All Glories to Śrī Śrī Guru & Gauranga
Gauḍīya Goṣṭhī Pati Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda Paramahaṁsa Jagat Guru told that— “Bhagavan can reserve the right of not being exposed to our sense organs.”
So even after long study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam one cannot develop actual realization, if Mahābhāgavat Sad Guru-Vaiṣṇava sevā not done by him from heart. So, any amount of educational power or money power or manpower nothing can give us success in the way of realization of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, so this way we cannot get kṛpā of Śrīmad-Bhāgavat Mahapurāṇa. Because Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is non different from Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself. “sākṣād kṛṣṇa eva hi” Śrīmad-Bhāgavat Mahapurāṇa is non different from Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, I mean no other than Kṛṣṇa Himself. From Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we can see the following śloka—
athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-
prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi
jānāti tattvaṁ bhagavan-mahimno
na cānya eko ’pi ciraṁ vicinvan (ŚB 10.14.29)
My Lord, if one is favored by even a slight trace of the mercy of Your lotus feet, he can understand the greatness of Your personality. But those who speculate to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead are unable to know You, even though they continue to study the Vedas for many years.
Only and only by the help of unalloyed loveful sevā of Bhakta-Bhāgavat Mahajan one can realize the essence of grantha Bhāgavatam, no other way. Also, we know the following śloka from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
tato duḥsaṅgam utsṛjya
satsu sajjeta buddhimān
santa evāsya chindanti
mano-vyāsaṅgam uktibhiḥ (ŚB 11.26.26)
An intelligent person should therefore reject all bad association and instead take up the association of saintly devotees, whose words cut off the excessive attachment of one’s mind.
So then what doubt can be there about the following comment of Śrī Vaiṣṇava Raja Shyambhu, like–
ahaṁ vedmi śuko vetti
vyāso vetti na vetti vā
bhaktyā bhāgavataṁ grāhyaṁ
na buddhyā na ca ṭīkayā (Cc Madhya-līlā 24.313)
“[Lord Śiva said,] ‘I may know; Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the son of Vyāsadeva, may know; and Vyāsadeva may know or may not know the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. On the whole, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the spotless Purāṇa, can be learned only through devotional service, not by material intelligence, speculative methods or imaginary commentaries.’ “
From Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Antya līlā 5.131 we can see the advice or instruction of Śrī Svarūp Gosai who is known as second svarūpa of Śrīman Mahāprabhu.
“yāha, bhāgavata paḍa vaiṣṇavera sthāne
ekānta āśraya kara caitanya-caraṇe (Cc Antya-līlā 5.131)
“If you want to understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,” he said, “you must approach a self-realized Vaiṣṇava and hear from him. By taken shelter unto the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu—this can be possible.”
Also, from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Antya līlā 13.113 we can see that
vṛddha mātā-pitāra yāi’ karaha sevāna
vaiṣṇava-pāśa bhāgavata kara adhyayana (Cc Antya-līlā 13.113)
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said to Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa, “When you return home, serve your aged father and mother, who are devotees, and try to study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from a pure Vaiṣṇava who has realized God.”
Even the direct advice from Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Deva to Vallabhācārya, which we can find in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta—
śrīdhara-svāmi-prasāde ‘bhāgavata’ jāni
jagad-guru śrīdhara-svāmī ‘guru’ kari’ māni (C.C.Antya 7.133)
“Śrīdhara Svāmī is the spiritual master of the entire world because by his mercy we can understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. I therefore accept him as a spiritual master.
Also we cannot find the name of Śrī Vyāsa Deva in the list of 12 Mahājanas—those who are having complete knowledge in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, I mean they are Bhāgavat tattva vetta. Because Śrī Vyāsa Deva is Himself Bhāgavat tattva (śaktyāveśa-avatāra of Śrī Bhagavan) not bhakta tattva. This is the most vital point to be considered. Also, we know it very well that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is always eternally present. So Śrī Vyāsa Deva has played an instrumental part in the way of the manifestation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He is not the writer, or the compilation was not done by He Himself, only Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam appeared inside the heart of Śrī Vyāsa Deva, also we know that the handwritten version of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was done by Śrī Ganapati Deva.
Śrī Vyāsa Deva Himself taught Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to Śrī Śukadeva-His son, then why He wanted to attend the first assembly of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to get the unique taste of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the Lotus mouth of Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī, that is the most vital point to be considered. So, the following śloka from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we must discuss analytically.
nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ
śuka-mukhād amṛta-drava-saṁyutam
pibata bhāgavataṁ rasam ālayam
muhur aho rasikā bhuvi bhāvukāḥ (ŚB 1.1.3)
O expert and thoughtful men, relish Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the mature fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literatures. It emanated from the lips of Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Therefore, this fruit has become even more tasteful. Which is the source of apprakrita Nectarian juice coming down on this earth. Oh! Rasikas go on enjoying the rasa which is always enjoyed by Paramahamsa Mukta Purushas.
A cook man if asked about the taste of the item cooked by him, then surely, he cannot speak out. Maybe he can speak something, but only after tasting or, it is more practical to ask a third person who has the direct experience of tasting the item, I mean who has already tasted the item. Because at least he is a neutral personality to pass comment. Everywhere there in all International Hotels both cook men and testers are appointed separately. A cook man can cook nicely, but the duty of a tester is to point out the taste of the item with high sensitivity. So, if Śrī Vyāsa Deva can be compared with a cook man, then how we can expect that the complete taste of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam can be achieved by Him. So surely there can be a doubt about it, so Śrī Vaiṣṇava Raja Shyambu wanted to speak out the same that Vyāsa Deva can know or cannot know. Even the Supreme Lord Himself cannot get the taste of the mood of a pure devotee who is full of devotional mood without accepting the bhāva of that devotee, that is why Śrī Kṛṣṇa took decision to steal the bhāva of Śrīmati Rādhārāṇī and golden complexion of Her body to appear in the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu to realize the mood and feeling of Śrīmati Rādhārāṇī. So Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam being non different from Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself and Śrī Vyāsa Deva being śaktyāveśa-avatāra of the Supreme Lord, there can be such a doubt as expressed by Śrī Vaiṣṇava Raja Shyambu about Śrī Vyāsa Deva.
Gaura Hari Hari Bol