454 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 2, Ch. 8
éri siilah uvaca—Srila Sita Gosvami said; sah—he (Sukadeva Gosvami);
upamantntah—thus being inquired; raja@—by the King; kath@yam—in the
topics of; iti-thus; sat-pateh—of the highest truth; brahmaratah—
Sukadeva Gosvami; bhriam—very much; pritah—pleased; visnuratena—by
Maharaja Paniksit; samsadi—in the meeting.
TRANSLATION

Sita Gosvami said: Thus Sukadeva Gosvami, being invited by Maharaja
Pariksit to speak on topics of the Lord Sri Krsna with the devotees, was
very much pleased.

PURPORT

Srimad-Bhagavatam can only be legitimately discussed among the devo-
tees of the Lord. As the Bhagavad-gita was authoritatively discussed be-
tween Lord Krsna and Arjuna (the Lord and the devotee respectively),
similarly Srimad-Bhagavatam, which is the postgraduate study of the
Bhagavad-gita, can also be discussed between the scholars and devotees
like Sukadeva Gosvami and Maharaja Pariksit. Otherwise the real taste of
the nectar cannot be relished. Sates Gosvami was pleased with
Maharaja Pariksit because he was not at all tired of hearing the topics of
the Lord, and he was more and more anxious to hear them on and on with
interest. Foolish interpreters unnecessarily tackle the Bhagavad-gita and
Srimad-hadgavatam when they have no access to the subject matter. There
is no use in nondevotees’ meddling with the two topmost Vedic literatures,
and therefore Sankaracarya did not touch Srimad-Bhagavatam for commen-
tation. In his commentation on the Bhagavad-gita, Sripada Sankaracarya
accepted Lord Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but later on
he commented from the impersonalist’s view. But, being conscious of his
position, he did not comment on the Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Srila Sukadeva Gosvami was protected by Lord Krsna (vide Brahma-
vaivarta Purana), and therefore he is known as Brahmarata, and Sriman
Pariksit Maharaja was protected by Visnu, and thus he is known as the
Visnurata. As devotees of the Lord, they are always protected by the
Lord. It is clear also in this connection that a Visnurata should hear
Srimad-Bhagavatam from Brahmarata and no one else because others
misrepresent the transcendental knowledge and thus spoil one’s valuable
time.
