नारदाय प्रवोचन्तं पृच्छते शृण्वतां सताम् ॥३७॥
upaviá¹£á¹aá¹ darbhamayyÄá¹
bá¹›syÄá¹ brahma sanÄtanam
nÄradÄya pravocantaá¹
pá¹›cchate śṛṇvatÄá¹ satÄm
upaviá¹£á¹am - seated; darbha-mayyÄm - made of darbha, straw; bá¹›syÄm - on a mattress; brahma - the Absolute Truth; sanÄtanam - the eternal; nÄradÄya - unto NÄrada; pravocantam - speaking; pá¹›cchate - asking; śṛṇvatÄm - listening; satÄm - of the great sages.
He was seated on a straw mattress and speaking to all present, including the great sage NÄrada, to whom he specifically spoke about the Absolute Truth.
The lord was sitting on a mattress of straw because such a sitting place is accepted by persons who are practicing austerities to gain understanding of the Absolute Truth. In this verse it is specifically mentioned that he was speaking to the great sage NÄrada, a celebrated devotee. NÄrada was asking Lord Åšiva about devotional service, and Åšiva, being the topmost Vaiṣṇava, was instructing him. In other words, Lord Åšiva and NÄrada were discussing the knowledge of the Veda, but it is to be understood that the subject matter was devotional service. Another point in this connection is that Lord Åšiva is the supreme instructor and the great sage NÄrada is the supreme audience. Therefore the supreme subject matter of Vedic knowledge is bhakti, or devotional service.
