Shloka 1
Utthāna Ceremony, Śakaṭa-bhañga, Tṛṇāvarta-vadha, and the Vision of the Universe in Kṛṣṇa’s Mouth
श्रीराजोवाच येन येनावतारेण भगवान् हरिरीश्वर: । करोति कर्णरम्याणि मनोज्ञानि च न: प्रभो ॥ १ ॥ यच्छृण्वतोऽपैत्यरतिर्वितृष्णा सत्त्वं च शुद्ध्यत्यचिरेण पुंस: । भक्तिर्हरौ तत्पुरुषे च सख्यं तदेव हारं वद मन्यसे चेत् ॥ २ ॥
śrī-rājovāca yena yenāvatāreṇa bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ karoti karṇa-ramyāṇi mano-jñāni ca naḥ prabho
King Parīkṣit said: My lord, the deeds that Bhagavān Hari, the Supreme Īśvara, performs in His various avatāras are delightful to the ear and enchanting to the mind. Simply by hearing them, distaste and thirst for worldly matters depart, and one’s heart is quickly purified. Then arise bhakti to Hari, friendship with His devotees, and attachment to the Supreme Person. If you deem it proper, please speak of those divine līlās.
As stated in the Prema-vivarta:
FAQs
Because the Lord’s avatāra-līlās are spiritually potent—delightful to hear and able to absorb the mind—so hearing them nourishes devotion.
Parīkṣit, facing imminent death, seeks the essence of spiritual practice; he requests Śukadeva to narrate the Lord’s incarnations and deeds as the sure path of God-centered remembrance.
Set a daily routine of listening/reading Bhagavatam with attention; replace distracting media with sacred narration so the mind naturally turns toward devotion.