Mantra Seventeen
93
all the  mantras  of the Vedic hymns is summarized in the  Vedānta-sūtras ; and then again they are properly explained in the  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam .  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  is the mature fruit of the Vedic tree of wisdom. In the  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  this particular  mantra  is explained in the questions and answers of Mahārāj Parīkṣit and Gosvāmī Śukadeva at the very beginning of their meeting. As hearing and chanting of the science of God is the basic principle of devotional life, so the complete  Bhāgavatam  is heard by Mahārāj Parīkṣit and chanted by Gosvāmī Śukadeva. Mahārāj Parīkṣit enquired from Śukadeva because Śukadeva was a greater spiritual master than any great  yogi  or transcendentalist of his time.
Mahārāj Parīkṣit's question was, "What is the duty of every man, specifically at the time of death?"
The answer by Gosvāmī Śukadeva was that everyone who is desirous of being free from all anxieties should always hear about and glorify the Personality of Godhead, Who is the Supreme Director of everything, the Extinguisher of all difficulties, and the Supersoul of all living entities.
So-called human society is generally engaged at night in the matter of sleeping or sex indulgence. And during the daytime men are engaged in earning money as much as possible, or else in shopping for the family maintenance. People have very little time to talk about the Personality of Godhead or to make any enquiries about Him. They have dismissed the case of God's existence in so many ways, especially by declaring Him to be impersonal—that is, without any sense perception. But in the Vedic literature, whether the  Upaniṣads  or the  Vedānta-sūtras  or the  Bhagavad-gītā  or the  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam , in every scripture it is declared that the Lord is the sentient Being, supreme over all other living entities. And His glorious activities are identical with Himself. One should therefore not indulge in hearing and speaking of the rubbish activities of worldly politicians and the so-called big men of society, but should so mold his life that not a second is wasted without engagement in godly activities.