104 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1

the Lord’s devotees are the same. Or, rather, glorifying the devotee is
more important than glorifying the Lord directly. Narottama dasa
Thakura explains this fact: chddiyd vaisnava-sevd, nistdra padyeche
keba. One cannot be liberated from material contamination without
sincerely serving a devotee of Krsna.

Bhavausadhat means “from the universal remedy.” Chanting the
holy name and glorifying the Supreme Lord are the universal remedy for
all the miseries of materialistic life. Persons who desire to be freed from
this material world are called mumuksu. Such persons can understand
the miseries of materialistic life, and by glorifying the activities of the
Lord they can be released from all these miseries. The transcendental
sound vibrations concerning the Lord’s name, fame, form, qualities and
paraphernalia are all nondifferent from the Lord. Therefore the very
sound vibration of the Lord’s glorification and name are pleasing to the
ears, and by understanding the absolute nature of the Lord’s name, form
and qualities the devotee becomes joyful. Even those who are not devo-
tees, however, enjoy the pleasing narrations of the Lord’s transcendental
activities. Even ordinary persons not very much advanced in Krsna con-
sciousness take pleasure in describing the narrations depicted in Srimad-
Bhagavatam. When a materialistic person is purified in this way, he
engages in hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord. Because
glorification of the Lord’s pastimes is very pleasing to the ear and heart
of the devotee, it is simultaneously his subject and object.

In this world there are three kinds of men: those who are liberated,
those trying to be liberated, and those entangled in sense enjoyment. Of
these three, those who are already liberated chant and hear the holy
name of the Lord, knowing perfectly that to glorify the Lord is the only
way to keep oneself in a transcendental position. Those who are trying to
be liberated, the second class, may regard the chanting and hearing of
the Lord’s holy name as a process of liberation, and they too will feel the
transcendental pleasure of this chanting. As for karmis and persons
engaged in sense gratification, they also may take pleasure in hearing the
pastimes of the Lord, like His fighting on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra
and His dancing in Vrndavana with the gopis.

The word uttamasloka-gundnuvdda refers to the transcendental
qualities of the Supreme Lord, such as His affection for mother Yasoda
and His friends the cowherd boys and His loving attitude toward the
