Canto 2, Chapter 1

The First Step in God Realization

Verse 9 (SB 2.1.9)

SB 2.1.8

SB 2.1.10

SB 2.1.9 • मूल श्लोक

परिनिष्ठितोऽपि नैर्गुण्य उत्तमश्लोकलीलया । गृहीतचेता राजर्षे आख्यानं यदधीतवान् ॥ ९ ॥

Transliteration

pariniṣṭhito ’pi nairguṇya uttama-śloka-līlayā gṛhīta-cetā rājarṣe ākhyānaṁ yad adhītavān

Synonyms (Word-for-Word)

pariniṣṭhitaḥ — fully realized; api — in spite of; nairguṇye — in transcendence; uttama — enlightened; śloka — verse; līlayā — by the pastimes; gṛhīta — being attracted; cetāḥ — attention; rājarṣe — O saintly King; ākhyānam — delineation; yat — that; adhītavān — I have studied.

Translation

“O saintly King, I was certainly situated perfectly in transcendence, yet I was still attracted by the delineation of the pastimes of the Lord, who is described by enlightened verses.”

Bhaktivedanta Purport

By Śrīla Prabhupāda

The Absolute Truth is realized at the first instance as the impersonal Brahman by philosophical speculation and later as the Supersoul by further progress of transcendental knowledge. But if, by the grace of the Lord, an impersonalist is enlightened by the superior statements of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, he is also converted into a transcendental devotee of the Personality of Godhead. With a poor fund of knowledge, we cannot adjust to the idea of the personality of the Absolute Truth, and therefore the personal activities of the Lord are deplored by the less intelligent impersonalists; but reasons and arguments, together with the transcendental process of approaching the Absolute Truth, help even the staunch impersonalist to become attracted by the personal activities of the Lord. A person like Śukadeva Gosvāmī cannot be attracted by any mundane activity, but when such a devotee is convinced by a superior method, he is certainly attracted by the transcendental activities of the Lord. The Lord is transcendental, as are His activities. He is neither inactive nor impersonal.