SB 1.1.5 (1962)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 5
Ta ekada tu munayah pratar huta agnayah Satkritam sutam asinam prapachhu idam adarat
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Ta—the sages, Ekada—one day, tu—but, Munayah—sages, pratar—morning, huta—burning, agnaya—fire, satkritam—due respects, Sutam—Sri Suta Goswami, asinam—seated on, prapachhu—made querries, idam—on this (as follows), adarat—with due regards.
TRANSLATION
So one day the great sages after finishing the morning duties by burning the sacrificial fire and offering a respectful seat to Srila Suta Goswami made enquiries about the following with great regards.
PURPORT
Morning time is the best and the most suitable occasion for holding holy service and here are the indications for such spiritual association. The great sages offered to speaker of Bhagwat a respectful elevated seat for comfortable accomodation. Such seat is called the Vyasa Asana or the seat of Sri Vyasadeva. Sri Vyasadeva is the original spiritual preceptor for all men. And all other preceptors are considered to be His representative. Representative means one who can exactly present the view point of Sri Vyasadeva. Sri Vyasadeva impregnated the message of Bhagwatam unto Srila Suka Deva Goswami and Sri Suta Goswami heard it from him (Sri Suka Deva Goswami). All bonafide representatives of Sri Vyasdeva in the right chain of desciplic succession are to be understood as Goswamins because such Goswamins restrain all the senses from being deviated from the path of previous Acharyas. The Goswamins do not deliver lectures on Bhagwat capriciously but they execute the service most carefully with regard for his predicessor who delivered the spiritual message unbroken.
The listeners of the Bhagwat from such bonafide representative of Sri Vyasdeva may put questions to the speaker for eliciting the clear meaning but it must not be done in challenging spirit but must be submitted with great regard for the speaker and the subject matter. That is the way recommended in the Bhagwat Geeta. One must learn the transcendental subject by submissive aural reception and that also from the right sources. And thus the sages asked the speaker with great respect.