Ramayana and Mahabharata, as also the vast pauranika literature, form the basis for the various cults and sects that have woven the texture of the variegated Hindu fabric. Among the various puranas, however it is the Bhagavata that has earned a pre-eminent place for itself, not only for its philosophical content and devotional fervour, but also for its exquisite literary beauty. The greatest achievement of the Bhagavata is the projection of the Krsna saga and the Krsna personality in the most poetical, and yet, powerful and graceful language. If Krsna remains the darling of millions of Hindu hearts even today, it is not a little due to this matchless work. ISBN
Those who die, merely suffering the woes of life like cats and dogs, are they human beings? The worthy are those who, even when agitated by the sharp interaction of pleasure and pain, are discriminating and, knowing them to be of an evanescent nature, become passionately devoted to the Atman. This is all the difference between human beings and animals.
-Swami Vivekananda