Verse 2.1.31

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.1.31:

मुनीन्द्र-गोष्ठ्याम् उपदेश्य तत्त्वं शुकात्मना येन भयं निरस्य ।
प्रमोद्य च स्व-प्रिय-सङ्ग-दानात् कथामृतं सम्प्रति च प्रापय्ये ॥ ३१ ॥

munīndra-goṣṭhyām upadeśya tattvaṃ śukātmanā yena bhayaṃ nirasya |
pramodya ca sva-priya-saṅga-dānāt kathāmṛtaṃ samprati ca prāpayye || 31 ||

muni-indra-goṣṭhyām–in the assembly of grand sages; upadeśya–instructed; tattvam–spirtual truth; śuka-ātmanā–through the heart of Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī; yena–by Him; bhayam–fear; nirasya–dissipated; pramodya–delighting; ca–also; sva-priya–of His beloved devotees; saṅga–of the association; dānāt–by the gift; kathā–pastimes; amṛtam–nectar; samprati–now; ca–and; prapāyye–He is making me take.

Previously, that same Śrī Kṛṣṇa appeared as Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī in that august assembly of exalted sages and instructed me on spiritual truth. He thereby dissipated my fears and immersed me in bliss. And now, by granting me the association of His beloved devotees like you, He is making me drink the nectar of the narrations of His pastimes.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)

Śrī Parīkṣit says, “In the assembly of sages such as Vaśiṣṭha, Parāśara, Vyāsa, and Nārada, there was a debate regarding how to ascertain the Absolute Truth, or tattva. In that assembly, Śrī Kṛṣṇa manifested in the form of Śrī Śukadeva and instructed me on this Absolute Truth.”

Śrī Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya states:

तेन ते देवता-तत्त्वं पृष्टा वादान् वितेनिरे नाना-शास्त्र-विदो विप्रा मिथः साधन-दूषणैः
हरिर्दैवं शिवो दैवं भास्करो दैवमित्युत काल एव स्वभावस्तु कर्मैवेति पृथग् जगुः

tena te devatā-tattvaṃ pṛṣṭā vādān vitenire nānā-śāstra-vido viprā mithaḥ sādhana-dūṣaṇaiḥ
harirdaivaṃ śivo daivaṃ bhāskaro daivamityuta kāla eva svabhāvastu karmaiveti pṛthag jaguḥ

An assembly of venerable brāhmaṇas, learned in different scriptures and engaged in various spiritual practices, were questioned as to who or what is the supreme spiritual object of worship. Some proposed Śrī Hari, some suggested Śrī Śiva, and others suggested Sūrya (the sun-god), kāla (the supreme time factor), svabhāva (natural sentiments according to one’s nature), and karma (fruitive action).

Śrī Parīkṣit says, “In this way, while describing various worshipable truths (upāsya-tattvas) they began to debate with one another. In that august assembly of great sages, Śrī Kṛṣṇa appeared in the form of Śrī Vyāsa’s son Śrī Śukadeva and dispelled my fear. He instructed me on paramārtha-tattva, the truth about life’s ultimate goal, which was approved by all. That is, he instructed me about the truth of the body and the soul. He made me blissful by eradicating my fear of imminent death in the form of the bite of the snake Takṣaka, or in other words, by removing the fear of material existence, which consists of repeated birth and death. He did this by delighting me with his explanation about the truth of the glories of bhagavad-bhakti, devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, invoking in me true knowledge about the science of bhakti.

“Now, Śrī Gurudeva (Śrī Śukadeva) has disappeared from my vision and the time of my death is near. Nevertheless, since the essence of all goals is to relish the rasa contained within the transcendental topics about Śrī Kṛṣṇa, in the association of His beloved devotees, the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is making me drink the nectar of His pastimes in an excellent way by granting me the association of you, a venerable Vaiṣṇavī, who are indeed very dear to Him.”