Why is it necessary to read the Srimad Bhagavat Mahapurana? Won't reading the Ramcharitmanas, Ramayana, Bhagavad Gita, Shiv Purana, or other religious texts lead to salvation?
Even after composing the eighteen Puranas, a division of the Vedas, Maharishi(great saint) Ved Vyas Ji was somewhat sad.
On being asked by Devrishi Narad, Maharishi Ved Vyas told the reason for his sadness and said, O Devrishi Narad, I have composed many texts, eighteen Purana, Mahabharat, even after composing epics, one question comes to my mind!
In Kaliyug, the lifespan of man will be short and intelligence will also be short, in such a situation, how will the people of Kaliyug understand the essence of millions of verses of so many texts, that is, how will they be able to move forward on the path of attaining God. It is impossible to get salvation in this terrible Kaliyug.
On this Devrishi Narad said that you should compose such a text which is full of devotion, knowledge, and detachment and is full of the sweet leelas of Lord Shri Krishna. By listening, reading, and meditating, the soul can be freed from Kaliyug's bad traits and can be saved and man can get salvation in Kaliyug.
For this reason, for the welfare of mankind in Kaliyug, Vedvyas ji composed the very rare Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran scripture in which devotion, knowledge, and detachment, elements have been given prominence.
Before going to his heavenly abode, Lord Shri Krishna tells Uddhav(his devotee) that I will remain eternally present in the form of Bhagwat in Kaliyug. And whoever will read the Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran daily, I will take him to Vaikunth by freeing him from the fear of disease, sorrow, and premature death.
For this reason, in Kaliyug, Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran has been described as the best and the only means of quick salvation from all other scriptures. This scripture is available only to humans in Kaliyug, this story is rare even for the gods.
When Shukdev (great saint) was making King Parikshit enjoy this rare story, at that time the gods came there with a pot of nectar. They prayed to Shukdev ji that we would make Maharaj Parikshit drink nectar(nectar makes Immortal), and in return, you donate Bhagwatamrit(content of Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran) to us. At that time, Shukdev ji considered the Gods to be of little knowledge and had no right to this extremely secret scripture and did not give them the nectar of Bhagwat.
Prītiḥ śaunaka citte te hyato vacmi vicārya ca।
Sarvasiddhāntaniṣpannaṁ saṁsārabhayanāśanam॥
Sut ji tells the sages like Shaunaka that you have the love of God in your heart. Therefore, after thinking, I will tell you the conclusion of all the principles which will destroy the fear of birth and death.
Bhaktyoghavardhanaṁ yac ca kṛṣṇasaṅtoṣahetukam।
Tad ahaṁ te'bhidhāsyāmi sāvadhānatayā śṛṇu॥
I am telling you the means that increases the flow of devotion and is the main reason for the pleasure of Lord Shri Krishna, listen carefully.
Kālavīyāl-mukhagrāsatrāsaniṛṇāśa-hetave।
Śrīmadbhāgavatam śāstram kalau kīreṇa bhāṣitam॥
Shri Shukdev Mahamuni has preached the Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran scripture to destroy the fear of being swallowed by the serpent of death in Kaliyug.
Etasmādaparaṁ kiṁcin manaḥ śuddhyai na vidyate।
Janmāntare bhavet puṇyaṁ tadā bhāgavataṁ labhet॥
There is no better means than this for the purification of the mind. When the merits of many births emerge, only then does a man receive the Bhagwat.
Therefore, for the salvation of the entire human society, daily reading of this extremely rare Great Bhagwat scripture is more important than other scriptures.
