Here is the short summary of SB 1.4 – The Appearance of Śrī Nārada:

  1. Verses 1-13: After hearing the answers to the six questions asked by the sages in Chapter1, Saunaka Rsi asks four new questions about the history of Srimad Bhagavatam.
  2. Verses 14-25: Suta Gosvāmī starts answering the question about when, where, how and why did Srila Vyasadeva write Srimad Bhagavatam. After summarizing Vyasa’s birth, he describes how Vyasadeva foresaw anomalies of the age of kali and decided to divide the Vedas into four for the welfare of common people. He even wrote the Mahabharata.
  3. Verses 26-31: In spite of engaging himself for the welfare of all, his mind was very dissatisfied. His sincere introspection reveals to him that he did not singularly specify devotional service as a means to mitigate one’s miseries once and for all.
  4. Verses 32-33: Seeing his Guru Narada muni reaching his cottage, Vyasadeva gets up respectfully and worships him.