Text 38
nivṛtti-lakṣaṇa-mārga ādāv eva vyākhyātaḥ; etāvān evāṇḍa-kośo yaś caturdaśadhā purāṇeṣu vikalpita upagīyate yat tad bhagavato nārāyaṇasya sākṣān mahā-puruṣasya sthaviṣṭhaṁ rūpam ātmamāyā-guṇamayam anuvarṇitam ādṛtaḥ paṭhati śṛṇoti śrāvayati sa upageyaṁ bhagavataḥ paramātmano ’grāhyam api śraddhā-bhakti-viśuddha-buddhir veda.
nivṛtti-lakṣaṇa-mārgaḥ — the path symptomized by renunciation, or the path of liberation; ādau — in the beginning (the second and third cantos); eva — indeed; vyākhyātaḥ — described; etāvān — this much; eva — certainly; aṇḍa-kośaḥ — the universe, which resembles a big egg; yaḥ — which; caturdaśa-dhā — in fourteen parts; purāṇeṣu — in the Purāṇas; vikalpitaḥ — divided; upagīyate — is described; yat — which; tat — that; bhagavataḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; nārāyaṇasya — of Lord Nārāyaṇa; sākṣāt — directly; mahā-puruṣasya — of the Supreme Person; sthaviṣṭham — the gross; rūpam — form; ātma-māyā — of His own energy; guṇa — of the qualities; mayam — consisting; anuvarṇitam — described; ādṛtaḥ — venerating; paṭhati — one reads; śṛṇoti — or hears; śrāvayati — or explains; saḥ — that person; upageyam — song; bhagavataḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; paramātmanaḥ — of the Supersoul; agrāhyam — difficult to understand; api — although; śraddhā — by faith; bhakti — and devotion; viśuddha — purified; buddhiḥ — whose intelligence; veda — understands.
In the beginning [the second and third cantos of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam] I have already described how one can progress on the path of liberation. In the Purāṇas the vast universal existence, which is like an egg divided into fourteen parts, is described. This vast form is considered the external body of the Lord, created by His energy and qualities. It is generally called the virāṭ-rūpa. If one reads the description of this external form of the Lord with great faith, or if one hears about it or explains it to others to propagate bhāgavata-dharma, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his faith and devotion in spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, will gradually increase. Although developing this consciousness is very difficult, by this process one can purify himself and gradually come to an awareness of the Supreme Absolute Truth.
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is pushing forward the publication of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, as explained especially for the understanding of the modern civilized man, to awaken him to his original consciousness. Without this consciousness, one melts into complete darkness. Whether one goes to the upper planetary systems or the hellish planetary systems, he simply wastes his time. Therefore one should hear of the universal position of the virāṭ form of the Lord as described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That will help one save himself from material conditional life and gradually elevate him to the path of liberation so that he can go back home, back to Godhead.