Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 5.26.38

nivritti-lakshana-mārga ādāv eva vyākhyātah; etāvān evānda-kośo yaś caturdaśadhā purāneshu vikalpita upagīyate yat tad bhagavato nārāyanasya sākshān mahā-purushasya sthavishtham rūpam ātmamāyā-gunamayam anuvarnitam ādritah pathati śrinoti śrāvayati sa upageyam bhagavatah paramātmano 'grāhyam api śraddhā-bhakti-viśuddha-buddhir veda

SYNONYMS

nivritti-lakshana-mārgah — the path symptomized by renunciation, or the path of liberation; ādau — in the beginning (the Second and Third Cantos); eva — indeed; vyākhyātah — described; etāvān — this much; eva — certainly; anda-kośah — the universe, which resembles a big egg; yah — which; caturdaśa-dhā — in fourteen parts; purāneshu — in the purānas; vikalpitah — divided; upagīyate — is described; yat — which; tat — that; bhagavatah — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; nārāyanasya — of Lord Nārāyana; sākshāt — directly; mahā-purushasya — of the Supreme Person; sthavishtham — the gross; rūpam — form; ātma-māyā — of His own energy; guna — of the qualities; mayam — consisting; anuvarnitam — described; ādritah — venerating; pathati — one reads; śrinoti — or hears; śrāvayati — or explains; sah — that person; upageyam — song; bhagavatah — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; paramātmanah — of the Supersoul; agrāhyam — difficult to understand; api — although; śraddhā — by faith; bhakti — and devotion; viśuddha — purified; buddhih — whose intelligence; veda — understands.

TRANSLATION

In the beginning [the Second and Third Cantos of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam] I have already described how one can progress on the path of liberation. In the Purānas the vast universal existence, which is like an egg divided into fourteen parts, is described. This vast form is considered the external body of the Lord, created by His energy and qualities. It is generally called the virāt-rūpa. If one reads the description of this external form of the Lord with great faith, or if one hears about it or explains it to others to propagate bhāgavata-dharma, or Krishna consciousness, his faith and devotion in spiritual consciousness, Krishna consciousness, will gradually increase. Although developing this consciousness is very difficult, by this process one can purify himself and gradually come to an awareness of the Supreme Absolute Truth.

PURPORT

The Krishna consciousness movement is pushing forward the publication of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, as explained especially for the understanding of the modern civilized man, to awaken him to his original consciousness. Without this consciousness, one melts into complete darkness. Whether one goes to the upper planetary systems or the hellish planetary systems, he simply wastes his time. Therefore one should hear of the universal position of the virāt form of the Lord as described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That will help one save himself from material conditional life and gradually elevate him to the path of liberation so that he can go back home, back to Godhead.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness