In the verses so far, Śrī Vālmīki had elucidated the Vedic method of surrendering unto a bona fide spiritual master. Now he elucidates the Vedic method of teaching a bona fide disciple—to teach him about the imperishable Supreme Person (Nārāyaṇa) beyond material existence. [Both of these topics appear in Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12-13.]

Tri-lokajñaḥ indicates that Nārada Muni is a knower of the three worlds or three categories of living beings. The three worlds can mean bhūḥ, bhuvaḥ and svaḥ, or kṛtaka (up to Maharloka), kṛtakākṛtaka (Janaloka) and akṛtaka (Satyaloka) as set out in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa. The three categories of living beings are the bound, the eternally liberated and the liberated. As the son of Lord Brahmā, Nārada has learnt about all of these and hence he knows about them.

Ca (“and so on”) indicates that Nārada Muni also understood Vālmīki’s intention in asking these questions.

Prahṛṣṭaḥ: He was delighted because he had learnt the Rāmāyaṇa composed by Lord Brahmā in Brahmaloka that extended up to a hundred crore verses, and having understood it, he had wanted to teach Vālmīki about that very subject that he is asking about. He was also delighted that he had obtained an unprecedented disciple who caused him to drink the nectar of remembrance of the transcendental qualities of Lord Rāma. Therefore, he became overcome by ecstasy and explicitly said, “Listen,” to draw Vālmīki’s attention.

NOTE. The Viṣṇu Purāṇa statement referred to in this commen-tary is:

trailokyam etat kṛtakaṃ maitreya paripaṭhyate
janas tapas tathā satyam iti cākṛtakaṃ trayam
kṛtakākṛtayor madhye maharloka iti smṛtaḥ

“O Maitreya, the three worlds (bhūr, bhuvar and svar) are named kṛtaka. Janas, Tapas and Satya are the three akṛtaka worlds. Maharloka is considered to be between the kṛtaka and akṛtaka worlds.” (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 2.7.19-20)

One attains the hellish worlds through impious activities—activities of adharma. This is in the mode of ignorance. In the mode of passion, one engages in pious activities (karma) in Vedic dharma and attains the kṛtaka worlds. In the mode of goodness, one engages in spiritual knowledge (jñāna) in Vedic dharma and attains the akṛtaka worlds. In transcendence, one engages in pure devotional service (bhakti) in Vedic dharma and attains the spiritual worlds. Mahar-loka appears to have the nature of kṛtaka and akṛtaka worlds. The kṛtaka and higher worlds are vividly distinguished in Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī’s Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta, Part 2.