HEARING THE BHAGAVATAM

All glories to HDG Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Gowami Maharaj

All Glories to HDG Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada

The Bhagavatam is the property of the Lord. The book ,Bhagavatam discusses the name ,form ,qualities ,and pastimes of the Supreme Lord. Those who are dedicated to serving the Supreme lord and are engaged in relishing the Bhagavatam are called the devotee Bhagavatas. In truth ,they are both non different from the Lord with being His paraphernalia. Service to the Lord can be achieved by hearing and speaking the Bhagavatam. Without the service mood ,one may instead receive a contrary result than the goal of pure devotion Only a devotee Bhagavata can be able to give the clear message of the Bhagavatam. Therefore, an unqualified person who assumes the role will end up being involved in fruitive desires instead. In listening the holy book from other people than a Bhagavata will simply implicate one further in material desires without spiritual gain. Mahaprabhu has advised all to study the Bhagavatam in the association of elevated Vaishnavas. On hearing from the non devotees, one will be influenced by the fallacious thinking .Our misfortune will set in when instead of being the servant of the Lord ,we now strive to become one with Him. The Srimad Bhagavatam is the highest scripture which demonstrates the goal of life as pure devotion. Only those who are realized can relish the Bhagavatam not otherwise. Srila Rupa Goswami has defined the relishing of the Bhagavatam in the association of the devotees as foremost practice among the sixty four limbs of devotion.

Who is Rasika devotee? How is it possible to relish this holy book with one who is not on that status. Nowadays the Rasika is meant as who discusses  and write the love sports in connection between ordinary men with their consorts in despicable sensuous words used against normal civility ,as regarding their lusty escapades of the couple to attempt to stimulate like readers .This is the meaning of Rasika in the present fallen times , the trend of which has been going on for the past two hundred years in society. In old times, these discussions would be the solely restricted in the society of the elevated devotees. The educated class  at that time giving this book the adoration it deserved  always felt  unqualified and usually refrained from delving into the book in an  unauthorized manner. Rarely did any one venture to study in vain the highest mellows as in Geeta Govinda by Jayadeva, books by Chandi Das, Vidyapathi , or highest esoteric  pastimes of the Bhagavatam. These highest esoteric pastimes were way beyond the scope of those practicing devotional service at that time  having not developed at all such a stature. So it was hidden between a selected few. The gist of these esoteric sports as described is beyond the material realm and completely transcendental. With the false  ego holding rein ,the mind intelligence and the senses  of ordinary people are unable to comprehend the these divine sports. In trying to perceive these sports with our material mind would  definitely  result in a  material  fashion with our turbulent senses taking full control by restlessness. In this regard ,it is with great sorrow that those who have strived  immaturely to relish the  relevant high books written by Vidyapati and Chandidas e.t.c have later passed rather uncouth remarks regarding their respectability and stature questioning how men who were supposed to have relinquished material tastes have instead written books of such nature.

Even some of the worst heretics have the audacity to pass comments on the Supreme Lord Mahaprabhu, himself the most munificent incarnation thus blindly  leading them and their followers to the dismal hellish regions. This is what happen s when one strives in vain to study these divine love pastimes in an immature state, as they block their own progress in spiritual realization. There is the story of one prince who was warned not to enter a certain chamber by divine damsels. He disregarded them and on entering the chamber ,he perceived a flying horse .But his attempt to mount it was a failure and his doom similarly  will be the fate of any unqualified person's   attempt to enter into these esoteric pastimes against all warning. Until and unless one gives up his bartering mood until then the accepting of monetary gains will be there in readings of the Bhagavatam and the result will be engaging in cultivation  of sense enjoyment rather and  therefore the pure preaching of the Vaishnava religion will never take place. The holy Bhagavat can never be uttered by those aspiring for monetary gains. The Bhagavatam is the form of the Lord and it can never be bartered by anyone. Those who sell the Bhagavatam in this manner however much they may be able to speak and convince  in a expert manner but it can be compared to  simply the entertainment obtained in any theater with no possibility of love of godhead. Then there is another category of speakers who may not be in the monetary mood but even are greater enemies of the Bhagavatam just as Putana who suckled  Krishna appearing as his mother. These people concoct their own interpretations of the verses to suit their beliefs leading their ignorant audience to stark impersonalism which will crush any vestige of the devotional seed in the hearts of the listeners. Some of them  in that class may be after monetary asset but others are there who apparently may appear sinless and moral in behavior. Mahaprabhu has warned us not to hear from these categories of speakers but to take the association of the pure Vaishnvas in this regard. If we fail to regard his instruction then to analyze the story of the dry Scholar Devannda Pandit   is useful  in this regard as it an example on how  he later obtained devotion by association.

Srila Rupa Goswami ha defined Rasika in the Bhakti Rasamrta Sindu and those who have attained to that platform are the genuine Rasikas. However the Sahajiyas with their monetary aspiration and illicit activities end up thinking themselves liberated in their illusion but are completely off the mark in their denigration. The false Rasika devotees may  not be  appear to be performing illegal activities rather attempting to control their material senses  to obtain the highest mellows but  in that process , their unfulfillment of desires stand out by which they concoct some neutral mellows in  a deviant non devotional fashion  may be branded as Sahajiyas too. Hence those of weak minds will end up permanently  being the enjoyer in trying to satisfy their  turbulent senses.