In Naimisharanya, the Rishis asked Suta to tell them the essence of all shastras.

This was after having heard all the Puranas and also towards the end of the thousand-year-old yaga that was being held.

Over a thousand years, they had heard all the Puranas, and now wanted to know their essence.

Shastra means Puranas.

पुराणं सर्व्वशास्त्राणां प्रथमं ब्रह्मणा स्मृतम्।

Puranas are the first among shastras.

Vedas were there even before creation.

Nobody created Vedas.

They are there forever.

The Rishis wanted the essence because Kaliyuga was coming up.

Nobody will have the time and patience to listen to everything, learn everything.

And still, there should be something for their upliftment from ignorance; from ignorance generated troubles.

Suta also admits that it is not that Rishis are not aware of the essence.

But, they want to listen to it from Suta.

Suta’s presentation is beautiful, easily understood.

They want Suta to summarise everything in his own lucid simple way so that they can propagate it for the welfare of the world, for the welfare of everyone.

Suta says the essence of shastras; shastras means all advice, all teachings, the essence of all of them is to have pure, innocent, relentless bhakti at the Lord’s feet.

This is similar to what Yudhishtira asked Bhishmacharya- ko dharmah sarva dharmanam paramaha?

What is the highest dharma?

Here, what is the essence of all teachings?

What is the difference between these two questions?

Which is the highest dharma?

Which is the essence of all teachings?

Answer to the first question: take his names, the divya namas, always.

The answer to the second question is the theme of Srimad Bhagavata.

Have bhakti upon his lotus feet.

In dharma, action is involved, it is about doing something.

Bhakti is an attitude.

It is an asset.

It is a possession.

It is a blessing.

It is something that you receive by his grace, which you have to accept thankfully, protect, and make it to grow.

So, they are not the same questions.

Understand this.

If you have bhakti, everything is achieved, here and hereafter.

All your problems, all your miseries-adhyatmika, adhibhautika, and adhidaivika-all of them will be resolved.

Once the Lord starts residing in your heart, all the asuras- kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, matsarya-they all run away.

A mind which is immersed in bhakti is always happy, always blossomed, always energetic.

Elderly people go and do parikrama of Kailasa, beating harsh weather conditions.

Where do they get that energy from?

Badrinath, they will go and do Chardham pilgrimage.

People in their sixties, seventies.

Where does that energy come from?

From bhakti, which is there in their heart.

In a mind, in a heart which is filled with bhakti, there is no place for worries, there is no place for concerns, there is no place for anxiety, there is no place for fear, there is no place for insecurity, there is no place for miseries.

It is always in blossom.

Always happy, always contented.

That mind, that heart would feel that- yes, I have everything.

I have the blessing of my Lord.

He has blessed me by occupying my heart.

What else do I need?

When the Lord has fully occupied your heart, your mind, desiring for a big car or a big house what does it mean?

To provide some space in your heart or mind for them also.

Will you exchange some place now occupied by Sri Hari for something as silly, as trivial as a car or a house?

A VIP has come to your home.

You are hosting him.

He is sitting on your sofa.

At that time some silly person also comes.

Will you call him in and give him some place to sit on the same sofa?

You will not even bother to look at him.

This is what happens when you have bhakti in your heart, Sri Hari in your heart.

Your heart, your mind will not have place for anything else.