In India there is a class, they are professional Bhāgavata reciters. They make contract that he shall recite Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, finish within a week, and he should be rewarded. These things are not recommended in the authoritative scripture. We should follow the footsteps of Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī. He's explaining Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the very beginning, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1).
Try to understand the philosophy of Bhāgavata. Then gradually, when you are accustomed to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, then go to the Tenth Canto, wherein Kṛṣṇa's rāsa dance is described. Without reading in the beginning what is Kṛṣṇa, if we all of a sudden jump over to understand the rāsa dance . . . that is a very natural tendency. No, we should not go like that. First of all, try to understand what is Kṛṣṇa.
To understand Kṛṣṇa is very difficult subject matter. But by the grace of Lord Caitanya we can understand little about Kṛṣṇa. And then gradually . . . of course, the ultimate goal is to enter into the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa. But not by speculation or by material misconception. Gradually, samaih-samaih. Prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ (Brs. 1.4.16).
There is a chronological way, or gradual process. Ādau śraddhā. First of all, śraddhā, faith: "Oh, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very good." This is faith. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (CC Madhya 23.14-15). Then, to increase that faith, we should mix with persons who are actually developing or cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is called sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83).
Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sā . . . atha bhajana-kriyā. Then, after mixing, after associating with the devotees, naturally one becomes, I mean to say, eager to be initiated how to execute devotional service. That is called initiation. Bhajana-kriyā. And if he is properly initiated and if he executes the order of the spiritual master, regulative principles, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt: then things which are not wanted in our life, that becomes vanquished.
Just like nobody will die without sex life. Nobody will die without meat-eating. Nobody will die without intoxication. Nobody will die without playing gambling. These are learned by association only. By bad association we learn how to drink, how to smoke. Similarly, by good association we can give up drinking and smoking.
So this is called anartha. Anartha means which there is no gain, simply loss. Practically we can see. So a man who has learned to smoke, he's spending one pound or like that daily for smoking. At least we save that money. We don't smoke. So anartha. There is no necessity; still we have learned.