Nārada Muni says . . . because Nārada Muni is our previous ācārya, disciplic succession from Brahmā to Nārada, Nārada to Vyāsadeva, and Vyāsadeva to others. So Nārada Muni's instructing his disciple that tyaktvā sva-dharmam: "If somebody gives . . . gives up his occupational duty . . ." Just like sometimes we are taken as some crazy fellows. We have no concern with any political movement or social movement. We have taken simply Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So they may think that "This is a society of crazy fellows. They have given up everything, simply chanting 'Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa.' " But Nārada Muni confirms, it is the first-class thing.
He says that, "If somebody, giving up everything, simply takes to Kṛṣṇa . . ." Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ (SB 1.5.17) Caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ, he takes, determines: "Now, from this day, I shall simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. I shall do nothing . . ." "So," Nārada Muni says, "if somebody does like that . . ." Bhajana . . . and Śrīdhara Svāmī says that svadharma tyāgena, nānusvadharma tyāgena bhajana paripakena yadi kṛtārtho bhavet tadā na kadācit cintā: "All right, this boy has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is very good. Let him do that. If he comes to the perfectional point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is very good." But yadi punar apakva eva mriyate: "But if he does not prosecute Kṛṣṇa consciousness rightly, maturely, and if he dies . . ."
Because death is expected every moment. So suppose we are prosecuting this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now death may come immediately. We all die. So Nārada Muni gives us encouragement that punar eva tato svedva: "Either we die or sometimes we fall down . . ." Because māyā and Kṛṣṇa, side by side. "So it is all right. We are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But if we fall down . . ." vrase vā tadā sva-dharma tyāga nimitta narthāśraya, "then you have given up your all other duties. So for giving up your duty, there must be some punishment."
I don't mean in this worldly punishment. Just like, according to Vedic system, there are brahmins, kṣatriyas; for example, just like Kṛṣṇa was advising Arjuna that, "You are kṣatriya. So if you die in this fight, then your heavenly door is open." Because, according to śāstra, if a kṣatriya dies while fighting, then automatically he gets promotion in the heavenly planet. And if he goes away, giving up the fighting, then he goes to hell. So similarly, if one does not discharge his duties, prescribed duties, then he falls down.
Nārada Muni says, "Even if he falls down, still, there is no loss. Even if he falls down, there is no loss." Sva-dharma tyāgena anartha syād asam kara tato bhajanam pated katancid vrasyed mriyate vā yadi tathāpi bhaktir asikasya karmaṇy adhikarad na.. Even there is such chance that I may fall down or I may not be mature, still, Nārada Muni gives, "There is no question of hesitation. Accept it. Even if you think that you'll not be able to prosecute Kṛṣṇa consciousness in full, still, you accept it." Na sāṅkhya.
Ami krte apy aha va śabda kathake. Śrīdhara Svāmī says that this word, here . . . Bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi vā. Vā means "What is there, even if he falls down?" Yatra kva vā nica-yony apy amuṣya bhaktir eka sya abhūt kim. Now . . . now, suppose a brahmin, a brahmin, he is . . . he has got so many duties. As a brahminical, he has to perform so many sacrifices, nitya . . . There are different . . . satya, śamo damas titikṣā. Satya means truthfulness; śama means controlling the senses; dama means . . . dama means controlling senses; śama means controlling the mind. Satya, śama, dama, titikṣā, tolerance (BG 18.42) There are so many nice qualification. So if a brahmin does not discharge his duties, it is said that he becomes a śūdra, or falls down. Sthānād bhraṣṭaḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 11.5.3).
So Nārada Muni says that, "Suppose next life a brahmin falls down, he takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Neither he executes the brahminical duties, nor he could prosecute Kṛṣṇa consciousness to perfection, still," Nārada Muni says: "there is no loss." There is no loss. Yatra kva va nica-yony apy amuṣya abhadra abhūt kim. Now, if the brahmin, by not executing his prescribed duties, he becomes a śūdra—next life he takes birth in a śūdra family or lower than śūdra family—so Nārada Muni says: "What is the loss there? Because Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that it will not leave the person who has once taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It will revive even in that lower status of life."