## Chapter X Conditioned Souls Benefit From Hearing Vedic Literature—Kṛṣṇa-katha ### 1. Out of compassion, Kṛṣṇa compiled the Vedic literature for the liberation of the conditioned souls: **[Lord Caitanya said,] "The conditioned soul cannot revive his Kṛṣṇa consciousness by his own effort. But out of causeless mercy, Lord Kṛṣṇa compiled the Vedic literature and its supplements, the Purāṇas. The forgetful conditioned soul is educated by Kṛṣṇa through the Vedic literatures, the realized spiritual master and the Supersoul.... In this way one can acquire real knowledge of his conditioned life and can come to understand how to attain liberation."** Out of His causeless mercy and compassion, Kṛṣṇa has compiled various Vedic literatures in His incarnation as Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva is a *śaktyāveśa-avatāra *of Lord Kṛṣṇa. He has very kindly presented these literatures to awaken the conditioned soul to his senses. Unfortunately, at the present moment the conditioned souls are guided by demons who do not care to read the Vedic literatures. Although there is an immense treasure-house of knowledge, people are engaged in reading useless literature that will give them no information on how to get out of the clutches of *māyā*.... As the *śaktyāveśa-avatāra *Vyāsadeva, Kṛṣṇa teaches the conditioned soul through Vedic literatures. Kṛṣṇa externally appears as the spiritual master and trains the conditioned soul to come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When his original Kṛṣṇa consciousness is revived, the conditioned soul is delivered from the material clutches. Thus a conditioned soul is always helped by the Supreme Personality of Godhead in three ways—by the scriptures, the spiritual master and the Supersoul within the heart. *— Cc. *Madhya *[[cc/madhya/20/122|20.122-123]]* ### 2. By hearing the transcendental pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, one goes back home, back to Godhead: Following in the holy footsteps of Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, we have tried to present this book *Kṛṣṇa *for being read and heard by the conditioned souls of this age. By hearing the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa, one is sure and certain to get salvation and be transferred back home, back to Godhead. It is recommended by Śukadeva Gosvāmī that as we hear the transcendental pastimes and activities of the Lord, we gradually cut the knots of material contamination. Therefore, regardless of what one is, if one wants the association of Lord Kṛṣṇa in the transcendental kingdom of God for eternity in blissful existence, one must hear about the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa and chant the *mahā-mantra, *Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. *— *Kṛṣṇa,* Ch. 21* ### 3. Hearing (and chanting) the Vedic literature will bring peace and prosperity to the world: ****O** **King, it is therefore essential that every human being hear, glorify and remember the Supreme Lord Personality of Godhead always and everywhere.**** And for hearing only, all the Vedic literatures are there, compiled by authorized persons like Vyāsadeva, who is the powerful incarnation of Godhead. And as it is ascertained that the Lord is the Supersoul of everything, He should therefore be heard and glorified everywhere and always. That is the special duty of the human being. And the human being, when he gives up the process of hearing about the all-pervading Personality of Godhead, becomes victim to hearing rubbish.... It is said here that it is incumbent upon the human beings to hear because the scriptures like *Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, *etc., are made for that purpose. Living beings other than human beings have no capacity to hear such Vedic literatures. If the human society gives itself to the process of hearing the Vedic literature, it will not become victim to the impious sounds vibrated by impious men who degrade the standards of the total society. Hearing is solidified by the process of chanting. One who has perfectly heard from the perfect source becomes convinced about the all-pervading Personality of Godhead and thus becomes enthusiastic in the matter of glorifying the Lord. All the great *ācāryas, *like Rāmānuja, Madhva, Caitanya, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura or even, in other countries, Muhammad, Christ and others, have all extensively glorified the Lord by chanting always and in every place. Because the Lord is all-pervading, it is essential to glorify Him always and everywhere. In the process of glorifying the Lord there should be no restriction of time and space. This is called *sanātana-dharma, *or *bhāgavata-dharma. Sanātana *means eternal, always and everywhere. *Bhāgavata *means pertaining to Bhagavān, the Lord. The Lord is the master of all time and all space, and therefore the Lord's holy name must be heard, glorified and remembered everywhere in the world, and that will bring about the desired peace and prosperity so eagerly awaited by the people of the world. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/2/2/36|2.2.36]]* ### 4. The purifying effect of kṛṣṇa-kathā: **Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, your question is glorious because it is very beneficial to all kinds of people. To hear the answer to this question is the prime subject matter of hearing, and it is approved by all transcendentalists.** The topics of Lord Kṛṣṇa are so auspicious that they purify the speaker, the hearer, and the inquirer. They are compared to the Ganges waters, which flow from the toe of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Wherever the Ganges waters go, they purify the land and the person who bathes in them. Similarly, *kṛṣṇa-kathā, *or the topics of Kṛṣṇa, are so pure that wherever they are spoken, the place, the hearer, the inquirer, the speaker and all concerned become purified. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/2/1/1|2.1.1]]* ### 5. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement gives people a chance to hear about Kṛṣṇa: **By regular attendance in classes on the Bhāgavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.** *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/2/18|1.2.18]]* All the great *ācāryas *strongly recommend that people be given a chance to hear about the Supreme Lord. Then success is assured. The more we cleanse the dirt of material attachment from our hearts, the more we will be attracted by Kṛṣṇa's name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and activities. This is the sum and substance of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/5/18/11|5.18.11]]* ### 6. Readers of Kṛṣṇa literature can attain the ultimate goal of human life: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is always full of six opulences—namely complete wealth, complete strength, complete fame, complete knowledge, complete beauty and complete renunciation. The Lord appears in different complete, eternal forms of incarnation. The conditioned soul has immense opportunity to hear about the transcendental activities of the Lord in these different incarnations. In the *Bhagavad-gītā *it is said, *janma karma ca me divyam* [Bg [[bg/4/9|4.9]]]*. *The pastimes and activities of the Lord are not material; they are beyond the material conception. But the conditioned soul can benefit by hearing such uncommon activities. Hearing is an opportunity to associate with the Lord; to hear His activities is to evolve to the transcendental nature—simply by hearing. The conditioned soul has a natural aptitude to hear something about other conditioned souls in the form of fiction, drama and novel. That inclination to hear something about others may be utilized in hearing the pastimes of the Lord. Then one can immediately evolve to his transcendental nature. Kṛṣṇa's pastimes are not only beautiful; they are also very pleasing to the mind. If someone takes advantage of hearing the pastimes of the Lord, the material contamination of dust, accumulated in the heart due to long association with material nature, can be immediately cleansed.... Conditional life is due to this contamination only, and as soon as it is cleared off, then naturally the dormant function of the living entity—rendering service to the Lord—awakens. By developing his eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord, one becomes eligible to create friendship with the devotees. Mahārāja Parīkṣit recommended, from practical experience, that everyone try to hear about the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. This *Kṛṣṇa *treatise is meant for that purpose, and the reader may take advantage in order to attain the ultimate goal of human life. *— *Kṛṣṇa,* Ch. 7* ### 7. By hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam all miseries are uprooted, and the Supreme Lord is established within one's heart: **Completely rejecting all religious activities which are materially motivated, this Bhāgavata Purāṇa propounds the highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees who are fully pure in heart. The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold miseries. This beautiful Bhāgavatam, compiled by the great sage Vyāsadeva [in his maturity], is sufficient in itself for God realization. What is the need of any other scripture? As soon as one attentively and submissively hears the message of Bhāgavatam, by this culture of knowledge the Supreme Lord is established within his heart.** *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/1/2|1.1.2]]*