In the Padma Purana, the first two Cantos of Srimad-Bhagavatam are compared to the lotus feet of the literary form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. After Krishna departed, Srimad-Bhagavatam appeared, just like when sun sets on the western horizon, the moon will arise simultaneously or shortly thereafter on the eastern horizon. The full moon shines as brilliantly as the sun and at the same time gives soothing and cooling rays, as opposed to the hot scorching rays of the sun. The appearance of Srimad-Bhagavatam is also like that. When Krishna appeared, He annihilated the population of miscreant kings on the Earth and established the principles of dharma by teaching Bhagavad-gita.

There is another important word that comes in Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.7. That word is asu. Asu is a reference of time, and it means “at once”. So, how long we have been chanting? And, how does this “at once” fit into that? The answer is that the full potency is there, “at once”. The Srimad-Bhagavatam describes that these messages, when properly heard and sung, act just like a highly potent drug injected intravenously. It goes at once throughout the whole body. It’s not like taking a pill which slowly dissolves and goes through the body. An IV medication at once goes into the body.

Here is a benediction that comes at the end of the chapter in Srimad-Bhagavatam wherein Krsna's killing of Putana is narrated. I will recite it at the beginning so we will all be very attentive. "Any person who hears with faith and devotion about how Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, killed Putana, and thus invests his hearing in such childhood pastimes of Krsna, certainly attains attachment to Govinda, the Supreme Original Person." So, would anyone like to get attachment for Govinda? Ok, so now we know what to do, right? Hear with faith and devotion, and attachment for Govinda will be we'll experience at the end.

-- Adapted from a lecture given by Srila Romapada Swami

We all have some genuine feelings for Krsna, as well as some impure feelings. That mix covers the genuine feelings and, hence, chanting becomes mechanical, as opposed to chanting from the heart. We have some knowledge about who Krsna is and about our situation in this material world. Still, we don't feelingly call out because we have false shelters. Srila Prabhupada says that if we are holding onto something in the tight grip of our hands and we want something else, we have to let go off that something in our hand in order to take the other thing. So, the shelter taking process is a two-fold process: it's knowingly or consciously letting go of our attachments with mindfulness and determination, and also taking shelter in Krsna..

Srila Sukadeva Goswami is answering Maharaja Pariksit's question about how persons can become free from the sufferings of their misdeeds and what one could do about past sins. The theology of Srimad Bhagavatam instructs us that the means is the chanting of the holy name. Srimad Bhagavatam states it, gives the example of Ajamila, describes the Visnudutas speaking about it, Yamaraja speaking about it, and now Srila Sukadeva Goswami speaking about it again. So it should be very clear. Here is Srila Sukadeva Goswami’s statement (SB 6.3.31), "My dear King, the chanting of the holy name of the Lord is able to uproot even the reactions of the greatest sins. Therefore the chanting of the sankirtana movement is the most auspicious activity in the entire universe.

Vyasa-puja is honoring Srila Vyasadeva. We are offering puja to Vyasadeva, and by honoring those who represent Vyasadeva we are honoring Vyasadeva. Vyasa-puja is the honoring of that person, or those persons, who are nurturing our relationship with Krsna by delivering Krsna’s message, the Srimad-Bhagavatam in particular. The topics of Srimad-Bhagavatam are very very wonderful, deep, and profound. The more you enter into those topics, you feel the presence of Krsna. Those feelings make you want to go deeper, unendingly.

One of the qualifications of a devotee is simplicity. According to Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura, this is the number one quality that makes a person a devotee. So this is a nice quality to consider. Simplicity has several connotations. One of them is just speaking the truth, whatever it is, and not be cunning, conniving, or duplicitous. In other words, be straight forward.

Here, Arjuna is in a similar yet not identical situation as in the battlefield of Kurukshetra -- one in which he does not want to kill. But Krishna wants Arjuna to kill Asvatthama, the killer of the five sleeping sons of Draupadi. Now here the outcome is different, because the circumstances are different. This is not a cookie-cutter religion, wherein there is only one way to do things and we all do them the same way. That is not the lesson here. The lesson is quite the opposite. In the course of religion and duties, there are many subtle things to consider. If you just take one thing and do it, or take another thing and do not do it, then it is not mature and it is not complete.

Q) In the three reasons mentioned as to why people can't see Krishna, the second reason is that despite training being given, we are stubborn. How are we to understand and accept if we are stubborn, and how are we to give up the stubbornness?
A) Generally this idea of stubbornness is a trait that Srila Prabhupada attributes to the scientists and the rampant speculators. It is not a quality that Srila Prabhupada primarily attributed to a devotee. A devotee may be other things -- like he/she may be attached to sense gratification or may be lazy, or something like that. But this stubborn obstinacy is generally like the donkey.

This is one of those beautiful prayers by Lord Brahma after he regrets doubting Krishna's supremacy and mystic power. We pray those prayers Lord Brahma prayed and follow in his footsteps. This prayer describes the position of someone who doesn't have knowledge (hint: that's us), and about persons in ignorance of who we are, who God is, and what's what, etc. In that condition, how is such a person to reach the goal of life? Although Lord Brahma has knowledge, he is realizing his ignorance, and that, with ignorance, he made a big mistake of offending Krishna.