Srimad Bhagavatham : 6.3. 22.

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Skandham-6.


Chapter-3.


Slokam-s -22. ( Devotional service, beginning with the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, is the ultimate religious principle for the living entity in human society.)




etavan  eva  loke  smin  pumsam  dharmah  parah  smrtah,

 

bhakti-yogo  bhagavati  tan-nama-grahanadibhih.




etavan  =  this much;

eva  =  indeed; 

loke  asmin  =  in this material world; 

pumsam  =  of the living entities; 

dharmah  =  the religious principles; 

parah  =  transcendental; 

smrtah  =  recognized; 

bhakti-yogah  =  bhakti-yoga, or devotional service; 

bhagavati  =  to the Supreme Personality of Godhead (not to the demigods); 

tat  =  His; 

nama  =  of the holy name; 

grahana-adibhih  =  beginning with chanting.




As stated in the previous slokam, dharmam  bhagavatam, 

real religious principles, 

are bhagavata-dharma, 

the principles described in Srimad-Bhagavatam itself or in Bhagavad-gita, the preliminary study of the Bhagavatam. 



What are these principles? 

The Bhagavatam says, 

"dharmah projjhita-kaitavotram " : [SB 1.1.2] 

in Srimad-Bhagavatam there are no cheating religious systems.
 
Everything in the Bhagavatam is directly connected with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.  
 



The Bhagavatam further says, 

"sa  vai  pumsam  paro  dharmo  yato  bhaktir  adhokshaje" : [SB 1.2.6] 

"the supreme religion is that which teaches its followers how to love the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is beyond the reach of experimental knowledge." 



Such a religious system begins with tan-nama-grahana, chanting of the holy name of the Lord : 

"sravanam  kirtanam  vishnuh   smaranam  pada-sevanam " 

[Bhagavatam : Skandam-7. Ch-5. Slo-23. ] 



After chanting the holy name of the Lord and dancing in ecstasy, one gradually sees the form of the Lord, the pastimes of the Lord and the transcendental qualities of the Lord. 

This way one fully understands the situation of the Personality of Godhead. 

One can come to this understanding of the Lord, how He descends into the material world, how He takes His births and what activities He performs, but one can know this only by executing devotional service. 



As stated in Bhagavad-gita :

"bhaktya  mam  abhijanati" : [ Gita : Ch-18. Slo-55. ] 

"simply by devotional service one can understand everything about the Supreme Lord."




If one fortunately understands the Supreme Lord in this way, the result is "tyaktva  deham  punar janma naiti" : 
[ Gita : Ch-4. Slo-9 ]

"after giving up his material body, he no longer has to take birth in this material world. Instead, he returns home, back to Godhead. That is the ultimate perfection. "



Therefore Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita ( Ch-8. Slo-15 ) :

“After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogīs in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.”

To be continued  ....


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