The fifth shloka of Bhagawata:

The munis asked Suta.

Who is a muni?
मनुते जानाति इति मुनिः
They have knowledge. They can do manana—contemplation, and realize a lot. They don’t just listen to somebody and follow; they don’t just listen and reproduce like a parrot. They have the capability to contemplate. Their knowledge is refined through contemplation.

In our scriptures, every single syllable has significance. For example, take this shloka itself, take प्रातर्हुतहुताग्नयः. Why huta two times?

Huta means having done homa. Why two times? Because in a long yaga spread over days—here, it is a thousand years—such yagas have nitya homas and naimittika homas.

Homas such as Agnihotra, performed every day morning and evening, and naimittika homas done on specific days. Take Dasharatha's Ashwamedha. It started with Sangrahani Ishti on Chaitra Purnima. Then, on the next Vaishakha Purnima, Pashu yaga was there. Then, on Vaishakha Amavasya, Brahmoudanam was there. These are all naimittika yagas, karmas.

Every day—nitya, on specific times—naimittika. Huta huta twice points towards this.

Such things, munis understand because they have knowledge and the power to contemplate. An ordinary person would just think that repetition—huta huta—is casual or is merely filling the line with the required number of syllables as per the chhanda. It is not like that.

How have the munis acquired this knowledge and power to contemplate?

दुःखेष्वनुद्विग्नमनाः सुखेषु विगतस्पृहः।
वीतरागभयक्रोधः स्थितधीर्मुनिरुच्यते

says the Geeta.

In times of trouble, they don’t get upset. They don’t get attached to happy times. They don’t have passion, fear, or anger. Their minds are steady always—such people are called munis.

Munis know that Suta has a lot to share. Suta here is Sauti Ugrasrava, the same narrator of Mahabharata. He was paid respect, offered Brahmasana, and then asked.

Have you noticed? A person who stands and says something is in a hurry. Not only saying, but a person who is standing also has a tendency to move. The mind will not be completely calm if you are standing. That’s why Shastra prohibits offering Namaskara to a person who is standing.

You should offer Namaskara only to the person who is seated because only then will they be able to completely reciprocate with a blessing.

Satkara. This is our tradition. If you want to gain something from someone, you should do Satkara.

What is Satkara? Puja. Offering chandana, kumkuma, clothes, doing Namaskara in front of them—gestures that show that they are above us. Both dana and mana—both offering things as a mark of respect and showing respect through gestures and words.

This is Satkara, completely different from paying a fee and learning as it happens today in educational institutions. Knowledge was never a commodity with a fixed price.

Today, knowledge comes even with limited-period discount offers, buy-one-get-one-free offers, and refer-and-earn offers. No, it was not like that.

Munis asked Suta with Adara, with respect. It is not that the leader of the munis asked. In Mahabharata, when Sauti asked them what they wanted to hear, the munis said, ‘Let our Kulapati Shaunaka come, he will say.’

Here it is different—papracchu, plural, many were asking simultaneously. This shows their keenness to hear.

The next three shlokas talk about the qualification of Suta—why Suta is eligible to give knowledge even to the munis, what all he knows, and the depth of his knowledge.

Knowledge Bank

Where is Agastya Mountain?

Agastya mountain also known as Agastyarkoodam or Agastya-malai is in the Western-ghats 60 km away from Trivandrum, Kerala.

Ashtadharma margas

Ashtamargas are eight ways for obtaining moksha. They are - performing yajnas, learning Vedas, giving danam, performing tapas such as fasting, adhering to honesty, observing tolerance in all situations, being kind to everyone, and giving up all desires.