श्रीकश्यप उवाच
एतन्मे भगवान्पृष्टः प्रजाकामस्य पद्मजः ।
यदाह ते प्रवक्ष्यामि व्रतं केशवतोषणम् ॥२४॥

Å›rÄ«-kaÅ›yapa uvÄca
etan me bhagavÄn pṛṣṭaḥ
prajÄ-kÄmasya padmajaḥ
yad Äha te pravaká¹£yÄmi
vrataṠkeśava-toṣaṇam

 Å›rÄ«-kaÅ›yapaḥ uvÄca - KaÅ›yapa Muni said; etat - this; me - by me; bhagavÄn - the most powerful; pṛṣṭaḥ - when he was requested; prajÄ-kÄmasya - desiring offspring; padma-jaḥ - Lord BrahmÄ, who was born of a lotus flower; yat - whatever; Äha - he said; te - unto you; pravaká¹£yÄmi - I shall explain; vratam - in the form of worship; keÅ›ava-toá¹£aṇam - by which KeÅ›ava, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is satisfied.


Text

ÅšrÄ« KaÅ›yapa Muni said: When I desired offspring, I placed inquiries before Lord BrahmÄ, who is born from a lotus flower. Now I shall explain to you the same process Lord BrahmÄ instructed me, by which KeÅ›ava, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is satisfied.

Purport

Here the process of devotional service is further explained. KaÅ›yapa Muni wanted to instruct Aditi in the same process recommended to him by BrahmÄ for satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is valuable. The guru does not manufacture a new process to instruct the disciple. The disciple receives from the guru an authorized process received by the guru from his guru. This is called the system of disciplic succession (evaá¹ paramparÄ-prÄptaá¹ imaá¹ rÄjará¹£ayo viduḥ). This is the bona fide Vedic system of receiving the process of devotional service, by which the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pleased. Therefore, to approach a bona fide guru, or spiritual master, is essential. The bona fide spiritual master is he who has received the mercy of his guru, who in turn is bona fide because he has received the mercy of his guru. This is called the paramparÄ system. Unless one follows this paramparÄ system, the mantra one receives will be chanted for no purpose. Nowadays there are so many rascal gurus who manufacture their mantras as a process for material advancement, not spiritual advancement. Still, the mantra cannot be successful if it is manufactured. Mantras and the process of devotional service have special power, provided they are received from the authorized person.