Sources of Absolute Knowledge
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of understanding Krṣṇa, after many, many births. But the  Bhāgavatam  is called the essence of life, the ripened fruit of the  Vedas , because the  Bhāgavatam  gives you directly what is needed in your life.
The  Vedas  are divided into four:  Sāma Veda ,  Rk ,  Atharva  and  Yajus . Then these are explained by the  Purāṇas , of which there are eighteen. Then these are still further explained by the  Upaniṣads , of which there are 108. The  Upaniṣads  are summarized in the  Vedānta-sūtra , and the  Vedānta-sūtra  is still again explained by the  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam , by the same author. This is the process. So the  Bhāgavatam  is the essence of all Vedic knowledge.
Naimiṣāraṇya is a very famous and sacred forest in northern India, where all the  ṛṣis , the sages, generally go to aid their spiritual advancement of life. This  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  was first discussed in this age in that forest. When it was discussed, the great saint Sūta Gosvāmī was asked by his audience: Now that Krṣṇa has gone back to His abode, with whom is transcendental knowledge now resting? This question was raised. The  Bhagavad-gītā  was spoken by Krṣṇa Himself, and it contains all descriptions of  jñāna-yoga ,  karma-yoga ,  dhyāna-yoga  and  bhakti-yoga . Now this inquiry was made: Where can you get spiritual knowledge, now that Krṣṇa is gone? The answer was that Krṣṇa, having departed, has left us the  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam . It is the representation, the sound representation, of Krṣṇa. The  Bhāgavatam  is not different from Krṣṇa, as the  Gītā  is not different from Krṣṇa. They are absolute. Krṣṇa and Krṣṇa's sound vibration are not different. Krṣṇa and Krṣṇa's name are also not different. And Krṣṇa and Krṣṇa's form, again, are not different. This is absolute. It requires realization.
This  Bhagavad-gītā  and  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  are sound incarnations of Krṣṇa. The  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  is also the literary incarnation of Krṣṇa, and it is the fruit of Vedic knowledge. You may have experience that there is a bird which is called a