Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.2.4
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesBegin Study With Respectful Obeisances
“Before reciting this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is the very means of conquest, one should offer respectful obeisances unto the Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, unto Nara-nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi, the supermost human being, unto mother Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning, and unto Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the author.”
What the purport teaches
- Before reciting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, one should offer respectful obeisances to Nārāyaṇa, Nara-nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi, mother Sarasvatī and Śrīla Vyāsadeva. Sūta Gosvāmī shows how to begin reciting the Purāṇas.
- Attraction to material sense gratification makes the living being forget his eternal relation with God. To overcome the perpetual struggle for existence, that relation must be reestablished.
- The Purāṇas supplement the Vedas and guide different kinds of people toward freedom from material existence. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the spotless Purāṇa, especially meant for those seeking permanent release from material entanglement.
Try this today
Before reading today, offer respectful obeisances to Nārāyaṇa, Nara-nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi, mother Sarasvatī and Śrīla Vyāsadeva.
Ask yourself
How might my study change if I approached it as a way to reestablish my relation with God?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.