Shaunaka Maharshi asked Suta to tell them the essence of all shastras. They had heard all Puranas by then and he wanted to know their essence. Essence, because in Kaliyuga nobody is going to have the patience and interest in hearing and understanding everything in detail. Kaliyuga is waiting to swallow everyone like a demon. People will be more and more immersed in worldly troubles and miseries. They will turn away from dharma, and there needs to be something that can help them in this situation. The essence of shastra is needed so that it can be imparted to them and it will help in their emancipation.

Sage Shaunaka also conveyed that by essence, he thinks, he believes that it is about Lord Krishna, about his greatness because Lord Krishna is Parabrahma, Paramatma. Listening to the stories of his greatness ought to be this path to protection from Kali and also moksha. Suta was happy to hear this. He was happy to note how keen were Sage Shaunaka and the other Munis to listen. A good audience is very important. A good audience can make the speaker melt and open up. A good audience can pull knowledge out of the speaker. Suta was happy to find such an audience.

But this question, this demand was a pleasant surprise even for Suta. So far, whatever the Munis asked for he was narrating: they wanted to hear about Lord Shiva, he narrated Shiva Purana. They wanted to hear about Devi, he narrated Devi Bhagavata. Now, the surprise is that they want to hear the essence of all that they have heard so far. Haven’t they heard everything? They are all very intelligent. The Rishis are very intelligent. Why can’t they arrive at the essence themselves? No, they want to hear it from Suta because they also thought that Suta must be aware of some secrets which he has not revealed so far. Secrets known by Vyasa and imparted only to Suta. Suta is Vyasa's favorite disciple.

Suta said: my knowledge, the knowledge in me has come from my father which has come directly from Vyasa Maharshi. But if you ask me for the essence, then this is not the source. I have known the essence of all shastras not from Vyasa Maharshi, but from his son Shukadeva. He is everything for me. Without his blessing, my knowledge is nothing. I know very well, it is not that you don’t know the essence of shastras. You want me to say it. You want to reveal it through me, he is telling the Rishis. Making me as the medium. But, I am very happy that you are asking me to do it. It is such a pleasure; telling about the leelas of the Lord.

Normally, storytelling, it gets mechanical after some time. After you say the story a few times, for the storyteller it becomes repetitive. But Krishna’s stories are different. Every time you tell Krishna’s story, you want to do it again. You are not satisfied. Not only listening to Krishna’s story. Even telling his stories; you are never satisfied.

I will tell you what I have understood as the essence of all shastras; the greatest of all advice, greatest of all teachings. There is nothing greater than bhakti at the lotus feet of the Lord. Everything can be achieved with bhakti, both here and hereafter. All miseries, all grief of this world will go away if you have bhakti. Once the Lord starts living in your heart then; kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, matsarya, they will all run away. How can they bear his brilliance? How can they withstand his brilliance?

Desire of man is something that can never be satisfied. You give him all the resources on earth, make him the emperor of the whole earth, he will start eyeing the Moon and Mars. I want to conquer the Moon, establish a colony there. I want to conquer Mars, establish a colony there. His desire will never end. This is the asuri-shakti within man. See the Asuras, they are the ones who want to capture everything. They want to capture Bhumi, Swarga, Nagaloka, Varunaloka; even after that, the desire doesn’t end. This asuri-shakti is within man also.

You can never satisfy his desires. And desires, they lead to troubles; more desires, more troubles. When you don’t get what you want, you are unhappy, you are stressed. When you have a lot also - stress, how to keep them safe? While looking around for something also, will I get it, will I be able to get it? Again stress. Anything connected to desire, it gives stress only. While looking to achieve it, not achieving it, achieving it, and then keeping it with you. Desire gives stress only.

But desire never ends on its own. There is only one way desire can end; by bhakti. When your attention shifts from the world towards Bhagawan then slowly your desires also fade away. And along with it, anger. Anger comes out of dissatisfaction, frustration, mostly when you are not getting what you want. There is nothing that you want anymore, then where is the scope for anger?

Greed goes. When desire itself is not there, where is the question of amassing? This desire stems out of ignorance, moha. With desire gone, even ignorance goes. When you are no longer bothered about your possessions, there is no question of mada or arrogance. And also matsarya; whom to compete with when you don’t need anything anymore? So at one stroke, bhakti sends desires running and along with that all the other vices also.

This is the essence of shastras. And this bhakti develops when you listen to the leelas of the Lord.