Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 19
Chapter 19
भक्ति-योगः पुरैवोक्तः प्रीयमाणाय तेऽनघ ।
पुनश्च कथयिष्यामि मद्-भक्तेः कारणं परम् ॥
bhakti-yogaḥ puraivoktaḥ prīyamāṇāya te 'nagha / punaś ca kathayiṣyāmi mad-bhakteḥ kāraṇaṃ paraṃ //
无罪者啊，你乐于聆听，我先前已为你宣说过奉爱瑜伽（bhakti-yoga）；如今我将再述：令对我之奉爱生起的至上因缘。
In this chapter the Lord instructs Uddhava on the mature synthesis of knowledge, renunciation, and devotion. Here, Śrī Kṛṣṇa emphasizes that bhakti is not a mere technique but a living relationship that awakens from a “supreme cause” (kāraṇaṁ param)—namely His mercy received through saintly association, sincere hearing, and the heart’s attraction to His glories. By addressing Uddhava as anagha (“free from sin”), the Lord indicates eligibility: a purified heart naturally tastes bhakti-kathā. The phrase “puraiva uktaḥ” shows that bhakti is central and repeatedly taught; repetition in śāstra is not redundancy but deepening—each hearing reveals more intimacy and practical clarity. Thus, the verse introduces a focused explanation of what actually generates devotion: not dry austerity alone, but the inner transformation that comes from attentive hearing, chanting, and serving the Lord and His devotees.
FAQs
This verse introduces that Krishna will explain the “supreme cause” of devotion—bhakti awakens by a higher divine cause, especially through mercy and the purifying effect of hearing and serving.
Krishna indicates He has taught bhakti before, yet repeats it to deepen Uddhava’s realization and to clarify how devotion actually arises and matures through practice and grace.
Regularly hear and revisit Krishna-kathā, seek saintly association, and practice consistent devotion—repetition with sincerity gradually awakens genuine attraction and steadiness.