SB 2.8.3

To be fully engaged in hearing the transcendental narration described in the text of Srimad-Bhagavatam means to be constantly associated with the Supreme Soul Sri Krsna. And to be constantly associated with the Supreme Lord Krsna means to be liberated from the qualities of matter. Lord Krsna is like the sun, and the material contamination is like the darkness. As darkness is dissipated in the presence of the sun, so to be constantly engaged in the association of the Lord Sri Krsna means to be uncontaminated by the material qualities. Contamination by material qualities is the cause of repeated birth and death, and liberation from material qualities is transcendence. Maharaja Pariksit is now a realized soul by this secret of liberation through the grace of Sukadeva Gosvami, for the latter informed the King that the highest perfection of life is to be in remembrance of Narayana at the end of life. Maharaja Pariksit was destined to give up his body at the end of seven days, and thus he decided to continue the remembrance of the Lord by His association with the topic of Srimad-Bhagavatam, and thus to quit his body in full consciousness of the presence of the Lord Sri Krsna, the Supreme Soul.

The hearing of Srimad-Bhagavatam performed by the professional men is different from the transcendental hearing of Maharaja Pariksit. Maharaja Pariksit was a soul realized in the Absolute Truth, Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead. The fruitive materialist is not a realized soul; he wants to derive some material benefit from his so-called hearing of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Undoubtedly such an audience, hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam from the professional men, can derive some material benefit as desired by them, but that does not mean that such a pretense of hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam for a week is as good as that of Maharaja Pariksit.

It is the duty of the sane to hear Srimad-Bhagavatam from a self-realized soul without being duped by professional men, and one should continue such hearing till the end of one's life so that one can actually have the transcendental association of the Lord and thus be liberated simply by hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Maharaja Pariksit had already given up all his connections with his kingdom and family, the most attractive features of materialism, but still he was conscious of his material body. He wanted to be free of such bondage also by the constant association of the Lord.