SB 1.1.19 (1962)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 19
Vayam tu na vitripyama uttamasloka vikrame
Yat shrinwatam rasa jnanam swadu swadu pade pade.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
vayam—we, tu—but, na—not, vitriphyama—shall be in rest, uttamasloka—the Personality of Godhead who is glorified by transcendental prayers, vikrame—adventures, yat—which, shrinwatam—by continuous hearing, rasa—humour, jananam—those who are conversant with, swadu—relishing, swadu—palatable, padepade—in every step.
TRANSLATION
We shall never be in rest even though continuously hearing the transcendental pastimes of the Personality of Godhead who is glorified by good prayers. Those who have developed the particular humour of transcedental mellow, do relish in every step such description of pastimes of the Lord.
PURPORT
That is the difference between mundane stories, fiction or history and transcenedental pastimes of the Lord. It is for this reason only that the old history of the whole universe is inculcated with reference to the pastimes of the incarnations of Godhead. Ramayan, Mahabharat or the Puranas are histories of the bygone ages recorded in connection with the pastimes of the incarnation of the Lord so that the reading matter would remain overfresh even by repeated and repeated readings. For example let us take the matter of the Bhagwat Geeta or that of the Srimad Bhagwatam. Any one may go on reading these transcendental books repeatedly for the whole life and still he will find in them new light of information. Mundane news are static whereas the transcendental news are dynamic as much as the spirit is dynamic where as the matter is static. And those who have developed the humour for understanding the transcendental subject matter shall never become tired of hearing such narrations. One is satiated by mundane activities and no body is satiated by transcendental or devotional activities. Uttama Sloka means the literature which is not meant for the nescience. Mundane literature are Tamas or in the modes of darkness of ignorance whereas the transcendental literatures are different from them. They are above such modes of darkness and the light is more and more illuminated in course of progressive reading and realisation of transcendental subject matter. The so called liberated persons are never satisfied by repetition of the word Aham Brahmasmi. Such artificial realisation of Brahma becomes hackneyed and thus for relishing real humour they turn to the narrations of the Srimad Bhagwatam. And those who are not so much fortunate they turn to worldly matters of philanthropy and altruism. This means the Mayavada philosophy is mundane whereas the philosophy of the Bhagwat Geeta and that of the Srimad Bhagwatam are transcendental.