SB 1.6.5
narada uvaca
bhiksubhir vipravasite
vijñanadestrbhir mama
vartamano vayasy adye
tata etad akarasam
Translation by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
Sri Narada said: The great sages, who had imparted scientific knowledge of transcendence to me, departed for other places, and I had to pass my life in this way.
Purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
In his previous life, when Naradaji was impregnated with spiritual knowledge by the grace of the great sages, there was a tangible change in his life, although he was only a boy of five years. That is an important symptom visible after initiation by the bona fide spiritual master. Actual association of devotees brings about a quick change in life for spiritual realization. How it so acted upon the previous life of Sri Narada Muni is described by and by in this chapter.