Srimad Bhagavatam - A Text of Both Bhakti and Jnana

It is commonly believed that bhakti is the very goal of Srimad Bhagavatam. In this talk, Swamiji says that if one deeply studies the text, one will find that it is not really so. Srimad Bhagavatam gives prominence to bhakti but Swamiji speaks about how bhakti can be enhanced and elevated by a seeker to attain the goal of human life.

The theme of Srimad Bhāgavatam is something that a seeker has to do introspection over and grasp through his intelligence.The entire text is meant to enlighten us about the supreme transcendental truth which is right within the body. In the matter of enlightening the readers, Bhagavatam takes recourse to bhakti, a very important emotion of the human mind. So, the devotion becomes very handy for the description because the mind has to be softened, purified and reformed.

Shlokas Chanted in the Track:

तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि
(Rigveda 3.62.10)

यन्मनसा न मनुते येनाहुर्मनो मतम् ।
तदेव ब्रह्म त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते ।।
(Kenopanishad 1.6)

जन्माद्यस्य यतोऽन्वयादितरतश्चार्थेष्वभिज्ञः स्वराट्
तेने ब्रह्म हृदा य आदिकवये मुह्यन्ति यत्सूरयः
तेजोवारिमृदां यथा विनिमयो यत्र त्रिसर्गोऽमृषा
धाम्ना स्वेन सदा निरस्तकुहकं सत्यं परं धीमहि
(Srimad Bhagavatam 1.1.1)

PR 30 Dec 2011