Nimnaganam yatha ganga

Puranamidam tatha

Ksetranam chav servesham

Yatha kasi hyanuttama

Tatha puranvartanam

Srimad-bhagavatam dvijah

Just as Ganga is the greatest of all rivers, Lord Achyata, the supreme among denities and Lord Shiva, the greatest of Vaishnavas, Srimad Bhagvatam is the greatest of all puranas. Just as the city of Kashi excels among holy places, Srimad Bhagvatam is supreme among all puranas.

Srimad Bhagvatam is a spotless purana. It is endowed with extraordinary spirittual beauty. The Bhagvatam reveals the means for becoming free from all material work. Anyone who seriously tries to understand Srimad Bhagvatam, who properly hears and chants it with devotion, becomes completely liberated.

‘Satayam param dhimahi’ means “I mediate upon the supreme truth”. This truth is free from suffering and death. The supreme Personality revealed this incomparable light of knowledge to Brahma. Brahma then passed  it on to sage Narada, who in turn narrated it to Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa, Vyasa revealed the Bhagvatam to the greatest sage shukdeva, who then narrated it to Maharaj Parikshit. Thus anyone who submissively listens to the Srimad Bhagvatam, transcends his conditioned state and becomes qualified to meditate upon the absolute truth and serve the Almighty.

Bhagvatam is life itself for those who appreciate excellence and are full of emotions. Hearing it from Shukdevaji is like getting divine nectar.

Such a Ganga of divine has flowed at this holy place and countless persons have liberated themselves from worldly aspirations after listening to the Bhagvatam katha here.

Devas came to this place with an urn of nectar. They told Shukdeva that they would give the urn to the king in lieu of amrit kath. Shri Shukdeva laughed and asked the king whether he wanted the nectar or amrit katha. The king wanted to know the benefits of both. Shukdevaji told the king that the nectar would give him happiness together with sorrow. But, it would not destroy sins and this made the two incomparable.

On hearing this, King Parikshit expressed his desire to hear the katha and Shukdeva did not have to give it away to the Devas in lieu of the nectar.

The greatest characteristic of Shukasthal (shukatal) is the fact that it was spot where the debate between shukdevaji and Parikshit took place. This place is marked by the sacred union of Bhagirathi and Bhagavata.

Srimad Bhagavata is an immortal story for providing salvation. Those who hear it with dedication, become immortal.