Text 73] —_ Instructions for Civilized Human Beings 285

visnoh: one should chant about and glorify Lord Visnu, not any demigod.
Unfortunately, there are foolish persons who invent some process of
kirtana on the basis of a demigod’s name. This is an offense. Kirtana
means glorifying the Supreme Lord, not any demigod. Sometimes people
invent Kali-kirtana or Siva-kirtana, and even big sannydsis in the
Mayavada school say that one may chant any name and still get the same
result. But here we find that millions and millions of years ago, when
Narada Muni was a Gandharva, he neglected the order to glorify the
Lord, and being mad in the association of women, he began to chant
otherwise. Thus he was cursed to become a Sidra. His first offense was
that he went to join the savkirtana party in the company of lusty women,
and another offense was that he considered ordinary songs, like cinema
songs and other such songs, to be equal to sarikirtana. For this offense he
was punished with becoming a Sidra.

TEXT 73
Taree ae ale AaTATy |
PITTA MASE AAYAATT U3
tavad dasydm aham jajiie
tatrapi brahma-vadinam
Susrésayanusangena
prapto *ham brahma-putratam

tdavat—since being cursed; désyam—in the womb of a maidservant;
aham—I; jajrie—took birth; tatrapi—although (being a Sidra);
brahma-vadindm—unto persons well conversant with the Vedic knowl-
edge; Susriisaya—by rendering service; anusarigena —simultaneously;
praptah—obtained; aham—I; brahma-putratam—a birth as the son of
Lord Brahma (in this life).

TRANSLATION

Although I took birth as a sidra from the womb of a maidser-
vant, I engaged in the service of Vaisnavas who were well-versed in
Vedic knowledge. Consequently, in this life I got the opportunity
to take birth as the son of Lord Brahma.
