80 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 1

of one thousand years. By the example of these sages one should learn
that regular hearing and recitation of the Bhagavatam is the only way for
self-realization. Other attempts are simply a waste of time, for they do not
give any tangible results. Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu preached this
system of Bhdagavata-dharma, and He recommended that all those who
were born in India should take the responsibility of broadcasting the
messages of Lord Sri Krsna, primarily the message of Bhagavad-gita. And
when one is well established in the teachings of Bhagavad-gita, he can take
up the study of Srimad-Bhagavatam for further enlightenment in self-
realization.

TEXT 22

wd as ahaa aT Ze FaaferetteTTa |
ele aaet dat ara FaHTZ Rll

tvam nah sandarsito dhatra
dustaram nistitirsatam

kalim sattva-haram pumsam
karna-dhara ivarnavam

tvam—your goodness; nah—unto us; sandarsitah—meeting; dhatra—by
providence; dustaram—insurmountable; nistitirsatim—for those desiring
to cross over; kalim—the age of Kali; sattva-haram—that which deteriorates
the good qualities; purmsam—of the man; karna-dharah—captain; iva—as;
arnavam—the ocean.

TRANSLATION

We think that we have met Your Grace by the will of providence, and
thus we accept you as captain of the ship for those who desire to
cross the dangerous ocean of Kali, which destroys all the good qualities
of a human being.

PURPORT

The age of Kali is very dangerous for the human being. Human life is
simply meant for self-realization, but due to this dangerous age, men have
completely forgotten the aim of life. In this age, the life span will gradually
decrease. People will gradually lose their memory, finer sentiments,
strength, and better qualities. A list of the anomalies for this age is given
in the Twelfth Canto of this work. And so this age is very difficult for
