Why is it necessary to read the Shrimad 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, the Saint Ved Vyasa was somewhat sad. When asked by Devrishi Narad, Maharishi Ved Vyas explained his sadness and said, 'O Devrishi Narad, I have composed many texts, including the eighteen Puranas and the Mahabharata. Even after composing epics, one question comes to my mind!
In Kaliyuga, human lifespans will be short, and intelligence will also be limited. In such a situation, how will the people of Kaliyuga understand the essence of millions of verses in various 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 Kaliyuga.
On this, Devrishi Narad said that you should compose such a text full of devotion, knowledge, and detachment and full of the deeds of Lord Shri Krishna. By listening, reading, and meditating, the soul can be freed from the negative traits of Kaliyuga and saved. Man can also achieve salvation in the Kaliyuga.
For this reason, Ved Vyasa composed the Shrimad Bhagavad Puran, which emphasises devotion, knowledge, and detachment, for the welfare of humanity in Kaliyuga.
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 Kaliyuga. 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 Kaliyuga, the Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran is described as the best and only means of quick salvation among all other scriptures. This scripture is available only to humans in Kaliyuga; this story is rare, even among the gods.
When Shukdev, the great saint, was making King Parikshit enjoy this rare story, the gods arrived with a pot of nectar at that time. They prayed to Shukdev that we would make Maharaj Parikshit drink nectar (nectar makes One Immortal).
In return, you would give us the Bhagwatamrit (the content of the Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran). At that time, Shukdev ji considered the Gods to have little knowledge and no right to this extremely secret scripture, and did not give them the nectar of Bhagwat.
Verses from Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran
"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 about it, I will conclude all the principles that destroy the fear of birth and death.
"Bhaktyoghavardhanaṁ yac ca kṛṣṇasaṅtoṣahetukam।
Tad ahaṁ te'bhidhāsyāmi sāvadhānatayā śṛṇu॥"
I am telling you the means that increase the flow of devotion, which is the main reason for Lord Shri Krishna's pleasure. Listen carefully-
"Kālavīyāl-mukhagrāsatrāsaniṛṇāśa-hetave।
Śrīmadbhāgavatam śāstram kalau kīreṇa bhāṣitam॥"
Saint Shuka preached the Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran scripture to dispel the fear of being swallowed by the serpent of death in the Kaliyuga.
"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. Only when the merits of many births emerge does a man receive the Bhagwat.
Therefore, daily reading of this extremely rare Great Bhagwat scripture is more important than other scriptures for the salvation of the entire human society.
