नाम्नातीते महाकल्पे गन्धर्वाणां सुसम्मत: ॥ ६९ ॥
gandharva upabarhaṇaḥ
nāmnātīte mahā-kalpe
gandharvāṇāṁ susammataḥ
ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ
rātriṁ yuga-sahasrāntāṁ
te 'ho-rātra-vido janāḥ
SYNONYMS
aham—I myself; purā—formerly; abhavam—existed as; kaścit gandharvaḥ—one of the denizens of Gandharvaloka; upabarhaṇaḥ—Upabarhaṇa; nāmnā—by the name; atīte—long, long ago; mahā-kalpe—in a life of Brahmā, which is known as a mahā-kalpa; gandharvāṇām—among the Gandharvas; su-sammataḥ—a very respectable person.
TRANSLATION
Long, long ago, in another mahā-kalpa [millennium of Brahmā], I existed as the Gandharva known as Upabarhaṇa. I was very respected by the other Gandharvas.
PURPORT
Śrīla Nārada Muni is giving a practical example from his past life. Formerly, during the previous lifetime of Lord Brahmā, Nārada Muni was one of the denizens of Gandharvaloka, but unfortunately, as will be explained, he fell from his exalted position in Gandharvaloka, where the inhabitants are extremely beautiful and expert in singing, to become a śūdra. Nonetheless, because of his association with devotees, he became more fortunate than he was in Gandharvaloka. Even though cursed by the prajāpatis to become a śūdra, in his next life he became the son of Lord Brahmā.
The word mahā-kalpe is described by Śrīla Madhvācārya as atīta-brahma-kalpe. Brahmā dies at the end of a life of many millions of years. The day of Brahmā is described in Bhagavad-gītā (8.17):
ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ
rātriṁ yuga-sahasrāntāṁ
te 'ho-rātra-vido janāḥ