4
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 3, Ch. 1]
expected to be highly purposeful in spiritual values. Questions and answers by different classes of men can be guessed by the caliber of the persons concerned. In  Bhagavad-gītā , the discussion was between Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, the Supreme Person and the supreme devotee respectively. The Lord admitted Arjuna to be His devotee and friend (Bg. 4.3), and therefore any sane man can guess that the discussion was on the topic of the  bhakti-yoga  system. Actually the whole  Bhagavad-gītā  is based on the principle of  bhakti-yoga . There is a difference between  karma  and  karma-yoga .  Karma  is regulated action for the enjoyment of the fruit by the performer, but  karma-yoga  is action performed by the devotee for the satisfaction of the Lord.  Karma-yoga  is based on  bhakti , or pleasing the Lord, whereas  karma  is based on pleasing the senses of the performer himself. According to  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam , one is advised to approach a bona fide spiritual master when one is actually inclined to question from an elevated level of spiritual understanding. A common man who has no interest in spiritual values has no need to approach a spiritual master just as a matter of following fashion.
As a student, Mahārāja Parīkṣit was serious about learning the science of God, and Śukadeva Gosvāmī was a bona fide spiritual master in the transcendental science. Both of them knew that the topics discussed by Vidura and Rṣi Maitreya were elevated, and thus Mahārāja Parīkṣit was very interested to learn from the bona fide spiritual master.
TEXT 5
सूत उवाच
स एवमृषिवर्योऽयं पृष्ठो राज्ञा परीक्षिता । 
    प्रत्याह तं सुबहुवित्प्रीतात्मा श्रूयतामिति ॥ ५ ॥
sūta uvāca  
 sa evam ṛṣi-varyo 'yam  
 pṛṣṭo rājñā parīkṣitā  
 pratyāha tam su-bahuvit  
 prītātmā śrūyatām iti
śrī sūtaḥ uvāca —Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said;  saḥ —he;  evam —thus;  ṛṣi-varyaḥ —the great  ṛṣi ;  ayam —Śukadeva Gosvāmī;  pṛṣṭaḥ —being questioned;  rājñā —by the King;  parīkṣitā —Mahārāja Parīkṣit;  prati āha —replied;  tam —unto the King;  su-bahuvit —highly experienced;  prīta-ātmā —fully satisfied;  śrūyatām —please hear me;  iti —thus.