HOW TO READ SRIMAD BHAGAVATHAM IN 7 DAYS?
Today, we can see in detail the 13 RULES TO READ AND LEARN SRIMAD BHAGAVATHAM in 7 days as heard by king Parikshit. You can divide Srimad Bhagavatham into seven parts and read the whole day for seven days. If you read the Purports by the author, you can not finish in 7 days. If you read only the Text or translation of Bhagavatham, you can finish reading Bhagavatham in 7 days.
The Recommended RULES TO READ AND LEARN SRIMAD BHAGAVATHAM, splitting the contents FOR SEVEN DAYS Non stop parayanam:
Day ONE : 1.1 to 3.22 (canto one- chapter one TO Canto three – Chapter 22)
Day TWO : 3.23 to 5.9
Day THREE : 5.10 to 7.10
Day FOUR : 7.11 to 10.3
Day FIVE: 10.4 to 10.54
Day SIX: 10.55 to 11.05
Day SEVEN : 11.06 to 12.13
(Explanation of Sambandha, Abhidheya and Prayojana mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatham! READ HERE!)
RECOMMENDED NORMAL COURSE OF READING BHAGAVATHAM
Daily 10 texts with meanings and Purport. If you have more time any day, you can increase the texts per day.
13 RULES TO READ AND LEARN SRIMAD BHAGAVATHAM
This is such a very beneficial topic everyone should know. So, spare some time and read it to avoid offending in reading Srimad Bhagavatham.
Now a days, anyone speaks about Bhagavad Gita & Srimad Bhagavatham and localize Krishna as they want. But, they do not know that they are offending by speaking of Srimad Bhagavatham without any qualification and for popularity. If we hear Srimad Bhagavatham from unqualified persons, we will have to fall from our devotional status.
Without proper learning and without following devotional rules, one should not preach Srimad Bhagavatham and Bhagavad Gita.
Just because Srimad Bhagavatham is printed / spoken widely, we should not read or hear it from unverified sources. Srimad Bhagavatham is not a scripture to be handled carelessly. Krishna has said that after He leaves this earth, He will live in Srimad Bhagavatham.
There are 13 RULES that helps us to know HOW TO READ SRIMAD BHAGAVATHAM IN 7 DAYS! What are those rules?
(Tips to read Bhagavad Gita can be read HERE.)
I am very happy to give some parts of the wonderful lecture given by “HG Devakinandan Prabhu” in Sydney.
This is the complete guide with 13 RULES TO KNOW HOW TO READ SRIMAD BHAGAVATHAM IN 7 DAYS. I liked this lecture very much. So, I thought of sharing some parts of it, with all of you:
PARTS OF THE LECTURE:
tatra kirtayato vipraa / viprarsher bhuri-tejasah
aham caadhyagamam tatra / nivishtas tad-anugrahaat
so ‘ham vah shraavayishyaami / yathaadhitam yathaa-mati
“O learned brahmanas, when Sukadeva Gosvami recited Bhagavatam there [in the presence of Emperor Parikshit], I heard him with rapt attention, and thus, by his mercy, I learned the Bhagavatam from that great and powerful sage. Now I shall try to make you hear the very same thing as I learned it from him and as I have realized it.”
This verse (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.44.) is very instructive because it tells us how to study Srimad Bhagavatam.
(GLORIES OF SRIMAD BHAGAVATHAM – STORY! READ HERE!)
(1) We should hear Bhagavatam from a bonafide source:
This is the starting point. Srila Prabhupada writes in the purport to SB 1.3.44, “One can certainly see directly the presence of Lord Sri Krishna in the pages of Bhagavatam if one has heard it from a self-realized great soul like Sukadeva Gosvami. One cannot, however, learn Bhagavatam from a bogus hired reciter whose aim of life is to earn some money out of such recitation and employ the earning in sex indulgence. No one can learn Srimad-Bhagavatam who is associated with persons engaged in sex life. That is the secret of learning Bhagavatam. Nor can one learn Bhagavatam from one who interprets the text by his mundane scholarship. One has to learn Bhagavatam from the representative of Sukadeva Gosvami, and no one else, if one at all wants to see Lord Sri Krishna in the pages. So the first step of the formula to know Bhagavatam is to hear from the acharyas in the parampara or disciplic succession. If we do not know who is coming from parampara, all we have to do is we hear from Srila Prabhupada, and our spiritual masters.
(2) We should hear Bhagavatam with rapt attention:
In the purport, Srila Prabhupada writes, “One should hear with rapt attention from the real person, and then he can at once realize the presence of Lord Krishna in every page. The secret of knowing Bhagavatam is mentioned here. No one can give rapt attention who is not pure in mind. No one can be pure in mind who is not pure in action. No one can be pure in action who is not pure in eating, sleeping, fearing and mating. But somehow or other if someone hears with rapt attention from the right person, at the very beginning one can assuredly see Lord Sri Krishna in person in the pages of Bhagavatam.”
(This Post will also help: THE WAY OF LIFE RECOMMENDED BY BHAGAVAD GITA)
(3) We should hear Bhagavatam submissively:
The best way to be attentive is to be submissive. Only when you are submissive to your teacher, you will be attentive to what he or she is speaking. If you are not submissive but challenging, whatever your teacher speaks, for the sake of challenging you will fight. The more you fight, the less attention you pay to the subject and the less attention you pay to the subject, the less attraction you will ever have for the subject. This is the reason we must be submissive.
If with Srimad Bhagavatam we cannot change the behavior, we have lost the race. If Bhagavatam changes our character, then it is a sign that we have heard Bhagavatam attentively and submissively.
The sages say that Suta Goswami is gentle in behaviour. This is the hall mark of a devotee. A devotee is never harsh. Devotees do not lose temper. Devotees do not shout. Devotees do not scream. This harshness is the trait of demoniac nature. In Srimad Bhagavad Gita 16.4, the Lord mentions that the quality of harshness (paarushyam) belongs to demons. The quality of gentleness is the asset of the devotees. We cannot be artificially gentle.
(4) We should depend on the mercy of Krishna and Guru:
Srimad Bhagavatam tells us Suta Goswami felt that he cannot explain Bhagavatam unless he has the mercy of Krishna and Guru (tat anugrahaat). This is the way to successfully study Srimad Bhagavatam.
(5) We should realize Bhagavatam:
Srila Prabhupada writes in the purport to SB 1.3.44 that, “Simple hearing is not all; one must realize the text with proper attention.” If I just speak what I hear and I do not act on it, then I cannot realize Srimad Bhagavatam.
(SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT LORD SIVA IN SRIMAD BHAGAVATHAM! READ HERE!)
(6) We should be anxious to receive the message of Bhagavatam:
Srila Prabhupada says in his purport to SB 1.1.2 that we should be very anxious to hear Bhagavatam. We are always anxious to hear everything else except Bhagavatam. Not only must we be anxious, but Srila Prabhupada writes very beautifully in the purport, “Without undergoing the different stages of realization set forth in the Vedas, one can be lifted immediately to the position of paramahamsa simply by agreeing to receive this message.”
There is a direct link between service to devotees and attraction to Srimad Bhagavatam. The more we serve with love and without motive, you will find you are naturally attracted to Srimad Bhagavatam.
(7) We should be chaste to Bhagavatam:
We should be chaste to Srimad Bhagavatam. It is always stated in vedic culture that a lady must be chaste to her husband and a husband must be chaste to his wife. It is known as avyabhicaarena. It is already stated in Srimad Bhagavatam, kim vaa paraih? – “what need is there for any other scripture? Why to go for any other books when we have, Bhagavatam, Bhagavad Gita, Chaitanya Charitamrita and all of Srila Prabhupada books. Chastity means one may have so many occupational engagements, but always remember daily that we have only one Supreme master and that is Sri Krishna.
(Read this also: Bhagavad Gita bewilders and frustrates me and I fear to read. What to do?)
(8) We should follow three ways to remember and study Bhagavatam:
The three ways are mentioned in SB 12.13.18 – Tat Shrunvan, Supathan, Vichaarana Paro.
(A) TAT SHRUNVAN: the first thing is we hear. When we want to hear, we must first start by hearing submissively. Open your heart to hear Srimad Bhagavatam.
(B) SUPATHAN: After hearing, simply repeat it. Suta Goawami’s great qualification is not his scholarship, not his memory power, but simply that he repeated exactly what Sukadev Goswami spoke. Not only do they repeat like a parrot, they repeated it by realization. When you repeat something after you have acted on it, then whatever we speak will have potency. Otherwise it will not touch the heart of the listeners.
(TEN PRIMARY SUBJECT MATTERS IN BHAGAVATHAM! READ HERE!)
(C) VICHAARANA PARO : We scrutinizingly analyze and ingest what we have repeated. This is the mood of one who studies Srimad Bhagavatam. Never study Srimad Bhagavatam like a professional reciter. Do not study Srimad Bhagavatam because you have to study it.
(9) We should reject the material intentions:
If you want to approach the Supreme, you do only one thing. You please reject all activities that appear religious, but tinged with material intentions. As long as we have even a tinge of material motive, we cannot approach Srimad Bhagavatam with attraction. This cannot be compromised. This is the standard the acharyas have given us. Why? We may ask why Krishna is so strict. It is not that He is strict. He is setting us standards to purify ourselves.
(10) We should understand that Srimad Bhagavatam is centered on hearing:
In Srimad Bhagavatam 3.9.5, Lord Brahma prays:
ye tu tvadiya-caranaambuja-kosha-gandham
jighranti karna-vivaraih shruti-vaata-nitam
bhaktyaa grhita-caranah parayaa ca teshaam
naapaishi naatha hrdayaamburuhaat sva-pumsaam
“O my Lord, persons who smell the aroma of Your lotus feet, carried by the air of Vedic sound through the holes of the ears, accept Your devotional service. For them You are never separated from the lotus of their hearts.”
(Also read: Why Radharani is not mentioned in Bhagavatham?)
Brahmaji says that we can smell the aroma of the lotus feet of Krishna only on the strength of hearing the glories of Krishna. Our eyes are judgmental and hence are dangerous and so more than seeing, hearing is important. We should hear from all the devotees sitting in Vyasasana and not judge the devotee and even if he speaks two lines from Srila Prabhupada’s purports, that lecture is a success.
(11) The scientific process by which hearing Bhagavatam can become realization:
This process is given in three verse of SB 2.8.4, 5 and 6 and it is very important that we remember these verses.
shrnvatah shraddhayaa nityam / grnatas ca sva-ceshtitam
kaalena naatidirghena / bhagavaan vishate hrdi
“Persons who hear Srimad-Bhagavatam regularly and are always taking the matter very seriously will have the Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna manifested in their hearts within a short time.”
Here the emphasis is on sva ceshtitam – seriously by one’s own endeavor.
(Also read HERE: Explanation of Sambandha, Abhidheya and Prayojana mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatham.)
(12) Srimad Bhagavatam is the practical way to attract Krishna’s mercy:
In the relationship with devotees, the center should be Bhagavatam and Krishna. Whenever there is social intercourse between devotees (bhutaanaam yan mithah kalih) they fight. Intimacy in devotee relationship means throwing Bhagavatam out. Keeping Sirmad Bhagavatam in the center means genuine friendly relationship between devotees. Srimad Bhagavatam even has impact in our relationship with family, with devotees and Krishna. Thus Srimad Bhagavatam is the most practical way to attract Krishna’s mercy.
(13) The practical way to study Bhagavatam:
While describing the life of Svayambhuva Manu, Srimad Bhagavatam says in 3.22.35,
ayaata-yaamaas tasyaasan / yaamaah svaantara-yaapanaah
shrnvato dhyaayato vishnoh / kurvato bruvatah kathaah
“Consequently, although his duration of life gradually came to an end, his long life, consisting of a Manvantara era, was not spent in vain, since he ever engaged in hearing, contemplating, writing down and chanting the pastimes of the Lord.”
Let us hear Srimad Bhagavatham only from bonafide sources, ie, those devotees who have come in the bonafide disciplic succession and follow all the devotional practices properly.
Hope you are now aware of the 13 RULES TO READ AND LEARN SRIMAD BHAGAVATHAM.
(18 TIPS ON HOW TO READ BHAGAVAD GITA! READ HERE!)