Description

The Srimad Bhagavatam is filled with the uncontaminated formula for peace, prosperity, and happiness. It leads one to liberation. Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu refers to it as the amala purna “The spotless scripture.” And Srila Vyasadeva declares, dharma projjhita-kaitabho’tra paramo nirmatsaranam satam, “Every materially motivated, cheating religion is thrown out of Srimad Bhagavatam. It guides the sincere soul to the highest Dharma (spiritual values) and is desired by the real devotees.” There is not, and there can never be, any better way of life than that illustrated in Srimad Bhagavatam. Everyone should take its way of life as the path for one’s life and soul. On its every page, some clue to receiving perfection is given. The path explained in Srimad Bhagavatam is called Bhaktiyoga (devotional service), and is the only way to please Lord Krishna. No one need fear wasting his time pursuing this path, as Lord Krishna gives this guarantee in the Srimad Bhagavat Gita: “There is no loss or diminution on this path. A little practice of this process can free one from the greatest type of fear.” And, “Only through Bhaktiyoga can one obtain Me.” Therefore, let us practice the devotional way of life and serve the Supreme Lord properly to receive the greatest benediction, association with Lord Krishna.

Srimad Bhagavatam is not an ordinary book. It was written by the literary incarnation of the Lord, Srila Vyasadeva. He appeared to guide people interested in ending life’s miseries by ending the cycle of birth and death. As it is stated:

grantho ‘stadasa sahasro dvadasa skandha samyutah
pariksit-suka-sambadah srimad bhagavatabhidah
slokardham sloka padam va nityam bhagavatodbhavam
pathasva sva mukhena ‘pi yadi icchasi bhavaksyayam
(Padma Purana Uttarakhanda 195.29,30)

“Srimad Bhagavatam has 18,000 verses, is divided into twelve cantos, and is the conversation between King Parisit and Sri Sukadeva Goswami. If, as a daily routine, a person studies this Srimad Bhagavatam, even for only half or quarter of a verse, one can learn how to sever all ties to this miserable material world, stop the repetition of birth and death, and attain liberation.”

It is further explained in the Padma Purana how Srimad Bhagavatam is an incarnation of Krishna in this world and guides everyone to liberation:

tamadidevam karuna-nidhanam tamala-varnam su-hitavataram
apara-samsara samudra setum bhajamahe bhagavatam svarupam

“O king, first I pay my salutations to the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna, who has appeared in this material world in the form of Srimad Bhagavatam, who is the original and first personality, who is an ocean of mercy, whose bodily complexion is dark in color like Tamala tree, who is all auspicious, who is the purest of all pure, who is the source of all incarnations, and who is a bridge for everyone to cross the immeasurable material ocean of birth and death. The literary incarnation of God is in the form of Srimad Bhagavatam.”

The subjects discussed in Srimad Bhagavatam are unlike any discussed in an ordinary book. As Sri Sukadeva Goswami states to King Pariksit:

atra sargo visargas ca sthanam posanam utayah
manvantaresanu-katha nirodho muktir asrayah
dasamasya visuddhyartham navanam iha laksanam
varnayanti mahatmanah srutenarthena canjasa
(Srimad Bhagavatam 2.10.1,2)

“This Srimad Bhagavatam describes ten subjects: the creation of the universe, the cosmic manifestation, the status quo, the maintenance of the creation, the creative impetus, the prescribed duties of mankind, the science of God, the withdrawal of this cosmic creation, liberation, and the true path of refuge at the feet of the sumum bonum. In order to clearly illustrate the intricate understanding of the tenth subject, all the great sages have used the first nine subjects of Srimad Bhagavatam as its signs, by substantiating their deliberations with the scriptural evidence.”

The important esoteric subjects of Srimad Bhagavatam cannot be described properly by everyone. One has to be a pure devotee of the Lord. Only then, does He reyeal the inner meaning of the scripture within his heart. As Lord Siva states, bhaktya bhagavati gatha na medhaya na ca tikaya, “One cannot understand Srimad Bhagavatam simply because one is intelligent or educated, or has an explanation of the book on hand. It can only be understood by a real devotee.”

[Mahamandeleshwar Mahant Sri Krsna Balaram Swami, Srimad Bhagavatam, My Mission]