Devotional Service - Final Conclusion of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the literary incarnation of God, and its teachings culminate in a single point: absolute surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. While it touches upon various topics like creation, history, and philosophy, the underlying current and final verdict is that unalloyed devotional service is the highest perfection of life. This article explores the specific conclusions drawn from the text regarding the identity of the Lord, the method of worship, and the consciousness of the perfected devotee.

Ultimate Goal - Śrī Kṛṣṇa

The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam describes numerous incarnations of God, but it carefully distinguishes the plenary portions from the original source. The definitive conclusion is that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the summum bonum, the fountainhead of all other forms. Therefore, He is the ultimate object of surrender.

• It is concluded by studying the complete Srimad-Bhagavatam that Lord Sri Krsna is the ultimate summum bonum, or the ultimate source of all energy.
• Srimad-Bhagavatam gives a list of all incarnations of God, and at last concludes that the name Krsna, which appears on this list, indicates the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whereas all other names represent manifestations or incarnations.
• Supreme Personality of Godhead in the ultimate issue is confirmed by Brahma in his Brahma-samhita as isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah (BS 5.1). So it is concluded in the Third Canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Practice - Always Remember Kṛṣṇa

What is the duty of the living entity? Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the speaker of the Bhāgavatam, answers this by concluding that one must always remember the Supreme Lord. This remembrance is facilitated by hearing and chanting. Simply by hearing the message of the Bhāgavatam, one establishes a direct connection with Kṛṣṇa and transcends material miseries.

• Srimad-Bhagavatam (SB 2.2.36) states: Sukadeva Gosvami concludes - The business of the living entity is to always remember the SP of Godhead in every circumstance. The Lord should be heard about, glorified and remembered by all human beings.
• The conclusion is that simply by hearing the Vedic literature Srimad-Bhagavatam, one can have direct connection with Sri Krsna, and thereby one can attain the highest perfection of life by transcending worldly miseries, illusion and fearfulness.
• It is the conclusion of Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita that the direct order of the Lord is to give up everything and engage in devotional service.

Perfection - Love and Control

The Bhāgavatam reveals that the highest aspect of the Absolute Truth is not power but love. In the perfectional stage of mādhurya-rasa (conjugal love), the devotee's love is so intense that the Supreme Lord agrees to be controlled by it. This confidential conclusion is the essence of the text's teachings on rasa.

• Conjugal love (madhurya-rasa) is also known as srngara-rasa. It is the conclusion of SB that in the complete combination of loving service to the Lord - namely in conjugal love - the Supreme Lord fully agrees to be under the control of the devotee.
• Unless one practices devotional service himself, he cannot teach it to others. This conclusion is indeed confirmed throughout the Gita and Bhagavatam.

Devotee's Vision of Material Life

One of the most practical conclusions of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam concerns how a devotee reacts to the ups and downs of life. The text teaches that dangerous or prosperous conditions come without our endeavor, according to destiny. A devotee accepts both as the mercy of the Lord and remains undisturbed, focused solely on their service.

• The Bhagavatams conclusion is that a devotee is never disturbed by such reverses. He accepts even reverse conditions as the grace of the Lord.
• According to the Bhagavatam conclusion, we are sometimes faced with dangerous or miserable conditions without endeavoring for them, and similarly we may have prosperous conditions without endeavoring for them.

Conclusion

The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is not meant for academic speculation; it drives the reader toward a definitive point of surrender. By accepting Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme, engaging in constant hearing and chanting, and maintaining a steady mind in all circumstances, the student of the Bhāgavatam realizes the highest perfection of devotional service.

Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani

• Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Conclusion of the Srimad-Bhagavatam.