Śrīmad Bhāgavata 1.2.4

Synonyms

namaḥ-kṛtya — after first offering respects; naram-nārāyaṇam — unto [the twin sages] Nara and Nārāyaṇa [the presiding deity of the existential ground wherein this scripture was manifested (asya śāstrasya adhiṣṭhātṛ-devatā)⁹]; ca — and; eva — indeed; nara-uttamam — unto the Supreme Person [Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the worshipful Deity of the text (asya devatā)]; devīm — unto the Goddess; sarasvatīm — Sarasvatī [the linguistic potency that discloses the meaning of the text (asya śakti)]; vyāsam — [and] unto Vyāsa [the seer of the text (asya ṛṣi)]; tataḥ — thereafter; udīrayet — one should recite [kathayet¹⁰]; jayam — the triumphant, Śrīmad Bhāgavata [triumphant because it grants victory over saṁsāra (jayanty anena saṁsāram iti jayo granthas tam)¹¹].

After first offering respects unto the twin sages, Nara-Nārāyaṇa, and indeed unto the Supreme Person Śrī Kṛṣṇa, unto Sarasvatī Devī, and unto Vyāsa, one should then recite this triumphant Śrīmad Bhāgavata.

Notes

9Unless otherwise indicated, this and the following bracketed inserts in verse 4 are Jīva Gosvāmī’s comments. He specifies in order, the presiding deity of the substratum of the text (adhiṣṭhātṛ-devatā), its worshipful Deity (devatā), its linguistic potency (śakti), and its seer (ṛṣi). It is to be noted that the twin sages, Nara-Nārāyaṇa, are considered as one deity. Hence, the singular is used in reference to them. The word adhiṣṭhāna literally means “the existential ground,” “the substratum,” or “the locus,” wherein any particular event occurs. Accordingly, the term adhiṣṭhātṛ-devatā refers to the deity that presides over the location in question. The Bhāgavata was manifested to Vyāsa (its “seer,” or ṛṣi), in Badarikāśrama. Since Nara-Nārāyaṇa is the presiding deity of Badarikāśrama, He is the presiding deity of the location wherein the Bhāgavata was manifested and, hence, the underlying ground or support (adhiṣṭhāna) for the text itself. This is the significance of the term adhiṣṭhātṛ-devatā in this context.↩

10Giridhara.↩

11Śrīdhara Svāmī.↩

SB 1.2.4

Synonyms

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