Recently, I have been hearing Shrimad Bhagavatam quite frequently and also reading it sometimes. Although I am no authority to comment on the glorious position of the Shrimad Bhagavatam, I will write something for those who do not know about it. In short, Shrimad Bhagavatam is the collection of love stories, love of souls with Supreme Personality of Godhead. It's subject matter is love of god, its for the lover devotees of the God, Shri Krishna.
Shrimad Bhagavatam is also called to be the Lord Krishna in the Literature form (Shrimad Bhagvato-ayam sakshat krishna eva hi). Before departing from this material world, Lord Krishna had assured Uddhava that he is going nowhere but residing in the form of Shrimad Bhagavatam so that common people can reach to him in this age of quarrel, madness and hypocrisy. To me, there has never been or will never be any literature greater than SB. SB satisfies the humans completely as it gives the ultimate thing in the world, Love of God. One who has read many books but did not hear about SB, is really unfortunate.
Legend has it that after compiling four Vedas, Upanishads and all other vedic literature, Shri Vyasdeva was not feeling happiness, he was still very morose and kind of dissatisfaction was occupying his heart. When Narada muni arrives to meet Vyasdev, he converys Narada muni about his state of mind and seeks for the remedy of it. To this, magnificent devotee of the lord, Narada muni replies, "O Vyasdev, although you have compiled all the vedic literature, you have not complied anything which teaches pure love of Godhead, you have somewhat deceived and deluded people by narrating different rituals which are only for fruitive activities for personal gain. You should compile a literature which will teach the pure love of god and by hearing which the people will be immediately satisfied." After these instructions, Shri Vyasdev created this magnificent and most ripen fruit of all vedic literature, Shrimad Bhagavatam. SB itself declares that literature which does not describe love of god and his pastimes is like the pilgrimage place for the crows and the intelligent do not go there.
Shimad BhagavatGita contains the theory or the knowledge of the Bhaktiyoga while Shrimad Bhagavatam gives the nice illustrations for the Bhaktiyoga. For e.g., Gita discusses the four types of people who approach the God and these four types are those who are the distressed (aarta), inquisitive (jigyasu), those who desire the wealth (artharthi) and the knowledgeable (gyani) while Shrimad Bhagavatam has the narrations about each type of devotee of the god. In SB, the distressed seeker of the god is Gajendra, inquisitive devotee is king Parikshita, Dhruva is the desiring devotee of God (he wanted to please the God to be able to sit on the lap of his father) and the knowledgeable devotee of the God is Uddhava.
So, if you feel motivated, please read or hear Shrimad Bhagavatam and get the unlimited mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna.
Shrimad Bhagavatam is also called to be the Lord Krishna in the Literature form (Shrimad Bhagvato-ayam sakshat krishna eva hi). Before departing from this material world, Lord Krishna had assured Uddhava that he is going nowhere but residing in the form of Shrimad Bhagavatam so that common people can reach to him in this age of quarrel, madness and hypocrisy. To me, there has never been or will never be any literature greater than SB. SB satisfies the humans completely as it gives the ultimate thing in the world, Love of God. One who has read many books but did not hear about SB, is really unfortunate.
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| Shukdev Goswami narrating Shrimad Bhagwatam to King Parikshit (from: BBT) |
Shimad BhagavatGita contains the theory or the knowledge of the Bhaktiyoga while Shrimad Bhagavatam gives the nice illustrations for the Bhaktiyoga. For e.g., Gita discusses the four types of people who approach the God and these four types are those who are the distressed (aarta), inquisitive (jigyasu), those who desire the wealth (artharthi) and the knowledgeable (gyani) while Shrimad Bhagavatam has the narrations about each type of devotee of the god. In SB, the distressed seeker of the god is Gajendra, inquisitive devotee is king Parikshita, Dhruva is the desiring devotee of God (he wanted to please the God to be able to sit on the lap of his father) and the knowledgeable devotee of the God is Uddhava.
So, if you feel motivated, please read or hear Shrimad Bhagavatam and get the unlimited mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna.
