222 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 2, Ch. 5

is the regulation of the disciplic succession. This process is recommended
in the Bhagavad-gita (Bg. 4.2). The inquisitive student must approach a
qualified spiritual master to receive transcendental knowledge by surrender,
submissive inquiries and service. Knowledge received by submissive in-
quiries and service is more effective than knowledge received in exchange
for money. A spiritual master in the line of disciplic succession from
Brahma and Narada has no demand for dollars and cents. A bona fide
student has to satisfy him by sincere service to obtain knowledge of the
relation and nature of the individual soul and the Supersoul.

TEXT 2
a atid za: ashe wi |
Tae TL TA A TS IT THA Ul 2 Il

yad riipam yad adhisthanam
yatah srstam idam prabho

yat samstham yat param yac ca
tat tattvam vada tattvatah

yat—what; ripam—the symptoms of manifestation; yat—what; adhistha-
nam—background; yatah—from where; srstam—created; idam—this world;
prabho—O my father; yat—in which; saristham—conserved; yat—what;
param—under control; yat—what are; ca—and; tat—all these; tuam—yourself;
vada—please describe; tattvatah—factually.

TRANSLATION

My dear father, please describe factually the symptoms of this mani-
fest world. What is its background? How is it created? How is it conserved?
And under whose control is all this being done?

PURPORT

The inquiries by Narada Muni appear to be very reasonable on the basis
of factual cause and effect. The atheists, however, put forward many self-
made theories without any touch of cause and effect. The manifested
world, as well as the spirit soul, is still unexplained by the godless atheists
through the medium of experimental knowledge, although they have put
forward many theories manufactured by their fertile brains. Contrary
to such mental speculative theories of creation, however, Narada Muni
wanted to know all the facts of creation in truth, and not by theories.
