"Srimad-Bhagavatam" is our best friend, who helps us to overcome internal difficulties. First canto is adhikar-tattva, Second canto is sadhana-tattva, Third canto discusses the desire to exploit material nature, which manifests in various materialistic philosophies. And it warns us that this desire will bring about destruction of the whole creation. Third canto deals with the problems of the Vedic way of life, to show that even though Vedic culture is better than material culture, but it has a lot of hidden problems. The whole idea of the Fourth canto is to make us understand that Vedic way of life is an alternative unless we declare it as a goal of life, actually without bhakti it’s useless.
Problems of the Vedic culture, illustrated in the Fourth canto: 1) Vedic culture on how to live happily by using sacrifices; 2) Sacrifices can bring completely opposite result; 3) Conflict between attachment and detachment. We have to be attached in this material world if we are grihasthas, but if we serve renounced people this attachment will not bring it’s poisonous fruits; 4) Offenses, which give bad results; 5) The religious hypocrisy. If you rely on the power of the religious rituals you will become hypocritical and offensive; 6) It does not bring liberation. The solution to all this problems is that we are supposed to be cultured, civilized persons, but at the same time we need to have a desire to listen to a real devotee, then all the poison from the Vedic way of life will be neutralized by krisna-katha from the mouth of this devotee.
Questions.
1. Sacrifice teaches us the very important things, that I am not the center of the Universe, and I have to give something. Sacrifice becomes problematic if you want to get something as a result.
2. How to avoid offenses? To avoid offenses means to cultivate humility, the root-cause of offense is pride. To develop humility you need to develop the attachment to hearing, also we need to accept a spiritual master and always consider ourselves as a fool.
