142 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 2, Ch. 3

prstavan—did he inquire from him; bhiiyah—again; vaiyasakim—unto the

son of Vyasadeva; rsim—one who is well versed; kavim—poetic.
TRANSLATION

Saunaka said, The son of Vyasadeva, Srila Sukadeva Gosvami, was a
highly learned sage and was able to describe things in a poetic manner.
What did Maharaja Pariksit again inquire from him after hearing all that
he said?

PURPORT

A pure devotee of the Lord automatically develops all godly qualities,
and some of the prominent features of those qualities are as follows:

He is kind, peaceful, truthful, equable, faultless, magnanimous, mild,
clean, nonpossessive, a well-wisher to all, satisfied, surrendered to Krsna,
without hankering, simple, fixed, self-controlled, a balanced eater, sane,
mannerly, prideless, grave, sympathetic, friendly, poetic, expert, and silent.
Out of these twenty-six prominent features of a devotee, as described by
Krsnadasa Kaviraja in his Caitanya-caritamrta, the qualification of being
poetic is especially mentioned herein in relation to Sukadeva Gosvami.
The presentation of Srimad-Bhagavatam by his recitation is the highest
poetic contribution. He was a self-realized learned sage. In other words, he
was a poet amongst the sages.

TEXT 14
om ~ ~
arya frag at Asai wiATT |
®, - r y
wm aftaaical: dat Tae TAY Ue
etac chusriisatam vidvan
siita no ’rhasi bhasitum
katha hari-kathodarkah
satam syuh sadasi dhruvam

etat—this; susriisatam—of those eager to hear; vidvan—O learned; sita—

Sita Gosvami; nah—unto us; arhasi-may you do it; bhasitum—just to
