PURPORT

To know about the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the characteristics of His pure devotee, one must inquire from authorities like Devarsi Narada. One cannot inquire about transcendental subject matters from a layman. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.25.25), satam prasaṅgan mama virya-samvido bhavanti hrt-karna-rasayanah kathah: only by association with devotees can one authoritatively understand the position of the Lord and His devotees. A devotee like Narada Muni is addressed as suvrata. Su means "good," and vrata means "vow." Thus the word suvrata refers to a person who has nothing to do with the material world, which is always bad. One cannot understand anything spiritual from a materialistic scholar puffed up with academic knowledge. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (18.55), bhaktya mam abhijanati: one must try to understand Krsna by devotional service and from a devotee. Therefore Yudhisthira Maharaja was quite right in wanting to learn further about Prahlada Maharaja from Sri Narada Muni.