CC Madhya 24.190
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 190
te vai vidanty atitaranti ca deva-māyāṁ
strī-śūdra-hūna-śabarā api pāpa-jīvāḥ
yady adbhuta-krama-parāyaṇa-śīla-śikṣās
tiryag-janā api kim u śruta-dhāraṇā ye
SYNONYMS
te—all of them; vai—certainly; vidanti—understand; atitaranti—cross over; ca—also; deva-māyām—the influence of the external illusory energy; strī—women; śūdra—fourth-class men; hūna—uncivilized hill tribes; śabarāḥ—and hunters; api—even; pāpa-jīvāḥ—sinful creatures; yadi—if; adbhuta-krama—of the performer of wonderful activities; parāyaṇa—of the devotees; śīla-śikṣāḥ—characteristics and education; tiryak-janāḥ—birds and beasts; api—even; kim u—what to speak of; śruta-dhāraṇāḥ ye—persons advanced in the education of Vedic knowledge.
TRANSLATION
“‘Women, fourth-class men, uncivilized hill tribes, hunters and many others born of low families, as well as birds and beasts, can engage in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead—who acts very wonderfully—and follow the path of the devotees and take lessons from them. Although the ocean of nescience is vast, they can still cross over it. What, then, is the difficulty for those who are advanced in Vedic knowledge?’
PURPORT
This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (SB 2.7.46). Lord Brahmā said this when speaking to his disciple Nārada about the wonderful characteristics of Lord Viṣṇu. Simply by chanting the glories of Lord Viṣṇu, one can cross the ocean of nescience, even though one may be lowborn.