Divinity and Divine Service

[theist]

SB 1.2.1 - Ugrasrava [suta Gosvami], the son of Romaharshana, being fully satisfied by the perfect questions of the brahmanas, thanked them and thus attempted to reply.

 

SB 1.2.2 - Srila Suta Gosvami said: Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto that great sage [sukadeva Gosvami] who can enter the hearts of all. When he went away to take up the renounced order of life [sannyasa], leaving home without undergoing reformation by the sacred thread or the ceremonies observed by the higher castes, his father, Vyasadeva, fearing separation from him, cried out, "O my son!" Indeed, only the trees, which were absorbed in the same feelings of separation, echoed in response to the begrieved father.

 

SB 1.2.3 - Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto him [suka], the spiritual master of all sages, the son of Vyasadeva, who, out of his great compassion for those gross materialists who struggle to cross over the darkest regions of material existence, spoke this most confidential supplement to the cream of Vedic knowledge, after having personally assimilated it by experience.

 

SB 1.2.4 - Before reciting this Srimad-Bhagavatam, which is the very means of conquest, one should offer respectful obeisances unto the Personality of Godhead, Narayana, unto Nara-narayana Rishi, the supermost human being, unto mother Sarasvati, the goddess of learning, and unto Srila Vyasadeva, the author.

 

SB 1.2.5 - O sages, I have been justly questioned by you. Your questions are worthy because they relate to Lord Krishna and so are of relevance to the world's welfare. Only questions of this sort are capable of completely satisfying the self.

 

SB 1.2.6 - The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.

 

SB 1.2.7 - By rendering devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, one immediately acquires causeless knowledge and detachment from the world.

 

SB 1.2.8 - The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.

 

SB 1.2.9 - All occupational engagements are certainly meant for ultimate liberation. They should never be performed for material gain. Furthermore, according to sages, one who is engaged in the ultimate occupational service should never use material gain to cultivate sense gratification.

 

SB 1.2.10 - Life's desires should never be directed toward sense gratification. One should desire only a healthy life, or self-preservation, since a human being is meant for inquiry about the Absolute Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one's works.

[theist]

 

TRANSLATION 1.2.5

O sages, I have been justly questioned by you. Your questions are worthy because they relate to Lord Krishna and so are of relevance to the world's welfare. Only questions of this sort are capable of completely satisfying the self.

 

PURPORT

Since it has been stated hereinbefore that in the Bhagavatam the Absolute Truth is to be known, the questions of the sages of Naimisharanya are proper and just, because they pertain to Krishna, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth. In Bhagavad-gita (15.15) the Personality of Godhead says that in all the Vedas there is nothing but the urge for searching after Him, Lord Krishna. Thus the questions that pertain to Krishna are the sum and substance of all the Vedic inquiries.

The whole world is full of questions and answers. The birds, beasts and men are all busy in the matter of perpetual questions and answers. In the morning the birds in the nest become busy with questions and answers, and in the evening also the same birds come back and again become busy with questions and answers. The human being, unless he is fast asleep at night, is busy with questions and answers. The businessmen in the market are busy with questions and answers, and so also the lawyers in the court and the students in the schools and colleges. The legislators in the parliament are also busy with questions and answers, and the politicians and the press representatives are all busy with questions and answers. Although they go on making such questions and answers for their whole lives, they are not at all satisfied. Satisfaction of the soul can only be obtained by questions and answers on the subject of Krishna.

Krishna is our most intimate master, friend, father or son and object of conjugal love. Forgetting Krishna, we have created so many objects of questions and answers, but none of them are able to give us complete satisfaction. All things—but Krishna—give temporary satisfaction only, so if we are to have complete satisfaction we must take to the questions and answers about Krishna. We cannot live for a moment without being questioned or without giving answers. Because the Srimad-Bhagavatam deals with questions and answers that are related to Krishna, we can derive the highest satisfaction only by reading and hearing this transcendental literature. One should learn the Srimad-Bhagavatam and make an all-around solution to all problems pertaining to social, political or religious matters. Srimad-Bhagavatam and Krishna are the sum total of all things.

Often we hear it said by those who have a lifetime familiarity of Hinduism, Vedas etc.is that Krsna consciousness is all right because it is a part of the vedic canon. This is not what Srila Prabhupada is teaching however as noted above.

 

Our time in these bodies is very short. Our conditions for proper study and contemplation are compromised by the world around us. We need to become laser like in our focus on Krsna consciousness.

 

It is equally important to not mistake devotee gossip and endless debates about iskcon or any such group as genuine Krsna katha. To do so only cheats ourselves from the satisfaction we all so badly crave.