स्वायम्भुव कया वृत्त्या वर्तितं ते परं वयः ।
कथं चेदमुदस्राक्षीः काले प्राप्ते कलेवरम् ॥३॥

svÄyambhuva kayÄ vá¹›ttyÄ
vartitaṠte paraṠvayaḥ
kathaá¹ cedam udasrÄkṣīḥ
kÄle prÄpte kalevaram

 svÄyambhuva - O son of BrahmÄ; kayÄ - under what condition; vá¹›ttyÄ - occupation; vartitam - was spent; te - you; param - after the initiation; vayaḥ - duration of life; katham - how; ca - and; idam - this; udasrÄkṣīḥ - did you quit; kÄle - in due course; prÄpte - having attained; kalevaram - body.


Text

O son of BrahmÄ, how did you pass your life after initiation, and how did you attain this body, having quit your old one in due course?

Purport

ÅšrÄ« NÄrada Muni in his previous life was just an ordinary maidservant’s son, so how he became so perfectly transformed into the spiritual body of eternal life, bliss and knowledge is certainly important. ÅšrÄ« VyÄsadeva desired him to disclose the facts for everyone’s satisfaction.