Canto 3: The Status QuoChapter 24: The Renunciation of Kardama Muni

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.24.30

svīyaḿ vākyam ṛtaḿ kartum

avatīrṇo 'si me gṛhe

cikīrṣur bhagavān jñānaḿ

bhaktānāḿ māna-vardhanaḥ

SYNONYMS

svīyam — Your own; vākyam — words; ṛtam — true; kartumto make; avatīrṇaḥ — descended; asi — You are; me gṛhein my house; cikīrṣuḥ — desirous of disseminating; bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead; jñānam — knowledge; bhaktānām — of the devotees; māna — the honor; vardhanaḥ — who increases.

TRANSLATION

Kardama Muni said: You, my dear Lord, who are always increasing the honor of Your devotees, have descended in my home just to fulfill Your word and disseminate the process of real knowledge.

PURPORT

When the Lord appeared before Kardama Muni after his mature yoga practice, He promised that He would become Kardama's son. He descended as the son of Kardama Muni in order to fulfill that promise. Another purpose of His appearance is cikīrṣur bhagavān jñānam, to distribute knowledge. Therefore, He is called bhaktānāḿ māna-vardhanaḥ, "He who increases the honor of His devotees." By distributing Sāńkhya He would increase the honor of the devotees; therefore, Sāńkhya philosophy is not dry mental speculation. Sāńkhya philosophy means devotional service. How could the honor of the devotees be increased unless Sāńkhya were meant for devotional service? Devotees are not interested in speculative knowledge; therefore, the Sāńkhya enunciated by Kapila Muni is meant to establish one firmly in devotional service. Real knowledge and real liberation is to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and engage in devotional service.

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