Text 8] The First Step in God Realization 13
PURPORT

The statement made by Srila Sukadeva Gosvami that the topmost
transcendentalist, who is beyond the jurisdiction of regulations and re-
strictions, mainly takes to the task of hearing about and glorifying the
Personality of Godhead, is verified by his personal example. Sukadeva
Gosvami, being a recognized liberated soul and the topmost transcen-
dentalist, was accepted by all of the topmost sages present in the meeting
during the last seven days of Maharaja Pariksit. He cites from the example
of his life that he himself was attracted by the transcendental activities of
the Lord, and he studied Srimad-Bhdgavatam from his great father, Sri
Dvaipayana Vyasadeva. Srimad-Bhagavatam, or, for that matter, any other
scientific literature, cannot be studied at home by one’s own intellectual
capacity. Medical books of anatomy or physiology are available in the
market, but no one can become a qualified medical practicioner simply by
reading such books at home. One has to be admitted to the medical
college and study the books under the guidance of learned professors.
Similarly, Srimad-Bhagavatam, the postgraduate study of the science of
Godhead, can only be learned by studying it at the feet of a realized soul
like Srila Vyasadeva. Although Sukadeva Gosvami was a liberated soul
from the very day of his birth, he still had to take lessons of Srimad-
Bhagavatam from his great father, Vyasadeva, who compiled the Srimad-
Bhagavatam under the instruction of another great soul, Sri Narada Muni.
Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu instructed a learned brahmana to study
Srimad-Bhagavatam from a personal bhagavatam. Srimad-Bhagavatam is
based on the transcendental name, form, attributes, pastimes, entourage
and variegatedness of the Supreme Person, and it is spoken by the
incarnation of the Personality of Godhead, Srila Vyasadeva. Pastimes of
the Lord are executed in cooperation with His pure devotees, and con-
sequently historical incidences are mentioned in this great literature
because they are related to Krsna. It is called brahma-sammitam because
it is the sound representative of Lord Krsna—like the Bhagavad-gita.
Bhagavad-gita is the sound incarnation of the Lord because it is spoken by
the Supreme Lord, and Srimad-Bhagavatam is the sound representative of
the Lord because it was spoken by the incarnation of the Lord about the
activities of the Lord. As stated in the beginning of this book, it is the
essence of the Vedic desire-tree and the natural commentation on the
Brahma-sittras, the topmost philosophical thesis on the subject matter of
Brahman. Vyasadeva appeared at the end of Dvapara-yuga as the son
of Satyavati, and therefore the word Dudpara-ddau, or “beginning of
