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
I have been asked many times, Why do you laugh so much and make so many jokes? I become serious sometimes--when I have a stomachache! The Lord is all blissfulness. He is the reality behind all that exists. He is the goodness, the truth in everything. You are His incarnations. That is what is glorious. The nearer you are to Him, the less you will have occasions to cry or weep. The further we are from Him, the more will long faces come. The more we know of Him, the more misery vanishes.
-Swami Vivekananda