TEXT 9
yatha dharmadayas cartha
muni-varyanukirtitah
na tatha vasudevasya
mahima hy anuvarnitah
SYNONYMS
yathaas much as; dharma-adayahall four principles of religious behavior; caand; arthahpurposes; muni-varyaby yourself, the great sage; anukirtitahrepeatedly described; nanot; tathain that way; vasudevasyaof the Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna; mahimaglories; hicertainly; anuvarnitahso constantly described.
TRANSLATION
Although, great sage, you have very broadly described the four principles beginning with religious performances, you have not described the glories of the Supreme Personality, Vasudeva.
PURPORT
The prompt diagnosis of Sri Narada is at once declared. The root cause of the despondency of Vyasadeva was his deliberate avoidance of glorifying the Lord in his various editions of the Puranas. He has certainly, as a matter of course, given descriptions of the glories of the Lord (Sri Krsna) but not as many as given to religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and salvation. These four items are by far inferior to engagement in the devotional service of the Lord. Sri Vyasadeva, as the authorized scholar, knew very well this difference. And still instead of giving more importance to the better type of engagement, namely, devotional service to the Lord, he had more or less improperly used his valuable time, and thus he was despondent. From this it is clearly indicated that no one can be pleased substantially without being engaged in the devotional service of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gita this fact is clearly mentioned.
After liberation, which is the last item in the line of performing religiosity, etc., one is engaged in pure devotional service. This is called the stage of self-realization, or the brahma-bhuta stage [SB 4.30.20]. After attainment of this brahma-bhuta stage, one is satisfied. But satisfaction is the beginning of transcendental bliss. One should progress by attaining neutrality and equality in the relative world. And passing this stage of equanimity, one is fixed in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. This is the instruction of the Personality of Godhead in the Bhagavad-gita. The conclusion is that in order to maintain the status quo of the brahma-bhuta stage, as also to increase the degree of transcendental realization, Narada recommended to Vyasadeva that he (Vyasadeva) should now eagerly and repeatedly describe the path of devotional service. This would cure him from gross despondency.

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