Srimad Bhagavatam 07.14.02 - Serving Real Master-Vishnu (download mp3)
by Radhika Vallabha Prabhu at ISKCON Chowpatty
www.iskcondesiretree.net
SB 7.14.2
sri-narada uvaca
grhesv avasthito rajan
kriyah kurvan yathocitah
vasudevarpanam saksad
upasita maha-munin
Translation:
Narada Muni replied: My dear King, those who stay at home as householders must act to earn their livelihood, and instead of trying to enjoy the results of their work themselves, they should offer these results to Krsna, Vasudeva. How to satisfy Vasudeva in this life can be perfectly understood through the association of great devotees of the Lord.
Purport:
The format for grhastha life should be dedication to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In Bhagavad-gita (6.1) it is said:
anasritah karma-phalam
karyam karma karoti yah
sa sannyasi ca yogi ca
na niragnir na cakriyah
"One who is unattached to the fruits of his work and who works as he is obligated is in the renounced order of life, and he is the true mystic, not he who lights no fire and performs no work." Whether one acts as a brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha or sannyasi, he must act only for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva-Krsna, the son of Vasudeva. This should be the principle for everyone's life. Narada Muni has already described the principles of life for a brahmacari, vanaprastha and sannyasi, and now he is describing how a grhastha should live. The basic principle is to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The science of satisfying the Supreme Lord can be learned as described here: saksad upasita maha-munin. The word maha-munin refers to great saintly persons or devotees. Saintly persons are generally known as munis, or thoughtful philosophers concerned with transcendental subject matters, and maha-munin refers to those who have not only thoroughly studied the goal of life but who are actually engaged in satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva. These persons are known as devotees. Unless one associates with devotees, one cannot learn the science of vasudevarpana, or dedicating one's life to Vasudeva, Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
In India the principles of this science were followed strictly. Even fifty years ago, I saw that in the villages of Bengal and the suburbs of Calcutta, people engaged in hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam daily when all their activities ended, or at least in the evening before going to bed. Everyone would hear the Bhagavatam. Bhagavata classes were held in every village, and thus people had the advantage of hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam, which describes everything about the aim of life—liberation or salvation. This will be clearly explained in the next verses.
