Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.18.4

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.18.4

nottamaśloka-vārtānāḿ

juṣatāḿ tat-kathāmṛtam

syāt sambhramo 'nta-kāle 'pi

smaratāḿ tat-padāmbujam

SYNONYMS

na — never; uttama-śloka — the Personality of Godhead, of whom the Vedic hymns sing; vārtānām — of those who live on them; juṣatām — of those who are engaged in; tat — His; kathā-amṛtam — transcendental topics about Him; syāt — it so happens; sambhramaḥ — misconception; anta — at the end; kāle — in time; api — also; smaratām — remembering; tat — His; pada-ambujam — lotus feet.

TRANSLATION

This was so because those who have dedicated their lives to the transcendental topics of the Personality of Godhead, of whom the Vedic hymns sing, and who are constantly engaged in remembering the lotus feet of the Lord, do not run the risk of having misconceptions even at the last moment of their lives.

PURPORT

The highest perfection of life is attained by remembering the transcendental nature of the Lord at the last moment of one's life. This perfection of life is made possible by one who has learned the actual transcendental nature of the Lord from the Vedic hymns sung by a liberated soul like Śukadeva Gosvāmī or someone in that line of disciplic succession. There is no gain in hearing the Vedic hymns from some mental speculator. When the same is heard from an actual self-realized soul and is properly understood by service and submission, everything becomes transparently clear. Thus a submissive disciple is able to live transcendentally and continue to the end of life. By scientific adaptation, one is able to remember the Lord even at the end of life, when the power of remembrance is slackened due to derangement of bodily membranes. For a common man, it is very difficult to remember things as they are at the time of death, but by the grace of the Lord and His bona fide devotees, the spiritual masters, one can get this opportunity without difficulty. And it was done in the case of Mahārāja Parīkṣit.