Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvitiya Skandha, Shloka 52
Bhagavān’s Avatāras, Their Protections (Poṣaṇa), and the Limits of Knowing Him
यथा हरौ भगवति नृणां भक्तिर्भविष्यति । सर्वात्मन्यखिलाधारे इति सङ्कल्प्य वर्णय ॥ ५२ ॥
yathā harau bhagavati nṛṇāṁ bhaktir bhaviṣyati sarvātmany akhilādhāre iti saṅkalpya varṇaya
Décris-le avec une détermination ferme, afin que l’être humain puisse éveiller la bhakti envers Bhagavān Hari, l’Âme suprême de tous, le support de tout et la source de toutes les énergies.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the philosophy of devotional service and the scientific presentation of man’s relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Prior to the Age of Kali there was no need for such a book of knowledge to know the Lord and His energies, but with the beginning of the Age of Kali human society gradually became influenced by four sinful principles, namely illegitimate connection with women, intoxication, gambling and unnecessary killing of animals. Because of these basic sinful acts, man gradually became forgetful of his eternal relation with God. Therefore man became blind, so to speak, to his ultimate goal of life. The ultimate goal of life is not to pass a life of irresponsibility like the animals and indulge in a polished way in the four animal principles, namely eating, sleeping, fearing and mating. For such a blind human society in the darkness of ignorance, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the torchlight to see things in proper perspective. Therefore it was necessary to describe the science of God from the very beginning, or from the very birth of the phenomenal world.
FAQs
This verse frames hearing and describing the Lord as an intentional act meant to awaken bhakti in people—devotion to Hari, who is the Soul of all and the support of everything.
Parīkṣit asks Śukadeva to describe the Lord in a way that generates devotion, emphasizing that the purpose of the narration is transformation of the listener’s heart toward Hari.
See the Lord as present within all beings and as the foundation of everything; this outlook supports humility, compassion, and steady devotional practices like hearing, chanting, and remembrance.