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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.6.37
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A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 37
- ekānta-lābhaṁ vacaso nu puṁsāṁ
- suśloka-mauler guṇa-vādam āhuḥ
- śruteś ca vidvadbhir upākṛtāyāṁ
- kathā-sudhāyām upasamprayogam
ekathe one which has no comparison-antathe one which has no comparison — the one which has no comparison; lābhamgain — gain; vacasaḥby discussions — by discussions; nuafter the Supreme Person puṁsāmafter the Supreme Person — after the Supreme Person; suślokapious — pious; mauleḥactivities — activities; guṇaglorification-vādamglorification — glorification; āhuḥit is so said — it is so said; śruteḥof the ear — of the ear; caalso — also; vidvadbhiḥby the learned — by the learned; upākṛtāyāmbeing so edited — being so edited; kathāin the nectar of such a transcendental message-sudhāyāmin the nectar of such a transcendental message — in the nectar of such a transcendental message; upasamprayogamserves the real purpose, being nearer to — serves the real purpose, being nearer to.
The highest perfectional gain of humanity is to engage in discussions of the activities and glories of the Pious Actor. Such activities are so nicely arranged in writing by the greatly learned sages that the actual purpose of the ear is served just by being near them.
The impersonalists are very much afraid of hearing the activities of the Lord because they think that the happiness derived from the transcendental situation of Brahman is the ultimate goal of life; they think that anyone's activity, even that of the Personality of Godhead, is mundane. But the idea of happiness indicated in this verse is different because it relates to the activities of the Supreme Personality, who has transcendental qualities. The word guṇa-vādam is significant because the qualities of the Lord and His activities and pastimes are the subject matter for the discussions of devotees. A ṛṣi like Maitreya is certainly not interested in discussing anything pertaining to mundane qualities, yet he says that the highest perfectional stage of transcendental realization is to discuss the Lord's activities. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, therefore, concludes that topics regarding the transcendental activities of the Lord are far beyond the transcendental realization of kaivalya happiness. These transcendental activities of the Lord are so arranged in writing by the great sages that simply by hearing of those narrations one becomes perfectly self-realized, and the proper use of the ear and the tongue is also achieved. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is one of such great literatures, and the highest perfectional state of life is attained simply by hearing and reciting its contents.