SB 1.12.28 (1964)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 28
Jijnasita atmayatharthyo munervyasasutad asou, Hitwa idan nripa gangayom yasyati addha akutobhayam.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Jijnasita—having enquired of, Atmayatharthyo—right knowledge of one's ownself, Muner—from the learned philospher, Vyasasutad—the son of Vyasa, Asou—he, Hitwa—quitting, Idam—this material attachment, Nripa—oh the king, Gangayam—on the bank of the Ganges, Yasyati—will go, Addha—directly, Akutabhayam—the life of fearlessness.
TRANSLATION
Thus after enquiring from the great philospher son of Vyasadeva about the right knowledge of his ownself he, shall achieve the life of fearlessness after quitting this material attachment.
PURPORT
Material knowledge means ignorance of the knowledge of one's own self. Philosophy means to seek after the right knowledge of one's ownself or the knowledge of self realisation. Without self realisation philosophy means dry speculation or waste of time and energy, Srimad Bhagwatam means the right knowledge of one's own self and hearing of Srimad Bhagwatam means to get free from material attachment and enter into the kingdom of fearlessness. This material world is fearfulness as if a prisoner is always fearful within the prison house. In the prison house nobody can violate the jail rules and regulations and violating the rules means another term for extention of prison-life. Similarly we are in this material existenee always fearful. This fearfulness is called anxiety. Everyone in the material life in all species of or varieties of life, is full of anxieties either by breaking or without breaking the laws of nature. Liberation or Mukti means getting relief from this constant anxieties. This is only possible when the quality of the anxiety is changed in the devotional service of the Lord. Srimad Bhagwatam gives us this chance of changing the quality of anxiety from matter to spirit. This is done in the association of learned philosopher like self realised Sukadeva Goswami the great son of Sri Vyasdeva. Maharaj Parikshit after receiving the warning of his death took advantage of this opportunity by association of Sukadeva Goswami and achieved the desired result.
There is a sort of imitation of this reciting and hearing of Srimad Bhagwatam by professional men and the foolish audience who think that they would get free from the clutches of material attachment for attaining the life of fearlessness. Such imitation of hearing Srimad Bhagwatam is a caricature only and one may not be misled by such performance of Bhagwatam Saptaha undertaken by ridiculous greedy fellow for maintaining an estabilishment of material enjoyment.