Bhakti Yoga Brings Knowledge And Dispassion Naturally

We are going to see how to acquire knowledge and develop dispassion and with which God union is sought through Bhakti-yoga.

The seventh shloka of the second adhyaya of the first skandha of Srimad Bhagavata.

वासुदेवे भगवति भक्तियोगः प्रयोजितः।
जनयत्याशु वैराग्यं ज्ञानञ्च यदहैतुकम्॥

Knowledge and dispassion, absence of obsession with worldly affairs are necessary for spiritual progress.
But how will you develop that?
What kind of effort you will have to put in and what are the means for gaining knowledge and developing dispassion.
Is it by reading the scriptures?
Is it by practicing self restraint, self control?
No.
In the path of Bhakti-yoga as prescribed in Bhagavata, these two come naturally.
Without any effort from your side.
The bhakti path of Bhagavata as we have seen earlier is three-fold.
It has three stages.
Interest-listening-developing love for Bhagavan.
It is yoga because it is perpetual.
This is what you do every day, throughout.
The priority of your life, the purpose you live for becomes this.
Some people live to make money, get a good house, and get a good family.
This is what they live for.
In the path of Bhagavata also you may do all these.
But your life is not limited to these.
This is not what you are living for.
If these are what you are living for,then you are like anyone else.
Only when you tread a different path, you reach a different destination.
Those who take the regular roads, the regular highways, the regular lanes and bylanes they just remain ordinary folks.
Someone who takes that lonely path which leads to Mt.Everest, he stands apart.
He becomes a winner, he becomes an achiever.
In the path of Bhagavata, you have to change your perspective about life.
You have to start living for Bhagavan.
You have to start living to attain him.
Then you make sure that your interest in him goes on increasing day by day.
Then you make sure that you don't miss an opportunity of listening to his greatness.
Then your love for him increases day by day.
Knowledge and dispassion will come on their own.
You don't have to do anything for that.

It is union with Vasudeva Bhagavan which is mentioned here.
Why specifically Vasudeva Bhagavan?
Because all the six aiswaryas, all the six gunas are present in his Vasudeva aspect.
In the Chaturvyuha, if you take Sankarshana you will see knowledge and strength.
In an avatara, some quality will be prominent.
Like in Hayagreeva, knowledge.
In Narasimha, power.
But in Vasudeva, Sri Krishna all the six qualities are there to their ultimate.
वासुदेवे भगवति points towards this.
Bhagavan who has the six bhagas, all the six bhagas, all the six qualities which is Lord Krishna.
Union with him is Bhakti-yoga, the path of Srimad Bhagavata.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi