SB 1.4.1 (1962)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 1
Iti brubanam samstuya muninam dirgha satrinam Bridhah kulapatih sutam bahvrichah sounako 'brabit
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Iti—thus, Brubanam—speaking, Samstuya—congratulating, Muninam—of the great sages, Dirgha—prolonged, Satrinam—of those engaged in the performance of sacrifice, Briddha—elderly, Kulaptih—head of the assembly, Sutam—unto Suta Goswami, Sounaka—of the name, Abrobit—addressed.
TRANSLATION
On hearing Suta Goswami thus speaking, Sounaka Muni who was the elderly and learned leader of all the Rishis engaged in that prolonged sacrificial ceremony congratulated Suta Goswami by addressing him, as follows:
PURPORT
In the meeting of learned men when there is any congratulation or address for the speaker in the meeting, the qualification of such congratulator shall be as follows. He must be the leader of the house and elderly men. He must be vastly learned also. Sri Sounaka rishi represented all these qualifications and thus he stood up to congratulate Sri Suta Goswami when he expressed His desire to present Srimad Bhagwatam as he exactly heard it from Sukadeva Goswami and also by his personal realisation. Personal realisation does not mean that one should attempt to show the vanity of one's own learning trying to surpass the previous Acharya. He must have full confidence in the previous Acharya and at the same time he must realise the subject matter so nicely that he may be able to present the matter just for the particular circumstances in a suitable manner. The original purpose of the text must be maintained. No interesting meaning shall be screwed out of it and yet it may be presented in an appreciable manner for the understanding of the audience. This is called realisation. The leader of the assembly Sounaka could just estimate the value of the speaker Sri Suta Goswami simply by his uttering Yathadhitam and Yathamatih and therefore he was very glad to congratulate him in ecstacy. No learned man may be willing to hear a person who does not represent the original Acharya. So the speaker as well as the audience were both bonafide in this meeting where Bhagwat was being recited for the second time. That should be the standard of recitation of Bhagwatam so that the real purpose can be served and Lord Sri Krishna can be realised without any difficulty. Unless this situation is created, Bhagwat recitation for ulterior purposes will be useless labour both for the speaker and the audience.