Prabhupāda: So Bhagavad-gītā, last instruction is, sarva dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66): "You give up all kinds of occupation and just surrender unto Me." If one can take it very seriously, understand, then he can enter into the study of Bhāgavatam. The Bhāgavatam begins from the point where Kṛṣṇa left Bhagavad-gītā. So He advised that, "You surrender to Me," and Bhāgavatam begins, satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi (SB 1.1.1): "I am worshiping the Supreme Truth." And next verse is, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2): "All cheating type of religious system is rejected." So this is rather revolting. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66): "Give up all kinds of religious system, just surrender to Me." And from that point Bhāgavatam begins, "All cheating type of religious system is rejected."
It is meant for the paramahaṁsa. Paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ. Those who are envious, for them is not Bhāgavatam. So any materialistic person, he is envious. So it is not meant for the materialistic person. Those who are spiritually advanced, one who has understood that, "I am not this body, I am spirit soul. My direct connection is with God, therefore my only business is to serve God," one who has come to this conclusion, he is called paramahaṁsa. Haṁsa means swan. A swan, it has got a quality that if you give the swan to drink milk mixed with water, she will drink the milk and reject the water. She has got the capacity. (chuckles) So paramahaṁsa means one who has taken the essence of the existence, Absolute Truth, he is called paramahaṁsa.
Prof. Hopkins: So you would see the Bhagavad-gītā, then, as accessible to a wide range of people, at an elementary level or beginning level, whereas Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam would be for more advanced, more advanced people.
Prabhupāda: Not only advanced—completely advanced. Because so long one will be . . . stay on the material platform, he will be envious of others only. Animal propensity, dog. Dog does not like another dog is coming. So unless one is spiritually realized, the dog mentality will remain there. It is said, nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam: even amongst the topmost thinkers, if he does not refute other thinkers, he is not a good thinker. That enviousness. He will not be established a good thinker if he cannot . . . if a scientist, if he cannot refute the previous scientist, he is not a scientist. This is material world. Everyone is envious of the other. So Bhāgavatam meant for who is no more envious. Simply loving.
Prof. Hopkins: Why . . . why is that more necessary for Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam than for Bhagavad-gītā?
Prabhupāda: More? Bhāgavatam, I told you, it is a counterpart. Just like when you have passed the school examination, then next you admit yourself for degree or graduate degree. Similarly, Bhāgavatam is the end of education. Everyone is progressing. When one comes to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and understands it, then his education is complete.
Prof. Hopkins: Then would it be . . . would it be dangerous for someone who is not at that level to study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, or would they simply not understand it?
Prabhupāda: Dangerous means if one is not completely educated of self-realization, he has the risk of degradation.