Hare Krishna,
Can someone here guide me please ?
Is there some process to read Srimad Bhagavatam in day-to-day life to realise Krishna ?
Can we read few lines when ever we get some free time during work ?
Shall we focus on revising/remembering chapters/contents as we used to prepare in our exams during school days ? Or, we can go on reading it till completion (doesn't matter if we cannot remember the contents well) and once completed, repeat the process from SB1.1.1 ? Can we skip purports (read only the translations of all slokas) for quicker completion of one round ?
Regards,
Prakash Barman
Replies
Hare Krishna!
Yes, there are spiritual remedies to realize Krishna through reading Srimad Bhagavatam in day-to-day life.
Regularity is key. It is recommended to read Srimad Bhagavatam daily, even if it is just a few verses. By making it a daily habit, we develop a stronger connection with the text and with Krishna.
Focus on understanding the meaning and purpose of the text, rather than just memorizing it. The purpose of Srimad Bhagavatam is to help us develop our love for Krishna and understand our relationship with Him. By understanding the meaning behind the verses, we can deepen our understanding of Krishna and our devotion to Him.
It is recommended to read the purports of Srila Prabhupada along with the verses. The purports provide valuable insights and explanations that can help us understand the verses more deeply and apply them to our daily lives.
Just as a plant needs regular watering to grow, our spiritual life also needs regular nourishment through daily reading of Srimad Bhagavatam. And just as a student must understand the meaning behind the concepts they are studying, we must also understand the meaning behind the verses of Srimad Bhagavatam to truly benefit from them.
In conclusion, by making a daily habit of reading Srimad Bhagavatam, focusing on understanding the meaning behind the verses, and reading the purports of Srila Prabhupada, we can deepen our understanding of Krishna and our devotion to Him. And just as with any spiritual practice, it is important to approach it with sincerity and humility, seeking guidance from spiritual authorities and taking shelter of Krishna's mercy.
Hare KRsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
Very happy to note that you are showing interest to read Srimad Bhagawatam. Since you are asking the process, I am giving the ideal - you see what is workable for you.
The volume of SB you are currently reading should be wrapped in red cloth and kept. This is God in book form. So we should give proper respect to the book. Ideally it should be kept on the wooden stand that is used for scriptures and read. It would be nice if you could fix a time to read - ideally 7 am - 8 am, maybe a half an hour slot. If possible, keep the book on your altar, show dhoop and offer flowers while doing arati everyday.
Read from beginning to end - not whimsically from the middle one story here and one story there. Read the shloka, translation, purport, everything. The purport is very important prabhuji. It gives the context in whihc the shloka is mentioned and clears so many doubts that are sure to arise while reading.
If you have doubts, you can keep on noting on a piece of paper and come here and ask. We will try to answer to the extent possible.
The idea to revise while reading is not advisable, mainly because it is so vast that you will never complete this way. Just continue reading from beginning to end. I hope you have read Bhagawad Gita As It Is and are planning to read Srimad Bhagawatam, where the purports are written by SP and senior devotees of ISKCON.
Happy reading prabhuji, waiting to read about your realisations while you read.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD
Hare Krishna Mataji,
What is the significance of 7 am-8 am?
Haribol,
Your servant,
Rishi Nayyar
Hare KRsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
I said 7am to 8am because typically devotees wake up at 4 am, chant, bathe, do mangalarati till 7 am. Then they can read 7-8 am. Nothing much to it.
When we read Gita, we realise that the days are also divided in the 3 gunas - morning time is sattva guna dominant, day time is rajo guna dominant and evening/ night is tamoguna dominant. There is no restriction to read anytime of the day or night, it is on us completely.
Fixing a time helps to set a routine. Then it is easier to do it everyday.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD
I am reading it from https://prabhupadabooks.com/. Thanks for your kind advice. I shall try to go on reading everything as you said and also from start till end and will post my doubts here for clarification. Thank you.
Haribol,
Srimad Bhagavatam hs to be heared through the ear , so its best to recite it, read it aloud , do this daily for half a hour or how much ever u can and keep increasing complete the whole tweleve cantos ,Hearing Srimad Bhagavatam is one of the Greatest form of devotion to krishna its on par with chanting.