
para, or supreme, because although it is enriched with all knowledge and
religion, it is specifically enriched with the devotional service of the Lord.

TEXT 18

ad sata
al Tt asda ae
Targzety = fast: |
aterm frre ate
QEAATAT ATA LITT: Uecll

suta uvaca
aho vayam janma-bhrto’dya hasma
urddhanuurttyapi viloma-jatah
dauskulyam adhim vidhunoti sighram
mahattamanam abhidhana-y ogah

siitah uvdca—Suta Gosvami said; aho—how; vayam—we; janma-bhrtah—
promoted in birth; adya—today; ha—clearly; dsma—have become; vrddha-
anuvrttya—by serving those who are advanced in knowledge; api— although;
viloma-jatah—born in a mixed caste; dauskulyam—disqualification of
birth; adhim—sufferings; vidhunoti—purifies; sighram—very _ soon;
mahattamanam—of those who are great; abhidhadna-— conversation; yogah—
connection.

TRANSLATION

Sti Sita Gosvami said: O God, although we are born in a mixed caste,
we are still promoted in birthright simply by serving and following the
great who are advanced in knowledge. Even by conversing with such great
souls, one can without delay clean up all disqualifications resulting from
lower births.

PURPORT

Suta Gosvami did not take his birth in a brahmana family. He was born
in a family of mixed caste, or an uncultured low family. But because of
higher association, like Sri Sukadeva Gosvami and the great ysis of Naimi-
saranya, certainly the disqualification of inferior birth was washed off.
