"Sukadeva Gosvami imparted transcendental knowledge to Maharaja Pariksit during the remaining seven days of his life, and Maharaja Pariksit heard him properly, just like an ardent student. The effect of such a bona fide hearing and chanting of Srimad-Bhagavatam was equally shared by both the hearer and the chanter. Both of them were benefited. Out of the nine different transcendental means of devotional service to the Lord prescribed in the Bhagavatam, either all of them, or some of them or even one of them are equally beneficial if properly discharged. Maharaja Pariksit and Sukadeva Gosvami were serious performers of the first two important items, namely the process of chanting and the process of hearing, and therefore both of them were successful in their laudable attempt. Transcendental realization is attained by such serious hearing and chanting and not otherwise. There is a type of spiritual master and disciple much advertised in this age of Kali. It is said that the master injects spiritual force into the disciple by an electrical current generated by the master, and the disciple begins to feel the shock. He becomes unconscious, and the master weeps for his exhausting his store of so-called spiritual assets. Such bogus advertisement is going on in this age, and the poor common man is becoming the victim of such advertisement. We do not find such folk tales in the dealings of Sukadeva Gosvami and his great disciple Maharaja Pariksit. The sage recited Srimad-Bhagavatam in devotion, and the great King heard him properly. The King did not feel any shock of electrical current from the master, nor did he become unconscious while receiving knowledge from the master. One should not, therefore, become a victim of these unauthorized advertisements made by some bogus representative of Vedic knowledge. The sages of Naimisaranya were very respectful in hearing about Maharaja Pariksit because of his receiving knowledge from Sukadeva Gosvami by means of ardent hearing. Ardent hearing from the bona fide master is the only way to receive transcendental knowledge, and there is no need for medical performances or occult mysticism for miraculous effects. The process is simple, but only the sincere party can achieve the desired result."
Bhagavad-gita, Introduction
"These nine processes, of which the easiest is sravanam, hearing Bhagavad-gita from the realized person, will turn one to the thought of the Supreme Being. This will lead to nisala, remembering the Supreme Lord, and will enable one, upon leaving the body, to attain a spiritual body which is just fit for association with the Supreme Lord."
Srimad-Bhagavatam 7:5:23-24
Hearing from the text of Srimad-Bhagavatam is considered the most important process of hearing. Srimad-Bhagavatam is full of transcendental chanting of the holy name, and therefore the chanting and hearing of Srimad-Bhagavatam are transcendentally full of mellows.
Teachings of Queen Kunti, Chapter 19
"One may perform all the methods of devotional service or may accept only one. Simply hearing is enough. Pariksit Maharaja did not do anything else but sit down before Sukadeva Gosvami and hear for the last seven days of his life. If one simply hears, without doing anything else, if one simply sits down in the temple and whenever there is talk of Bhagavad-gita one goes on hearing, that will be enough. Even if you do not understand, please hear. The vibration, the mantra, will help you. Grammatical or scholarly understanding is not very important. One may not know Sanskrit grammar, but bhakti is apratihata, unimpedable. Nothing can check the progress of bhakti. Therefore one should simply adopt this process of hearing, as recommended by Caitanya Mahaprabhu."
Podemos observar que quando Srila Prabhupada adverte-nos que não podemos compreender as escrituras devocionais através da lógica, da razão, do cérebro, isto não significa que não devamos ouvi-las e estudá-las.
Srila Prabhupada está a referir-se aos comentadores especulativos que não podem penetrar o significado profundo das escrituras devocionais.
Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Introduction
"Bhagavad-gītā is also known as Gītopanisad. It is the essence of Vedic knowledge and one of the most important Upanisads in Vedic literature. Of course there are many commentaries in English on the Bhagavad-gītā, and one may question the necessity for another one. This present edition can be explained in the following way. Recently an American lady asked me to recommend an English translation of Bhagavad-gītā. Of course in America there are so many editions of Bhagavad-gītā available in English, but as far as I have seen, not only in America but also in India, none of them can be strictly said to be authoritative because in almost every one of them the commentator has expressed his own opinions without touching the spirit of Bhagavad-gītā as it is."
Mas devemos estudá-las e ouvi-las com um espirito humilde e submisso ao Guru e as próprias escrituras, para que desta forma todo o conhecimento transcendental manifeste-se em nossas vidas.
Vosso servo
Prahladesh Dasa
