Suka smiled at the king and said, "The Bhagavatha is as worthy of reverence as the Vedas, as worthy of study and observance. At the end of the Dwapara age, on the Gandhamadana mountain, in the hermitage of my father Vyasa, I had listened to that sacred text. I shall repeat the same to you. Listen." At this, the King inquired, with his palms held together in prayer, "O incomparable sage! I have heard that you were an ascetic deep in detachment from the very moment of birth. Even without the traditional ceremonial rites which purify and clarify the intellect, (such as Jathakarma, Namakarana, and Upanayana) you had won the fullest awareness of the reality, and hence, I have heard, you were moving about in the consciousness of that truth, away from men, in the forests. Hence, I am surprised that your heart was drawn towards this text which, you say, is saturated with devotion. What caused your interest in this path? I pray that you describe the circumstances to me."

Suka started explaining with calm, unruffled countenance. "Yes. I am beyond prescriptions and prohibitions. I am in unbroken mergence in the attributeless Nirguna Brahma. That is the truth about me. Nevertheless, I must declare that there is an inexpressible sweetness in God that attracts you and captivates you by His sportive activities and attributes. I must confess also that I have listened to the description of the beauty and the sweetness of God. My mind delighted in hearing and reading the glories of God, manifesting His divine attributes, through each of these. I could not remain at peace; I exulted like a mad man, thrilled by the bliss I derived from listening and reading. His sweet pranks and sports intoxicated me with infinite joy. This day I came hither, since I became aware that a chance has arisen to relate them to a group of eager listeners, persons who, in all respects, deserve to hear them, and understand their significance. Therefore, I shall relate that sacred Bhagavatha to you and through you to the personages gathered here. You have the avidity and the attainment necessary to listen to it. You have resolved to achieve the highest goal of man."

"Those who listen to this narrative with earnest devotion, (not merely listen) and reflect upon its value and significance and act according to the light it sheds on their minds, such will merge in the bliss of which Vaasudeva, the Lord, is the embodiment. Their hearts will be filled with the sweet nectar of the personification of captivating charm (Madanamohana) and they will experience the Adwaithananda, the bliss of being one and only. The highest Sadhana is the recitation of the name of God with full vigilance of thought, feeling and utterance (Manovaak-kaaya) and the loud singing of His glory. No better Sadhana exists."

"O king, do not lose yourself in anxiety that time is short. Not much time is needed to win the grace of God. The rays of grace from that embodiment of compassion can fall on you as quick as the wink of the eye. I shall enable you to listen during these seven days, the stories of many who experienced spiritual bliss, how Vaasudeva blessed them with spiritual progress, how persons crossed the ocean of birth and death through the hearing of stories and the singing of the glory of God that is manifest in them. We shall not waste a single moment. You are conscious that you have only seven more days of life. Therefore, give up all sense of 'mine' and 'thine', of the body in which you live and the home in which the body lives. Be aware only of the story of Madhava, the Lord of the universe; drink the nectarine narratives of the incarnations of the Lord. It is quite a common occurrence that stories are told and heard by gatherings of thousands. But, Jnana can be achieved only by placing complete faith in what is heard. That faith must result in a cleansed mind, a pure heart."