tam - that (saintly person); śayānam - lying down; dharā-upasthe - on the ground; kāveryām - on the bank of the River Kāverī; sahya-sānuni - on a ridge of the mountain known as Sahya; rajaḥ-valaiḥ - covered with dust and dirt; tanū-deśaiḥ - with all the parts of the body; nigūḍha - very grave and deep; amala - spotless; tejasam - whose spiritual power; dadarśa - he saw; lokān - to all the different planets; vicaran - traveling; loka-tattva - the nature of the living beings (especially those who are trying to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness); vivitsayā - to try to understand; vṛtaḥ - surrounded; amātyaiḥ - by royal associates; katipayaiḥ - a few; prahrādaḥ - Mahārāja Prahlāda; bhagavat-priyaḥ - who is always very, very dear to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Prahlāda Mahārāja, the most dear servitor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, once went out touring the universe with some of his confidential associates just to study the nature of saintly persons. Thus he arrived at the bank of the Kāverī, where there was a mountain known as Sahya. There he found a great saintly person who was lying on the ground, covered with dirt and dust, but who was deeply spiritually advanced.