Hare Krsna,
It is exciting to be back to the regular study of Srimad Bhagavatam in the association of sincere, dedicated, and like-minded devotees and teachers.
This is it! After hearing about the Supreme Lord’s greatness through the previous nine subject matters of Srimad Bhagavatam (sarga, visarga, sthana, posana, uti, manvantara, isanukatha, nirodha and mukti), Sukadeva Goswami and Pariksit Maharaja finally takes us into the 10th topic – Asraya (the Transcendence, the summum bonum, the supreme shelter – Lord Sri Krsna). Its like climbing nine peaks on the path to finally conquer the highest peak of Srimad Bhagavatam. Srimad Bhagavatam accepts Sri Krsna as the shelter of all manifestations because Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the ultimate source of everything, the supreme goal of all.
SB 1.1.3: “O expert and thoughtful men, relish Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the mature fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literatures. It emanated from the lips of Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Therefore, this fruit has become even more tasteful, although its nectarian juice was already relishable for all, including liberated souls.”
We are finally blessed to taste the sweet fruit of Lord Krsna’s pastimes. Sukadeva Goswami and Pariksit Maharaja have made the fruit more tasteful for all of us by churning the ocean of Lord Krsna’s opulence and greatness in the previous nine cantos. We cannot appreciate Krsna’s sweetness without fully understanding His greatness and supreme position. The most merciful Sukadeva Goswami churned Pariksit Maharaja’s heart to such a degree that he (Pariksit Maharaja) can no longer wait to take us into the sweetest (and most confidential) pastimes of Lord Krsna, beginning from His birth.
“The First and Second Cantos of the Bhagavatam are Sri Krsna’s lotus feet. The Third and Fourth Cantos are His thighs. The Fifth Canto is His navel. The Sixth Canto is His chest. The Seventh and Eighth Cantos are His arms. The Ninth Canto is His throat. The Tenth Canto is His beautiful lotus-face. The Eleventh Canto is His forehead. The Twelfth Canto is His head. I bow down to that Lord, the ocean of mercy whose colour is like that of a tamala tree and who appears in this world for the welfare of all. I worship Him as the bridge for crossing the unfathomable ocean of material existence. The Bhagavatam has appeared as His very Self.” (Padma Purana)
We are finally blessed to see the beautiful lotus-face of Krsna through the eyes (narration) of Sukadeva Goswami and intelligent questions by Pariksit Maharaja.
How are we supposed to taste the nectarian beauty and sweetness of Lord Krsna’s pastimes? This is provided in the famous verse of SB 10.1.4:
“Glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is performed in the paramparā system, that is, it is conveyed from the spiritual master to disciple. Such glorification is relished by those no longer interested in the false, temporary glorification of this cosmic manifestation. Descriptions of the Lord are the right medicine for the conditioned soul undergoing repeated birth and death. Therefore, who will cease hearing such glorification of the Lord except a butcher or one who is killing his own self”?
Even the gopis of Vraja recommend this. One of the songs of Gopi-geet is:
“The nectar of Your words and the descriptions of Your activities are the life and soul of those suffering in this material world. These narrations, transmitted by learned sages, eradicate one’s sinful reactions and bestow good fortune upon whoever hears them. These narrations are broadcast all over the world and are filled with spiritual power. Certainly, those who spread the message of Godhead are most munificent.” (SB 10.31.9)
The Lord mercifully incarnated in this material world and performed innumerable pastimes for the benefit of suffering conditioned souls. Hearing of such pastimes produced the medicine that cures the material disease of forgetfulness of God.
Let us all open our hearts to invite Lord Krsna into our hearts. Our dear teachers are kindly guiding us how to do that through a reminder post this morning.
“Recollection, absorption, meditation, constant remembrance and trance are the five items of progressive At first, remembrance of Kṛṣṇa may be interrupted at intervals, but later remembrance proceeds uninterrupted. When remembrance is uninterrupted, it becomes concentrated and is called meditation. kṛṣṇa-smaraṇa. “When meditation expands and becomes constant, it is called By uninterrupted and unceasing one enters the stage of or spiritual trance. After sor has fully developed, the soul comes to understand his original constitutional position. At that time he can perfectly and clearly understand his eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That is called , the perfection of life.” (NOI 8, purport)
anusmṛti. anusmṛti samādhi, maraṇa-daśā samādhisampatti-daśā
SB 1.2.17: Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Krsna Katha 