So after understanding Bhagavad-gītā, if one becomes faithful that "I shall devote my life for service of Kṛṣṇa," then he is eligible to enter into the study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That means Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam begins from the point where Bhagavad-gītā ends. Bhagavad-gītā ends at the point: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), one has to surrender fully unto Kṛṣṇa, giving up all other engagements. Always remember, all other engagement means not that you have to give up. You... Try to understand that Kṛṣṇa said that "You give up everything and surrender unto Me." So that does not mean that Arjuna gave up his fighting capacity. Rather, he took to fighting more vigorously. So "Give up all other engagement" means don't take the fruit of your engagement. Give up. Just sacrifice the fruit of the engagement. That is to be given to Kṛṣṇa. This is surrender. Just like a good boy surrenders to his father means whatever he earns, the money, at the end of month he puts in the hand of the father: "Oh, this is my month's earnings"; similarly, we have to sacrifice the fruits of our labor to Kṛṣṇa. This is the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
And to develop that Kṛṣṇa consciousness, just like when you have passed preliminary examination in the school, then you have to further enlightenment, further progress of advancement of education, you enter into the college, degree college, similarly, after finishing or understanding Bhagavad-gītā very nicely, if you are convinced about Kṛṣṇa, then study Bhagavad-gītā (Bhāgavatam), where the beginning is: namo bhagavate vaṣudeva. Vyāsadeva begins by surrendering himself to Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa. Bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). He is the origin of everything. Then Bhāgavata begins. And one who has understood Bhāgavata, or he has made his relationship well established with Kṛṣṇa and is functioning in that relationship, then he is passed on the subject matter of Bhāgavata, and then you begin Caitanya-caritāmṛta. That is postgraduate study. After getting your degree, as you try for your Ph.D. or M.A., similarly, Caitanya-caritāmṛta is like that, post-graduate study. And the author of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, he places himself that "I am lower than the worm in the stool." Just see how humble. This is the nature of Vaiṣṇava. That is not artificial. He says. Every Vaiṣṇava thinks himself as very insignificant. Actually, every one of us is very insignificant in comparison to the Supreme Lord. What we are? Nothing. But if we establish our loving relationship, which is already there, then we will become the greatest. By relationship with the greatest, we become the greatest.
So artificially, if we become puffed up, "I am God," we shall always remain in the position of a dog. We shall never be God. But actually if we feel ourselves humble and meek servants of God, then we become more than God. Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He keeps His devotees more honorable than Himself. And He recommends to the devotees that mad-bhakta-pūjābhyadhikā: (SB 11.19.21) "My dear devotees, take it for granted that if you worship My devotees, that is more than My devotional service." Kṛṣṇa recommends, and actually that is the fact, that Kṛṣṇa is more pleased. Just like... It is very natural. Just like one gentleman he has got a little child, and if you try to please that little child, that gentleman automatically becomes pleased. You can please the child with two-cent-worth lozenges, and if the child is laughing and very pleased, his father immediately becomes pleased. But if you want to please the father, you will require at least two hundred dollars. So you can finish two hundred dollars' business with two cents. Similarly, devotees are so nice that if you give him anything... Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is also so nice that He will be pleased if anything offer. You offer little water, little flower, little... And devotees are still higher. If you simply offer a devotee a little sweet words, oh, he is very pleased. You see? That is the nature of devotee. Devotee does not want anything from you. They simply want that you... Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he said... He has got a nice song that "If you simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, oh, I become sold to you." Nityānanda Prabhu also says like that. So to please a devotee is very nice. Therefore our process is to take shelter of a devotee. Directly we don't approach Kṛṣṇa. Gopī-bhartur pāda-kamalayor dāsa-dāsanudāsa. Therefore in Vṛndāvana you will see everyone is praising Rādhārāṇī because Rādhārāṇī is very quickly pleased. And as soon as Rādhārāṇī is pleased, Kṛṣṇa is automatically pleased. This is the process.