svara-brahmaṇi nirbhÄta-
hṛṣīkeÅ›a-padÄmbuje
akhaṇá¸aá¹ cittam ÄveÅ›ya
lokÄn anucaran muniḥ
svara-brahmaṇi - in spiritual sound; nirbhÄta - placing clearly before the mind; hṛṣīkeÅ›a - of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, the master of the senses; padÄmbuje - the lotus feet; akhaṇá¸am - unbroken; cittam - consciousness; ÄveÅ›ya - engaging; lokÄn - all the planetary systems; anucarat - traveled around; muniḥ - the great sage NÄrada Muni.
The goodness of the great sage NÄrada Muni is described herewith. He always chants about the pastimes of the Lord and delivers the fallen souls back to Godhead. In this regard, ÅšrÄ«la Bhaktivinoda ṬhÄkura has sung:
nÄrada-muni, bÄjÄya vīṇÄ,
‘rÄdhikÄ-ramaṇa’-nÄme
nÄma amani, udita haya,
bhakata-gÄ«ta-sÄme
amiya-dhÄrÄ, variá¹£e ghana,
Å›ravaṇa-yugale giyÄ
bhakata-jana, saghane nÄce,
bhariyÄ Äpana hiyÄ
mÄdhurÄ«-pÅ«ra, Äsaba paÅ›i’,
mÄtÄya jagata-jane
keha vÄ kÄá¹…de, keha vÄ nÄce,
keha mÄte mane mane
pañca-vadana, nÄrade dhari’,
premera saghana rola
kamalÄsana, nÄciyÄ bale,
‘bola bola hari bola’
sahasrÄnana, parama-sukhe,
‘hari hari’ bali’ gÄya
nÄma-prabhÄve, mÄtila viÅ›va,
nÄma-rasa sabe pÄya
Å›rÄ«-kṛṣṇa-nÄma, rasane sphuri’,
purÄ â€™la ÄmÄra ÄÅ›a
Å›rÄ«-rÅ«pa-pade, yÄcaye ihÄ,
bhakativinoda dÄsa
The purport of this song is that NÄrada Muni, the great soul, plays a stringed instrument called a vīṇÄ, vibrating the sound rÄdhikÄ-ramaṇa, which is another name for Kṛṣṇa. As soon as he strokes the strings, all the devotees begin responding, making a very beautiful vibration. Accompanied by the stringed instrument, the singing seems like a shower of nectar, and all the devotees dance in ecstasy to the fullest extent of their satisfaction. While dancing, they appear madly intoxicated with ecstasy, as if drinking the beverage called mÄdhurÄ«-pÅ«ra. Some of them cry, some of them dance, and some of them, although unable to dance publicly, dance within their hearts. Lord Åšiva embraces NÄrada Muni and begins talking in an ecstatic voice, and seeing Lord Åšiva dancing with NÄrada, Lord BrahmÄ also joins, saying, “All of you kindly chant ‘Hari bol! Hari bol!’†The King of heaven, Indra, also gradually joins with great satisfaction and begins dancing and chanting “Hari bol! Hari bol!†In this way, by the influence of the transcendental vibration of the holy name of God, the whole universe becomes ecstatic. Bhaktivinoda ṬhÄkura says, “When the universe becomes ecstatic, my desire is satisfied. I therefore pray unto the lotus feet of RÅ«pa GosvÄmÄ« that this chanting of harer nÄma may go on nicely like this.â€
Lord BrahmÄ is the guru of NÄrada Muni, who is the guru of VyÄsadeva, and VyÄsadeva is the guru of MadhvÄcÄrya. Thus the Gauá¸Ä«ya MÄdhva sampradÄya is in the disciplic succession from NÄrada Muni. The members of this disciplic succession — in other words, the members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement — should follow in the footsteps of NÄrada Muni by chanting the transcendental vibration Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare RÄma, Hare RÄma, RÄma RÄma, Hare Hare. They should go everywhere to deliver the fallen souls by vibrating the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and the instructions of Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ, ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam and Caitanya-caritÄmá¹›ta. That will please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One can spiritually advance if one actually follows the instructions of NÄrada Muni. If one pleases NÄrada Muni, then the Supreme Personality of Godhead, HṛṣīkeÅ›a, is also pleased (yasya prasÄdÄd bhagavat-prasÄdaḥ). The immediate spiritual master is the representative of NÄrada Muni; there is no difference between the instructions of NÄrada Muni and those of the present spiritual master. Both NÄrada Muni and the present spiritual master speak the same teachings of Kṛṣṇa, who says in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (18.65-66):
man-manÄ bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yÄjÄ« mÄá¹ namaskuru
mÄm evaiá¹£yasi satyaá¹ te
pratijÄne priyo ’si me
sarva-dharmÄn parityajya
mÄm ekaá¹ Å›araṇaá¹ vraja
ahaá¹ tvÄá¹ sarva-pÄpebhyo
moká¹£ayiá¹£yÄmi mÄ Å›ucaḥ
“Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend. Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.â€