navÄbhavan mahÄ-bhÄgÄ
munayo hy artha-Å›aá¹sinaḥ
Å›ramaá¹‡Ä vÄta-rasanÄ
Ätma-vidyÄ-viÅ›ÄradÄḥ
kavir havir antarīkṣaḥ
prabuddhaḥ pippalÄyanaḥ
Ävirhotro 'tha drumilaÅ›
camasaḥ karabhÄjanaḥ
nava - nine; abhavan - there were; mahÄ-bhÄgÄḥ - greatly fortunate souls; munayaḥ - sages; hi - indeed; artha-Å›aá¹sinaḥ - engaged in explaining the Absolute Truth; Å›ramaṇÄḥ - thus exerting great endeavor; vÄta-rasanÄḥ - dressed by the wind (naked); Ätma-vidyÄ - in spiritual science; viÅ›ÄradÄḥ - learned; kaviḥ haviḥ antarÄ«ká¹£aḥ - Kavi, Havir and AntarÄ«ká¹£a; prabuddhaḥ pippalÄyanaḥ - Prabuddha and PippalÄyana; Ävirhotraḥ - Ä€virhotra; atha - also; drumilaḥ - Drumila; camasaḥ karabhÄjanaḥ - Camasa and KarabhÄjana.
Nimi, the King of Videha, asked the following nine questions of the nine Yogendras, the saintly sons of Ṛṣabha. (1) What is the highest good? (Chapter Two, verse 30); (2) What are the religious principles (dharma), natural proclivities (svabhÄva), behavior (ÄcÄra), speech (vÄkya) and outward symptoms (laká¹£aṇa) of a bhÄgavata, a Vaiṣṇava devotee of the Lord? (2.44); (3) What is the external energy of Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord? (3.1); (4) How can one become dissociated from this mÄyÄ? (3.17); (5)What is the true identity of Brahman? (3.34); (6) What are the three types of karma, namely karma based on the enjoyment of the fruits of work, karma offered to the Supreme Lord, and naiá¹£karmya? (3.41); (7) What are the various pastimes of the various incarnations of God? (4.1); (8) What is the aim or destination of one who is against the Supreme Lord and devoid of bhakti (in other words, a nondevotee)? (5.1); and (9)What are the respective colors, forms and names of the four yugÄvatÄras, the four incarnations of the Supreme Lord who appear in the four ages, and what is the process of worshiping each of Them? (5.19).
The transcendental answers to these inquiries were given by the great devotees Kavi, Havir, AntarÄ«ká¹£a, Prabuddha, PippalÄyana, Ä€virhotra, Drumila, Camasa and KarabhÄjana. These nine paramahaá¹sas answered the nine questions, each in turn, in the following verses: (1) 2.33-43; (2) 2.45-55; (3) 3.3-16; (4) 3.18-33; (5) 3.35-40; (6) 3.43-55; (7) 4.2-23; (8) 5.2-18; and (9) 5.20-42.