Don’t think bhakti is very soft, emotional, gentle.

Bhakti is not just this.

Try it out.

It's a powerful sword.

If you develop bhakti, practice the path of bhakti, i.e., listening to the greatness of the Lord, sharing it with others, chanting the Lord’s name, worshiping his idol or photo; then bhakti becomes a powerful sword in your possession.

A real sword, an actual sword, you should have the strength to use it.

You should know the technique of how to use it.

Then only it is useful.

The sword called bhakti works on its own.

You neither need the strength nor you need to know how to use it.

It works on its own.

It will cut to pieces by itself all your troubles, all your problems, all your worries.

Try it out.

You will experience this yourself.

Do you know the meaning of the word Bhagavata?

भगवतो भगवत्या वा इदम्।

तयोः संबन्धिनि च।

And also Bhagavata means- भक्तः।

Anything that belongs to Bhagavan or Bhagavati is called Bhagavata.

Anything that is connected to Bhagavan of Bhagavati is also Bhagavata.

Since the bhakta belongs to Bhagavan, since the bhakta is perpetually connected to Bhagavan, the bhakta is also called Bhagavata.

Serving Bhagavatas is as good as serving Bhagavan himself.

But then, what is not connected to Bhagavan?

Who doesn’t belong to Bhagavan?

It is a fact that this whole world is a manifestation of Bhagavan.

Every inch of this universe is penetrated by him.

That is why we call him Vishnu- व्यापनात् विष्णुः

So how can you segregate that this belongs to Bhagavan and this doesn’t belong to Bhagavan.

This is connected to Bhagavan, and this is not connected to Bhagavan.

No, that is not possible.

Here you have to apply the concept of samanya and vishesha.

In common, everything belongs to Bhagavan, everything is connected to Bhagavan.

But we are here with a purpose.

We are not doing a critical commentary of the scriptures to publish a book and get name and money.

We are here with a purpose, we want to progress, spiritually.

We want to reach him.

We want to be one with him.

You are standing at a junction of four roads.

They are all called roads.

They all have the same color, black, they are equally wide.

This is samanya, common to all of them.

But they all don’t go to the same place.

If you are standing at Indore, Madhya Pradesh, the road to the North will take you towards Delhi, the road towards South will take you towards Trivandrum, the road to the East will take you towards Kolkata, the road towards the West will take you towards Mumbai.

So, if your destination is Delhi, then you have to take only the road that goes towards the North.

Not the other three.

This is called vishesha.

So when we look at a person, he has certain qualities that are samanaya, common to all men, and certain qualities that are vishesha.

This applies to everyone and everything.

Bhagavata is those people and those objects which have those vishesha qualities, those special qualities which will make your destination easier and faster.

Those special qualities which will take you to your destination easier and faster.

You can take the road to the East, go to Mumbai and then go to Delhi in a roundabout way.

But, will that be efficient?

No.

So Bhagavata means all those and all that which have got qualities that will help you reach him easier and faster.

What are they?

His stories.

His leelas.

Keep listening to them.

Books in which his greatness is written.

Read them.

His names, filled with his divine energy.

Keep on taking them.

Stotras, shlokas filled with bhakti, read them, understand their meaning, keep on chanting them.

His devotees, interact with them.

There are stories of great bhaktas, very inspirational, listen to them.

His temples, take darshan.

His idols, photos; do their puja.

His special days such as Ekadashi, observe them.

All these can be denoted by the term Bhagavata.

The fast and easy route to reach him.

Achieve him.