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If one can understand Bhagavad-gita then he becomes a bona fide student of Srimad-Bhagavatam

Expressions researched:
"If one can understand Bhagavad-gītā, then he becomes a bona fide student of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

If one can understand Bhagavad-gita then he becomes a bona fide student of Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Prof. Hopkins: . . . in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And this, I know, is very important to you and to the Caitanya tradition.

Prabhupāda: You have seen all the parts published? Books and . . . which canto you have read?

Prof. Hopkins: I'm not thinking so much of the specific cantos as the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as a whole. Is that, for you, as you see it, more important than Bhagavad-gītā?

Prabhupāda: No, Bhagavad-gītā is the preliminary study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Prof. Hopkins: So you would see the two related to each other.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If one can understand Bhagavad-gītā, then he becomes a bona fide student of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Prof. Hopkins: Oh.

Prabhupāda: Because in the . . . you have read Bhagavad-gītā?

Prof. Hopkins: Oh, yes. I have.

Prabhupāda: So Bhagavad-gītā, last instruction is, sarva dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66): "You give up all kinds of occupation and just surrender unto Me." If one can take it very seriously, understand, then he can enter into the study of Bhāgavatam. The Bhāgavatam begins from the point where Kṛṣṇa left Bhagavad-gītā. So He advised that, "You surrender to Me," and Bhāgavatam begins, satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi (SB 1.1.1): "I am worshiping the Supreme Truth." And next verse is, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2): "All cheating type of religious system is rejected." So this is rather revolting. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66): "Give up all kinds of religious system, just surrender to Me." And from that point Bhāgavatam begins, "All cheating type of religious system is rejected."

It is meant for the paramahaṁsa. Paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ. Those who are envious, for them is not Bhāgavatam. So any materialistic person, he is envious. So it is not meant for the materialistic person. Those who are spiritually advanced, one who has understood that, "I am not this body, I am spirit soul. My direct connection is with God, therefore my only business is to serve God," one who has come to this conclusion, he is called paramahaṁsa. Haṁsa means swan. A swan, it has got a quality that if you give the swan to drink milk mixed with water, she will drink the milk and reject the water. She has got the capacity. (chuckles) So paramahaṁsa means one who has taken the essence of the existence, Absolute Truth, he is called paramahaṁsa.

Prof. Hopkins: So you would see the Bhagavad-gītā, then, as accessible to a wide range of people, at an elementary level or beginning level, whereas Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam would be for more advanced, more advanced people.

Page Title:If one can understand Bhagavad-gita then he becomes a bona fide student of Srimad-Bhagavatam
Compiler:Anurag
Created:2022-10-19, 16:52:27
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1