[Spoken by Srila Gurudeva on January 12th, 1998, in Australia, published as part of the Bhakta Bandhav Anthology, Volume 23]
Srila Gurudeva: Gita is a book for the primary stage and Srimad-Bhagavatam is for a master's degree or university. We can practice some of the instructions of the Gita, but it is very hard to realize all these facts of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Especially this prema, love and devotion. But, we have not come only to follow Gita. We have come to realize all these things of Bhagavatam that Caitanya Mahaprabhu very kindly gave us. So Vyasadeva wrote:
yasyam vai sruyamaṇayam
krsne parama-puruse
bhaktir utpadyate pumsah
soka-moha-bhayapaha
-Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.7
[Simply by giving aural reception to this Vedic literature, the feeling for loving devotional service to Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, sprouts up at once to extinguish the fire of lamentation, illusion, and fearfulness.]
He wrote this Srimad-Bhagavatam so that anyone who will read or hear it, especially by hearing, if anyone will hear Srimad-Bhagavatam, he will have a taste of how sweet Krsna’s pastimes are and he will try to develop his love for Krsna. Then he will go to a special guru or any Vaisnava, realized soul. We cannot go, but Krsna will arrange for this Himself. Like He arranged Narada to go to Vyasa. He sent Svamiji to you all. You have not done anything. Krsna has done everything. Caitanya Mahaprabhu went throughout all of India on foot, chanting, “Hare Krsna” or “Radhe Radhe Krsna Krsna.”
Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna He!
Krsna Kesava Krsna Kesava Krsna Kesava pahi mam!
Rama Raghava Rama Raghava Rama Raghava raksa mam!
All were attracted. Why did He travel everywhere? Had anyone called Him to come anywhere? To South India or anywhere? Anyone called, and that was Advaita Acarya. But to all other places, anyone never gave any invitation for Him to come, but yet He came. Only to sprinkle His mercy. So, Vyasadeva wrote everything. By reading, we cannot attain everything. We will have some taste, but we will have to hear it from any realized Vaisnava. Because there is a lock and key. They will open the lock and open the door for us. Then we can realize and know anything. By reading alone, you cannot have this thing. So, we must, we will have to hear from realized souls.
At least he should be madhyama-adhikari, having no anarthas, no selfishness, nothing. Then we can realize something and we can advance. And this association should be constantly, not that in a year I only hear one time. We must associate repeatedly. By doing so, Vyasadeva saw that prema-bhakti had come. He wrote Srimad-Bhagavatam, and he manifested Srimad-Bhagavatam. He could not actually write Srimad-Bhagavatam. It came from Krsna and he only manifested it. But we will have to hear from any realized soul like Narada, like Rupa Gosvami, or like the devotees who are following Rupa Gosvami. Then bhakti will come and then you will see that naturally, tears will come by chanting and remembering all these things.