निवृत्तिलक्षणमार्ग आदावेव व्याख्यात: । एतावानेवाण्डकोशो यश्चतुर्दशधा पुराणेषु विकल्पित उपगीयते यत्तद्भगवतो नारायणस्य साक्षान्महापुरुषस्य स्थविष्ठं रूपमात्ममायागुणमयमनुवर्णितमादृत: पठति शृणोति श्रावयति स उपगेयं भगवत: परमात्मनोऽग्राह्यमपि श्रद्धाभक्तिविशुद्धबुद्धिर्वेद ॥ ३८ ॥
nivrtti-laksana-marga adav eva vyakhyatah; etavan evanda-koso yas caturdasadha puranesu vikalpita upagiyate yat tad bhagavato narayanasya saksan maha-purusasya sthavistham rupam atmamaya-gunamayam anuvarnitam adrtah pathati srnoti sravayati sa upageyam bhagavatah paramatmano ’grahyam api sraddha-bhakti-visuddha-buddhir veda.
- nivrtti-laksana-margah
- the path symptomized by renunciation, or the path of liberation
- adau
- in the beginning (the second and third cantos)
- eva
- indeed
- vyakhyatah
- described
- etavan
- this much
- eva
- certainly
- anda-kosah
- the universe, which resembles a big egg
- yah
- which
- caturdasa-dha
- in fourteen parts
- puranesu
- in the Puranas
- vikalpitah
- divided
- upagiyate
- is described
- yat
- which
- tat
- that
- bhagavatah
- of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- narayanasya
- of Lord Narayana
- saksat
- directly
- maha-purusasya
- of the Supreme Person
- sthavistham
- the gross
- rupam
- form
- atma-maya
- of His own energy
- guna
- of the qualities
- mayam
- consisting
- anuvarnitam
- described
- adrtah
- venerating
- pathati
- one reads
- srnoti
- or hears
- sravayati
- or explains
- sah
- that person
- upageyam
- song
- bhagavatah
- of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- paramatmanah
- of the Supersoul
- agrahyam
- difficult to understand
- api
- although
- sraddha
- by faith
- bhakti
- and devotion
- visuddha
- purified
- buddhih
- whose intelligence
- veda
- understands
In the beginning (the Second and Third Cantos of Srimad-Bhagavatam) I have already described how one can progress on the path of liberation. In the Puranas 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 virat-rupa. 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 bhagavata-dharma, or Krsna consciousness, his faith and devotion in spiritual consciousness, Krsna 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.