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
| Canto 4: Creation of the Fourth Order | Chapter 24: Chanting the Song Sung by Lord Śiva |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.24.74
athedam nityadā yukto
acirāc chreya āpnoti
SYNONYMS
atha — thus; idam — this; nityadā — regularly; yuktah — with great attention; japan — by murmuring; avahitah — fully attentive; pumān — a person; acirāt — without delay; śreyah — auspiciousness; āpnoti — achieves; vāsudeva-parāyanah — one who is a devotee of Lord Krishna.
TRANSLATION
A devotee of Lord Krishna whose mind is always absorbed in Him, who with great attention and reverence chants this stotra [prayer], will achieve the greatest perfection of life without delay.
PURPORT
Perfection means becoming a devotee of Lord Krishna. As stated in the First Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.28): vāsudeva-parā vedā vāsudeva-parā makhāh. The ultimate goal of life is Vāsudeva, or Krishna. Any devotee of Lord Krishna can attain all perfection, material gains and liberation simply by offering prayers to Him. There are many varieties of prayers to Lord Krishna chanted by great sages and great personalities such as Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva. Lord Krishna is known as śiva-virińcinutam (Bhāg. 11.5.33). Śiva means Lord Śiva, and virińci means Lord Brahmā. Both of these demigods are engaged in offering prayers to Lord Vāsudeva, Krishna. If we follow in the footsteps of such great personalities and become devotees of Lord Krishna, our lives will become successful. Unfortunately people do not know this secret. Na te viduh svārtha-gatim hi vishnum: "They do not know that the real interest and the highest perfection of life is to worship Lord Vishnu [Krishna]." (Bhāg. 7.5.31) It is impossible to become satisfied by trying to adjust the external energy. Without being a devotee of Lord Krishna, one can only be baffled and confused. To save living entities from such a calamity, Lord Krishna points out in Bhagavad-gītā (7.19):
"After many, many births and deaths, a wise man surrenders unto Me, knowing very well that I, Vāsudeva, am everything. Such a great soul is very rare."
We can achieve whatever benediction we want simply by becoming devotees of Vāsudeva.
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