Å›rÄ«-bhagavÄn uvÄca
na hy anto 'nanta-pÄrasya
karma-kÄṇá¸asya coddhava
saá¹…ká¹£iptaá¹ varṇayiá¹£yÄmi
yathÄvad anupÅ«rvaÅ›aḥ
Å›rÄ«-bhagavÄn uvÄca - the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; na - there is not; hi - indeed; antaḥ - any end; ananta-pÄrasya - of the boundless; karma-kÄṇá¸asya - Vedic prescriptions for the execution of worship; ca - and; uddhava - O Uddhava; saá¹…ká¹£iptam - in brief; varṇayiá¹£yÄmi - I shall explain; yathÄ-vat - in a suitable manner; anupÅ«rvaÅ›aḥ - in the appropriate order.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, there is no end to the innumerable Vedic prescriptions for executing Deity worship; so I shall explain this topic to you briefly, one step at a time.
Here the word karma-kÄṇá¸a refers to the various Vedic methods of worship, culminating in Deity worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just as the means of sense gratification and material renunciation are innumerable, the transcendental pastimes and qualities the Supreme Personality of Godhead enjoys in His own abode, called Vaikuṇá¹ha, are also innumerable. The various concepts of piety and methods of purification in the material world ultimately cannot be reconciled amongst themselves without accepting the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, since without appreciation of Him there is no definitive understanding of what is actually obligatory for a human being. Even though almost all human beings are engaged in various processes of worship, the Lord will now summarize this topic, describing how one should worship Him in His Deity form.
