ज्ञानं तदेतदमलं दुरवापमाह
नारायणो नरसखः किल नारदाय ।
एकान्तिनां भगवतस्तदकिञ्चनानां
पादारविन्दरजसाप्लुतदेहिनां स्यात् ॥
jñānaṁ tad etad amalaṁ duravāpam āha
nārāyaṇo nara-sakhaḥ kila nāradāya |
ekāntināṁ bhagavatas tad akiñcanānāṁ
pādāravinda-rajasāpluta-dehināṁ syāt ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.6.27)
“Thus, Nārāyaṇa, the Friend of Nara, formerly explained this taintless, difficult to grasp knowledge to Nārada. It can [also] be had by the bearers of bodies that have been bathed in the dust of the lotus feet of the disinterested (akiñcanas) who are one-pointed upon Bhagavān.”
Commentary
teṣāṁ punar viśvāsārthaṁ guru-sampradāyam āha—jñānam iti | yatra nāradaḥ śrotā, tatra kuto mādṛśānām adhikāraḥ? ity āśaṅkyāha—bhagavata ekānta-bhaktānāṁ yat-pāda-rajas tenāplutānāṁ snātānāṁ dehināṁ sarveṣām api taj jñānaṁ syāt, na tūttamānām eveti niyamaḥ |
(Bhāvārtha-dīpikā)
“For the sake of [bolstering] their conviction (viśvāsa), he further describes the guru-sampradāya [i.e., the lineage of gurus in which this knowledge, that is, pure Bhāgavata-dharma, has been passed down]: jñānam … [i.e., he speaks this verse, SB 7.6.27]. ‘How could lowly persons like us have eligibility there where Nārada is listener [i.e., student]?’ On account of this doubt [which may arise in the minds of the boys Prahlāda Mahārāja is instructing], he says that that knowledge can be had even by all bearers of bodies that have been bathed (āpluta) in the dust of the lotus feet of one-pointed bhaktas of Bhagavān. This is the rule.”
etādṛśa-jñānasya viralatvaṁ tad-bhakta-kṛpaika-labhyatvaṁ cāha—jñānam iti | nara-sakha iti tatra śrīman-narasya tad-bhakta-varasya kṛpā-māhātmyaṁ darśitaṁ yata evaikāntinām iti | sākṣāt tad-upadeśe’pi tad-bhakta-kṛpāpekṣate, kim utānyad eveti bhāvaḥ |
(Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā)
“He describes the rarity of such knowledge and the attainability [of that knowledge] only by means of the grace of his [i.e., Bhagavān’s] bhaktas: jñānam … [i.e., he speaks this verse]. ‘The Friend of Nara’ (Nara-sakhaḥ)—in regard to this [name of Nārāyaṇa], the greatness of the grace of Śrīman Nara [i.e., the exalted sage Nara], the best of his [i.e., Nārāyaṇa’s] bhaktas, is shown since ekāntināṁ … [i.e., since it is stated in the second half of the verse that those whose bodies become bathed in the dust of the lotus feet of one-pointed bhaktas of Bhagavān like Śrīman Nara can also attain such knowledge, that is, Bhāgavata-dharma, just as Prahlāda and Nārada have]. The grace of his [i.e., Bhagavān’s] bhaktas is required even directly in regard to teaching related him, much less anything else [i.e., if one receives the grace of a bhakta, one has the potential to attain this knowledge, so no one should think it is beyond them to even try to attain it; rather, one should have faith in the power of the grace of bhaktas, seek their grace, and strive to learn this knowledge on the strength of that grace]. This is the purport.”
teṣāṁ viśvāsārthaṁ guru-sampradāyam āha—jñānam iti | yatra nāradaḥ śrotā, tatra mādṛśānāṁ nikṛṣṭānāṁ kuto’dhikāra iti nāśaṅkanīyam ity āha—bhagavata ekānta-bhaktānāṁ yat-pāda-rajas tenāplutānāṁ snātānāṁ dehināṁ sarveṣām api taj jñānaṁ syāt, na tūttamānām eveti niyamaḥ |
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“For the sake of [bolstering] their conviction (viśvāsa), he describes the guru-sampradāya [i.e., the lineage of gurus in which this knowledge, that is, pure Bhāgavata-dharma, has been passed down]: jñānam … [i.e., he speaks this verse, SB 7.6.27]. ‘How could lowly persons like us have eligibility there where Nārada is listener [i.e., student]?’ This is not to be doubted. Thus, he says that that knowledge can be had even by all bearers of bodies that have been bathed (āpluta) in the dust of the lotus feet of one-pointed bhaktas of Bhagavān. This is the rule.”