Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 50
Dhruva’s Benediction from Kuvera and His Ascension to Viṣṇuloka
Dhruvaloka
पौर्णमास्यां सिनीवाल्यां द्वादश्यां श्रवणेऽथवा । दिनक्षये व्यतीपाते सङ्क्रमेऽर्कदिनेऽपि वा ॥ ४९ ॥ श्रावयेच्छ्रद्दधानानां तीर्थपादपदाश्रय: । नेच्छंस्तत्रात्मनात्मानं सन्तुष्ट इति सिध्यति ॥ ५० ॥
paurṇamāsyāṁ sinīvālyāṁ dvādaśyāṁ śravaṇe ’thavā dina-kṣaye vyatīpāte saṅkrame ’rkadine ’pi vā
Wer vollständig Zuflucht zu den Lotosfüßen des Herrn genommen hat, soll die Erzählung von Dhruva Mahārāja ohne Entlohnung vortragen. Besonders empfohlen ist die Rezitation an Vollmond oder Neumond, am Dvādaśī-Tag nach Ekādaśī, beim Erscheinen des Śravaṇa-Sterns, am Ende eines tithi, bei Vyatīpāta, zum Monatsende oder am Sonntag, vor einer günstigen Zuhörerschaft. Wird so ohne berufliches Gewinnstreben rezitiert, gelangen Vorleser und Hörer zur Vollkommenheit.
Professional reciters may ask money to extinguish the blazing fire within their bellies, but they cannot make any spiritual improvement or become perfect. It is therefore strictly forbidden to recite Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as a profession to earn a livelihood. Only one who is completely surrendered at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, depending fully on Him for personal maintenance or even for maintenance of his family, can attain perfection by recitation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is full of narrations of the pastimes of the Lord and His devotees. The process can be summarized as follows: the audience must be faithfully receptive to the Bhāgavata message, and the reciter should completely depend on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bhāgavata recitation must not be a business. If done in the right way, not only does the reciter achieve perfect satisfaction, but the Lord also is very satisfied with the reciter and the audience, and thus both are liberated from material bondage simply by the process of hearing.
FAQs
This verse lists sacred lunar days, nakṣatras, and transitions (like Pūrṇimā, Dvādaśī, Śravaṇa, saṅkrānti) as especially suitable for devotional hearing and spiritual practice.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī is instructing King Parīkṣit while narrating Dhruva Mahārāja’s history and the practices supportive of devotion.
Choose a sacred day (like Pūrṇimā, Dvādaśī, saṅkrānti, or Sunday) to listen to or read Śrīmad Bhāgavatam with focus, and make it a recurring devotional habit.