Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.7.2

sūta uvāca

brahma-nadyām sarasvatyām

āśramah paścime tate

śamyāprāsa iti prokta

rishīnām satra-vardhanah

SYNONYMS

sūtah — Śrī Sūta; uvāca — said; brahma-nadyām — on the bank of the river intimately related with Vedas, brāhmanas, saints, and the Lord; sarasvatyām — Sarasvatī; āśramah — cottage for meditation; paścime — on the west; tate — bank; śamyāprāsah — the place named Śamyāprāsa; iti — thus; proktah — said to be; rishīnām — of the sages; satra-vardhanah — that which enlivens activities.

TRANSLATION

Śrī Sūta said: On the western bank of the River Sarasvatī, which is intimately related with the Vedas, there is a cottage for meditation at Śamyāprāsa which enlivens the transcendental activities of the sages.

PURPORT

For spiritual advancement of knowledge a suitable place and atmosphere are definitely required. The place on the western bank of the Sarasvatī is especially suitable for this purpose. And there is the āśrama of Vyāsadeva at Śamyāprāsa. Śrīla Vyāsadeva was a householder, yet his residential place is called an āśrama. An āśrama is a place where spiritual culture is always foremost. It does not matter whether the place belongs to a householder or a mendicant. The whole varnāśrama system is so designed that each and every status of life is called an āśrama. This means that spiritual culture is the common factor for all. The brahmacārīs, the grihasthas, the vānaprasthas and the sannyāsīs all belong to the same mission of life, namely, realization of the Supreme. Therefore none of them are less important as far as spiritual culture is concerned. The difference is a matter of formality on the strength of renunciation. The sannyāsīs are held in high estimation on the strength of practical renunciation.

<<< >>>

Copyright ©r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness