The Essence of Srimad Bhagavatam

In Śrīmad Bhāgavatam we see,

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
notpādayed yadi ratiṁ
śrama eva hi kevalam
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.2.8)

The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam has very directly described the practice of religion in this śloka: without developing attraction for the Lord, all our endeavors are useless. In the scriptures – the Vedas, Vedānta, Upaniṣads, Purāṇas, Itihāsa – religion, as well as the practice of religion is described.

The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was revealed after Nārada Goswāmī instructed Vedavyāsa, who, by the divine inspiration of Lord Kṛṣṇa, is the author of all the Vedic scriptures. Vedavyāsa compiled all the scriptures in order to rescue the conditioned souls, and ultimately, to give them a chance to enter into the service of the Lord.

Bhagavān Vedavyāsa, who has all opulence of scriptural wealth, gave all this knowledge to the conditioned souls, but afterwards was not satisfied and felt deficient: “I have given everything to this world to satisfy Lord Kṛṣṇa. Even what Kṛṣṇa Himself gave directly through the knowledge of the Bhāgavad-gītā and other scriptures, I have given for the ultimate benefit of their spiritual life, still I am not satisfied. Why am I not feeling peace in my mind?”

At that time he saw that Nārada Goswāmī, his gurudeva, had come to see him. Seeing Nārada Goswāmī he thought, “Now my Lord understands I am suffering.” Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vedavyāsa worshiped Nārada and asked, “Prabhu, why am I suffering from this problem?” Nārada Goswāmī said, “Due to your despondency I have come to you. Although you have given the religion of the conditioned jīva-soul to this world, which is medicine for sick men, you have not given a prescription for healthy persons.”

jugupsitaṁ dharma-kṛte ’nuśāsataḥ
svabhāva-raktasya mahān vyatikramaḥ
yad-vākyato dharma itītaraḥ sthito
na manyate tasya nivāraṇaṁ janaḥ
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.5.15)

“Who will give anything better than you in this material world? No one can. But what you have given is not sufficient for everyone. They can practice their own religion by the law of the Vedic scriptures, but if that will not give life to everyone, what is the value of that?

You blasted so much, big big bomb, but no action happened in the heart of the jīva-souls. Because they are not following proper process of religion,

“Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ,” if religion by law of Vedas, if it’s properly done, still jīva-souls not will get super benefit of their spiritual life.

“Dharma-kṛte ’nuśāsataḥ – even if religion is properly performed, simply by following the law of the Vedas, the jīva-souls will not get the ultimate benefit of their spiritual lives. Through śravaṇ and kīrtan (hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord) the liberated souls and the practitioners of Kṛṣṇa consciousness will get satisfaction of their whole existence and real life. Practicing the general religion of the Vedas is useless if one does not become more and more attached to śravaṇ and kīrtan. Through the Vedic scriptures, they may get liberation, but after liberation what is the sustenance of their life? What is the activity of their life? What is the duty of their life? You have not given details of that.”

A clear example of this is given when Rāmānanda Rāya expressed to Mahāprabhu the principle of ‘sva-dharma-tyāg’ with this śloka from Bhāgavad-gītā:

sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śuchaḥ
(Bhagavad-gītā 18.66)

Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu said, “Yes, but it is external. It is not eternal. Tell me what is eternal religion.”

After leaving all religious methods, when the jīva-soul fully surrenders to Lord Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will take charge of his spiritual life, but still that is not sufficient. It is stated in this śloka, mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: “Come and take exclusive shelter of Me. I shall take charge of your spiritual life.” Kṛṣṇa Himself said it, but Mahāprabhu said it is not sufficient.

I asked my Guru Mahārāj why did Mahāprabhu say that it was not sufficient? He answered, “Because there is no service of the Lord; no service is described for the Lord.”

Nārada Goswāmī is like Lord Kṛṣṇa, so he came to Vedavyāsa and said, “What you have given, Kṛṣṇa has given, but that is not sufficient for healthy persons. No doubt it is a good prescription and medicine for the conditioned souls, because they will get liberation easily, but after liberation they can have a new glorious life, and that description is not given here. Therefore it is not sufficient.”

Nārada Goswāmī is fully exalted with pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He can go anywhere. Even though a ṛṣi cursed him, “You cannot stay more than five minutes in one place,” still that curse is not effective for Nārada Ṛṣi, because that curse does not work in Dvārakā, which in the spiritual world. Nārada is such a powerful devotee, and he wants to distribute that powerful devotion to everyone through Vedavyāsa.

Thus he told Vedavyāsa, whose word is law, who is bāge-bhāk, that if he did not give the highest conception, no one else would; people would not hear it from anyone else. In this way he chastised him:

jugupsitaṁ dharma-kṛte ’nuśāsataḥ
svabhāva-raktasya mahān vyatikramaḥ
yad-vākyato dharma itītaraḥ sthito
na manyate tasya nivāraṇaṁ janaḥ

“You have given the wrong prescription. You have given insufficient knowledge and nourishment for the liberated souls, so you must give that now, otherwise no-one will hear from anyone.”

Then, Vedavyāsa with folded hands asked Nārada Goswāmī: “Prabhu, you tell me how shall I correct it. How shall I give full, ecstatic Kṛṣṇa consciousness to everyone?”

Nārada Goswāmī advised him: “I am giving this knowledge to you. You meditate on it. It will reveal itself to you and then you can give that full Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. Through bhakti-yoga it will be realized.”

Then Vedavyās meditated,
bhakti-yogena manasi
samyak praṇihite ’male
apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇaṁ
māyāṁ cha tad-apāśrayām

yayā sammohito jīva
ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam
paro ’pi manute ’narthaṁ
tat-kṛtaṁ chābhipadyate
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.7.4-5)

Through his meditation he saw Kṛṣṇa, His illusory potency, and His chit-śakti, by which He performs His Pastimes.

ānandāṁśe ‘hlādinī’, sad-aṁśe ‘sandhinī’
chid-aṁśe ‘samvit’, yāre jñāna (kari’) māni
(Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya 8.154)

He saw Kṛṣṇa and his potencies – eternity, knowledge, and ecstasy – and that by these powers of Sri Kṛṣṇa His Pastimes are going on with the Vraja-vāsīs, the gopīs, and others. He also saw the illusory energy existing behind Kṛṣṇa. His meditation was in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness and he gave us that knowledge of full, ecstatic joy and happiness, through the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

“Now I am in full-fledged Kṛṣṇa consciousness and I am giving that knowledge to you. What I gave before in Vedānta-darśana and other scriptures, I am not cancelling that, but I am rectifying it through this scripture, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. I gave the gist of the Vedas in Vedānta-darśana, in a very condensed way, but I am now explaining that extensively in this Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.”

artho ’yaṁ brahma-sūtrāṇāṁ
bhāratārtha vinirṇayaḥ
gāyatrī-bhāṣya-rūpo ’sau
vedārtha-paribṛṁhitaḥ
(Garuḍa Purāṇa)

Then Vedavyās said it,

nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ
śuka-mukhād amṛta-drava-saṁyutam
pibata bhāgavataṁ rasam ālayaṁ
muhur aho rasikā bhuvi bhāvukāḥ
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.1.3)

He began Vedānta-darśana with athāto brahma jijñāsā, janmādyasya yataḥ, ata tu samanvayaḥ – these kinds of sūtras are in Vedānta-darśana. Athāto brahma jijñāsā, search for Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Then janmādyasya yataḥ, who is Śrī Kṛṣṇa?

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
sach-chid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
(Brahma-saṁhitā 5.1)

With this ultimate conclusion he started Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Satyam param dhīmahi – we will meditate on the meaning of the gāyatrī-mantram. On what shall we meditate? That inspiration is coming from the divine plane; it is the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and their service. If you want to make yourself a good servitor of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Nandanandana Kṛṣṇa, who is playing sweetly and performing His divine Pastimes with the Vraja-vāsīs, and if you want to enter into the abode of that Kṛṣṇa, for service, under the guidance of His associates, you must start from this point. What [did] Mahāprabhu say? “Eho haya, āge kaha āra.” That is the śloka I told first,

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
notpādayed yadi ratiṁ
śrama eva hi kevalam

That means,

jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva
jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām
sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir
ye prāyaśo ’jita jito ’py asi tais tri-lokyām
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.14.3)

Ajita jita api – you can control the mind of the Supreme Controller if you proceed in this way, with the association of the divine servitors of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the sādhus, and if you give your whole existence, then you will be directed by that sādhu in śravaṇ and kīrtan. Hear from that divine servitor and give your full attention to kīrtan, which means the glorification of Kṛṣṇa, and spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

You can find different types of manifestations of Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Vedas, but Vedavyāsa was not satisfied with that. What Nārada Goswāmī gave to Vedavyāsa he now described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and that same conception is found in Brahma-saṁhitā:

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
sach-chid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

He has chosen the name ‘Govinda’, not being satisfied with other manifestations of Kṛṣṇa. Mahāprabhu, Nārada Goswāmī and Vedavyāsa have all directed us to go to the origin. The origin is Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvan, and that Kṛṣṇa never leaves Vṛndāvan.  “Vṛndāvanaṁ parityajya sa kvachin naiva gachchhati…” (Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta 1.5.461), he will never leave Vṛndāvan. He is always in Vṛndāvan Dham, playing with the gopas and gopīs as a cowherd boy. That is His divine identity. He is the creator of all the creation and He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We can describe Him in various ways, but that cannot limit Him or His abode, Vṛndāvan, where He is playing.

Vedavyāsa’s beginning of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was even more impressive. When Parīkṣit Mahārāj was cursed by a brahmin boy that within seven days he would die, there were so many ṛṣis, munis and dignitaries assembled to do good for Mahārāj Parīkṣit. Because he was an extremely good king, everyone wanted to show their affection, and they joined that meeting – Atri, Chyavana, Śaradvān, Ariṣṭanemi, Bhṛgu, Vasiṣṭha, Parāśara, Viśvāmitra, Aṅgirā, all the big ṛṣis – as well as Paraśurāma, Vedavyāsa and Nārada Rishi were present there. Everyone wanted to do good for Parīkṣit Mahārāj. Because of their affection for him, they came to support him and to try to help him in that assembly. And everyone giving their advice to Mahārāj Parīkṣit. Someone telling,

tapasvino dāna-parā yaśasvino
manasvino mantra-vidaḥ sumaṅgalāḥ
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 2.4.17)

Everyone [is] giving advice: “Mahārāj do this and Mahārāj do this, Mahārāj do this…” like that. Then, by the grace of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and by previous arrangement from the transcendental abode, the son of Vedavyāsa, Śukadev Goswāmī, a sixteen year old naked boy, arrived in the assembly of Mahārāj Parīkṣit. All the expert and dignified sādhus were there, and seeing him from afar they could recognize him as the son of Vedavyāsa. His divine movements opened the eyes of the ṛṣis there and they could recognize that he must be Śukadev.

“You need his mercy,” they advised Parīkṣit Mahārāj. “This boy who is coming is the holder of supreme knowledge. Therefore you can ask him your questions. He will give you the solution, and we all will be satisfied with his gift.”

Everyone welcomed him, but Śukadev Goswāmī had no external awareness. He is not living in the material world, and does not see anything mundane. He came directly by the will of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and Parīkṣit Mahārāj gave him the presidential seat and worshiped him. Śukadev Goswāmī had no material attachment. He was seated there and he asked Mahārāj Parīkṣit, “Do you have any questions for me?” Mahārāj Parīkṣit replied, “Yes Prabhu, I am in the midst of this problem. Please give me advice, which will bring peace to my mind.”

Śukadev replied, “I have received inspiration from above, therefore I came to your assembly, but what I shall explain to you, you must give your full attention and believe it with full faith. What I am going to say to you, that subject matter has no connection with this material world nor with the liberated world; it exists beyond the liberated world. I was situated on the liberated plane, but I was attracted by this conception and I learned this from my father, Vedavyāsa.” He told,

pariniṣṭhito ’pi nairguṇya
uttama-śloka-līlayā
gṛhīta-chetā rājarṣe
ākhyānaṁ yad adhītavān
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 2.1.9)

“I learned this matter from my father, and thus I became attracted by the Pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa – the play of the Divine Couple that is continuously going on in Goloka Vṛndāvan. This is uttama-śloka – the description of the eternal Pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. I heard that from my father, and I am explaining that for the ultimate benefit of your spiritual life.

“Everyone knows me as a Brahma-jñānī and I can accept their opinion that I know Brahma, and who is Brahma. That was my position. I was living within my own beauty, charm, affection, love – everything – but I was attracted by the Pastimes of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. My father taught me this, and that topic I am teaching you for your ultimate benefit.”

That’s why Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu is giving this to us,

jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva
jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām
sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir
ye prāyaśo ’jita jito ’py asi tais tri-lokyām

Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva jīvanti – first throw away the bucket of knowledge that you are holding in your head, and be fully surrendered to the sādhus. Engage yourself with these sādhus in hearing the glories of Lord Kṛṣṇa, His Pastimes, etc., and propagate them. You can distribute everything – what you have understood, as well as what you have not understood – to anyone who is a sincere seeker. That is called proper śravaṇ and kīrtan. You have heard these words, śravaṇ and kīrtan – hearing the glories of the Lord and distributing the glories of the Lord to everyone. The real property of everyone exists in a very hidden way in the heart, and it is exposed by this process of śravaṇ and kīrtan.

A Ganges [river] full of knowledge of the scriptures cannot rescue you. Knowledge has its final destination up to Satyaloka. It will not get a divine connection from there to the transcendental plane. Knowledge devoid of devotion is useless for you. That real knowledge is given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Ecstatic knowledge with the service to the Lord, is given by Vedavyāsa, developing up to bhāva and mahābāva. Here we find only the service of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and that is the ultimate knowledge, not mixed with anything material.

Beyond this material world Brahmaloka exists. Brahma-saṁhitā has given a description of Brahmaloka:

yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-
koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam
tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtaṁ
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
(Brahma-saṁhitā 5.40)

That is Brahmaloka, “yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam…” The light, effulgence that comes from Kṛṣṇaloka and permeates the spiritual world, that is Brahmaloka, the entire area of spiritual existence. We must try to take the knowledge that Śukadev Goswāmī, Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam have given us and dive deep into that reality.

Preaching comes automatically, but this subject matter is not for preaching – it is a transcendental fuse that allows the connection from the mundane to the transcendental world. Two waves are flowing: one is this material world which flows by a cyclic system, and the other is the free-flowing transcendental world.

I’m sorry that I have no knowledge about english language, but I feel what I have. If I have five dollars I’ll make business with these five dollars. It’s very difficult for me to explain in English. Some things I can very easily explain in Bengali

Anyhow, all of you are the pious devotees. I’m explaining to you what is coming from my heart by your association. It isn’t coming all the time, in any place, but it did come by your grace in this assembly, on this meeting.

Vedavyāsa said:

yatra (tatra) jnāna-virāga-bhakti-sahitam naiṣkarmyam āviṣkṛtaṁ
tach chhṛṇvan supaṭhan vichāraṇa-paro bhaktyāvimuchyen naraḥ
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 12.13.18)

Yatra jnāna-virāga-bhakti-sahitam – this is not ordinary knowledge, nor an ordinary renounced mentality. It is enriched with the devotion and service of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Everything is done for Kṛṣṇa, not for themselves. That type of devotional spirit exists within the real devotees.

Everything is going on happily in the nirguṇa bhūmikā, the transcendental world. If you are living with that kind of sādhu, if you will hear that, tat sṛṇvan supaṭhan, you will read that, vichāraṇa-paro, and you will try to discuss and consider the meaning of that śloka, easily liberation will come to you, and you can refuse that liberation and proceed to Goloka Vṛndāvan, crossing the specific gravity of the illusory environment. First attempt to engage yourself in hearing and glorifying the Lord’s Pastimes, and engage yourself in the service of the members of that divine abode.

We are living in Bhūloka, the earth planet, and all the lokas – Bhū, Bhuvar, Svaḥ, Maha, Jana, Tapa, Satya – exist within this universe. But beyond this universe is Brahmaloka, the spiritual world, and at its center there is the transcendental abode of Lord Kṛṣṇa. You can cross everything very easily through bhakti-yoga. All spiritual practices will help you to direct yourself to that abode through bhakti-yoga. Therefore, practice bhakti-yoga and be happy.

How many days are in our hand? Can we say? No – we do not know. In the future how many days can I enjoy with this illusory environment? In my previous life I cannot say who I was. I have got, as a reaction, this human body with some fine brain. I have willing, feeling, thinking power within this body, but I must try to discover something that will give me eternity, and also that which is very important for me – love, beauty, affection and dedication. Various qualities will come to me for the service of that transcendental abode of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

We want many things for our pleasure and enjoyment, but everything exists eternally with its transcendental form, within the qualities of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore if we try to get it through bhakti-yoga, we can easily attain that property.

We are so fortunate that we have received everything from Vedavyāsa: the description of that transcendental abode of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and the process to attain that abode through the channel of bhakti-yoga.

Vedavyāsa heard many things from Nārada Goswāmī, but Nārada said: “You now meditate through bhakti-yoga, then you will feel everything and you will see everything. You can see there the full form of the Divine Couple, and Their Pastimes, and join within those Pastimes. That chance will come to you very easily through this process given by the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.”

There is no end to our desires. Even if we get what we want, we will not be satisfied. Some satisfaction may come, but that is only temporary. How can one who has a little consciousness be satisfied with this material world? Because we have no divine connection, we are trying to enjoy in this material world by thinking, feeling and willing so many things.

sarva-vedānta-sāraṁ hi
śrī-bhāgavatam iṣyate
tad-rasāmṛta-tṛptasya
nānyatra syād ratiḥ kvachit
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 12.13.15)

“Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the essence of all philosophy. One who has tasted this essence will never be attracted by any other conception.” From here we cannot understand how much ecstasy exists in the divine service of the Lord. First it is necessary to purify ourselves and be surrendered and join with the servitors of that transcendental abode in śravaṇ and kīrtan – all nine kinds of devotional activities. Then gradually we will be easily promoted.

My good fortune, and I feel the good fortune of you all, is that herein we have attempted to glorify the Lord. This moment we can preserve eternally, and progress on to that transcendental destination. Kṛṣṇa has given a chance to us all, therefore we cannot lose this property. By the order of my Guru Mahārāj, I am going from country to country with this news, with this divine knowledge about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Seeing the successful results I feel more enthusiasm, and because of that I do not care about my health. Sometimes I am suffering, but I pray to you all to give me strength so that I will not stop preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

āyur harati vai puṁsām
udyann astaṁ cha yann asau
tasyarte yat-kṣaṇo nīta
uttama-śloka-vārtayā
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 2.3.17)

The sun is rising and setting, taking one day from my life’s account. For one who is sixteen years and one day old, sixteen years and one day have passed from his life. In this way we are losing our life. Day by day we are losing our life, and life is not certain. Therefore do not delay for one moment to get an opportunity for spiritual life.

Jay Oṁ Viṣṇupād Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣak Śrīdhar Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj kī jay!