nÄrada uvÄca
bhiká¹£ubhir vipravasite
vijñÄnÄdeá¹£á¹á¹›bhir mama
vartamÄno vayasy Ädye
tata etad akÄraá¹£am
nÄradaḥ uvÄca - ÅšrÄ« NÄrada said; bhiká¹£ubhiḥ - by the great sages; vipravasite - having departed for other places; vijñÄna - scientific spiritual knowledge; Ädeá¹£á¹á¹›bhiḥ - those who imparted unto me; mama - mine; vartamÄnaḥ - present; vayasi Ädye - before this life; tataḥ - thereafter; etat - this much; akÄraá¹£am - performed.
In his previous life, when NÄradajÄ« was impregnated with spiritual knowledge by the grace of the great sages, there was a tangible change in his life, although he was only a boy of five years. That is an important symptom visible after initiation by the bona fide spiritual master. Actual association of devotees brings about a quick change in life for spiritual realization. How it so acted upon the previous life of ÅšrÄ« NÄrada Muni is described by and by in this chapter.