326 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 7

PURPORT

There are various senses, of which the ear is the most effective. This
sense works even when a man is deep asleep. One can protect himself from
the hands of an enemy while awake, but while asleep one is protected by
the ear only. The importance of hearing is mentioned here in connection
with attaining the highest perfection of life, namely, getting free from three
material pangs. Everyone is full of lamentation at every moment; he is
after the mirage of illusory things and is always afraid of his supposed
enemy. These are the primary symptoms of material disease. And it is
definitely suggested herein that simply by hearing the message of Srimad-
Bhagavatam one gets attachment for the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Sri Krsna, and as soon as this is effected the symptoms of the material
diseases disappear. Srila Vyasadeva was the all-perfect Personality of God-
head, and in this statement the all-perfect Personality of Godhead Sri
Krsna is clearly confirmed.

The ultimate result of devotional service is to develop genuine love for
the Supreme Personality. Love is a word which is often used in relation
with man and woman. And love is the only word that can be properly
used to indicate the relation between Lord Krsna and the living entities.
The living entities are mentioned as prakrti in the Bhagavad-gita, and in
Sanskrit prakrti is a feminine object. The Lord is always described as the
Parama-Purusa or the supreme male personality. Thus the affection be-
tween the Lord and the living entities is something like that between the
male and the female. Therefore the term love of Godhead is quite appro-
priate.

Loving devotional service of the Lord begins with hearing about the
Lord. There is no difference between the Lord and the subject matter
heard about Him. The Lord is absolute in all respects, and thus there is
no difference between Him and the subject matter heard about Him.
Therefore, hearing about Him means immediate contact with Him by the
process of vibration of the transcendental sound. And the transcendental
sound is so effective that it acts at once by removing all material affections
mentioned above. As mentioned before, a living entity develops a sort of
complexity by material association, and the illusory encagement of the
material body is accepted as an actual fact. Under such false complexity,
the living beings under different categories of life become illusioned in
different ways. Even in the most developed stage of human life, the same
illusion prevails in the form of many isms and divides the loving relation
with the Lord and thereby divides the loving relation between man and
