Because the stories are nectar, they are able to destroy the disease of material existence. Because they have the fragrance of the lotus, they have the power to attract the beelike devotees.

Being highly satisfied with the teachings of his guru which take away great doubts of even those who know scriptures, Suta praises this knowledge. By this he creates great faith in others. This topic (etat) which were just spoken (about the supremacy of Viṣṇu over Śiva), full of prema, is like fragrant nectar from the lotus mouth of the son of Vyāsa. He mentions both Vyāsa and Śukadeva out of intense bhakti. By its nature it is the highest goal for humanity. As well the topic destroys fear of old age and death. Its glory is splendid, or its stories are splendid. Travelers in saṁsāra develop many ears to drink this nectar and give up the fatigue of wandering on the road, forgetting all ancient sufferings by the bliss of this knowledge. They then give up wandering. Since Bhāgavatam clearly shows the supreme position of Viṣṇu, the faults proclaimed in other scriptures if one sees difference between Viṣṇu and Śiva are the opinions of non-Vaiṣṇavas, since those scriptures are not for Vaiṣṇavas. The opposite is stated in Vaiṣṇava scriptures. yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ samatvenaiva vīkṣeta sa pāṣaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam One who considers Nārāyaṇa on a level with great devatās like Brahmā and Śiva is immediately listed among nonbelievers. In Viṣṇudharmottara there is the story of Viṣvaksena, a devotee brāhmaṇa. While wandering the earth he met by good fortune a head of a village. Deva-karmaṇy aśaktir me tāta pujaya saṅgakaram Devatāyanataṁ gatvā yatra tāta pratiṣṭhitam Liṅgam asti susreśasya mahādevasya nirmalam Evam uktaḥ praty uvāca vayam ekāntinaḥ śrutāḥ Pūjayāmaś ca naivānyaṁ tasmāt tvaṁ gaccha māciram I cannot perform worship. You should worship Śiva . Go to his temple where there is a pure liṅga of Śiva installed. When he said this the brāhmaṇa said, “I am a devoted brāhmaṇa. I do not worship anyone except Viṣṇu. Therefore you should go to the temple without delay.” The son of the village leader was about to cut off the head of Viṣvaksena. Not desiring to die by his hand, Viṣvaksena then began to consider. “Let it be. I will go.” Going to the liṅga, he offered flowers while saying “Respects to Narasiṁha.” Hearing this, the son again wanted to cut off his head. Nṛsiṁha burst out of the liṅga and cut off the heads of the village leader’s son and his followers. In Skanda Purāṇa, Śiva says śiva-śāstreṣu tad grāhyaṁ bhagavat-śāstra-yogi yat: one should accept from the scriptures dealing with Śiva what does not contradict the scriptures dealing with Bhagavān. Hari-vaṁśa says: harir ekaḥ sadā dhyeyo bhavadbhiḥ sattva-saṁṣrayaiḥ viṣnum-mantraṁ sadā viprāḥ paṭhadhvaṁ dhyāta keśavam Only Viṣṇu should be the object of meditation for you who have taken shelter of sattva. The brāhmaṇas should recite Viṣṇu mantras and meditate on Viṣṇu. But it says in Bhāgavatam: trayāṇām eka-bhāvānāṁ yo na paśyati vai bhidām sarva-bhūtātmanāṁ Brahman sa śāntim adhigacchati O Dakṣa! The person who does not see difference between the three of us, the souls of all beings, who have one nature, attains peace. SB 4.7.54 However, compared to Viṣṇu, Brahmā and Śiva are not independent. Brahmā says: sṛjāmi tan-niyukto ’haṁ haro harati tad-vaśaḥ viśvaṁ puruṣa-rūpeṇa paripāti tri-śakti-dhṛk I create under his order, and Śiva destroys under his order. Holding his three energies, he protects the universe as the Paramātmā. SB 2.6.32 brahmā bhavo ’ham api yasya kalāḥ kalāyāḥ Great devatās like Brahmā and Śiva, and even the goddess of fortune and I, are simply parts of his expansions. SB 10.68.37 yac-chauca-niḥsṛta-sarit-pravarodakena tīrthena mūrdhny adhikṛtena śivaḥ śivo ’bhūt dhyātur manaḥ-śamala-śaila-nisṛṣṭa-vajraṁ dhyāyec ciraṁ bhagavataś caraṇāravindam One should meditate continually upon the Lord’s lotus feet from which the Gaṅgā flows and gives extra blessings to Lord Śiva on his head, and whose thunderbolt is released upon mountains of sin in the meditator’s mind. SB 23.28.22 This Padma Purāṇa says: śivasya śrī-viṣṇor ya iha guṇa-nāmādi-sakalaṁ dhiyā bhinnaṁ paśyet sa khalu hari-nāmāhita-karaḥ The person who sees the names and qualities of Śiva to be independent of Viṣṇu’s qualities and name does injury to the name of Viṣṇu. The word śrī with Viṣṇu indicates that he is endowed with all śaktis and pervades everywhere. Therefore his name is similar. One who sees Śiva’s names and qualities as independent does injury to Viṣṇu’s names. Śiva speaks to Mārkaṇḍeya: na te mayy acyute ’je ca bhidām aṇv api cakṣate nātmanaś ca janasyāpi tad yuṣmān vayam īmahi These devotees do not differentiate between Viṣṇu, Brahmā and me, nor do they differentiate between themselves and other living beings. But we worship you more than such persons. SB 12.10.22 Śiva says: atha bhāgavatā yūyaṁ priyāḥ stha bhagavān yathā na mad bhāgavatānāṁ ca preyān anyo ’sti karhicit You devotees are dear to me just as the Supreme lord is dear to me. The devotees hold me dear, just as they hold the Lord dear. SB 4.24.30 naivecchaty āśiṣaḥ kvāpi brahmarṣir mokṣam apy uta bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati labdhavān puruṣe ’vyaye Surely this saintly brāhmaṇa does not desire any benediction, not even liberation itself, for he has attained pure devotional service unto the inexhaustible Lord. SB 12.10.6 Śiva speaks with great devotion. In order to show the greatness of the devotee in samādhi to Pārvatī, Śiva entered Mārkaṇḍeya’s heart. Mārkaṇḍeya then came out of trance. bibhrāṇaṁ sahasā bhātaṁ vicakṣya hṛdi vismitaḥ kim idaṁ kuta eveti samādher virato muniḥ Astonished, the sage came out of his trance and thought, “Who is this, and where has he come from?” SB 12.10.13 It cannot be otherwise. All excellence resides in Viṣṇu eternally. Śiva is worshipped by the Vaiṣṇavas as the Lord’s devotee, like Viṣvaksena and Mārkaṇḍeya. At the end of the Twelfth Canto Śiva is regarded as the best Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇavānām yathā śambhuḥ: Śiva is a great devotee. Ādi-varāha Purāṇa says: janmāntara sahasreṇa samāraḍhya vṛṣadhvajam vaiṣṇavataṁ labhed dhīmān sarvapāpakṣaye sati Worshipping Śiva for thousands of births, the intelligent person becomes a Vaiṣṇava after destroying all sins. All criticism should be avoided. yo māṁ samarthayen nityam ekāntaṁ bhāvam āshthitaḥ vinindan devam īśānaṁ sa yāti narakam; dhruvam One who is able to be situated in pure love for me and criticizes Śiva goes to hell for certain. Māhalakṣmī says: yaṁ kāmaye tam ugraṁ kṛṇomi taṁ brahmāṇaṁ tam ṛṣim taṁ sumedhām samayo niścalarantaḥ I make the man whom I love exceeding fierce (Śiva); I make him a wise man, a sage, a Brahmā. Time does not pass there. Ṛg Veda 10.125.5 Taittirīya Upaniṣad say: madhye vāmanam āsīnaṁ viśvedevā upāsate All the devatās meditate on Vāmana seated in the middle. rudrajāpaka-śatam ekam ekena atharvashiraḥ śikhādhyāpakena tat-samam atharvaśiraḥ- śikhādhyāpaka-śatam ekam ekena mantrarājādhyāpakena tat-sama One chanter of Śiva-mantras is equal to a hundred sannyāsīs. One teacher of the Atharvāṅgirasa-śākha' is equal to a hundred chanters of Śiva-mantras. One teacher of the regal Nṛsiṁha-mantra is equal to a hundred teachers of the Atharvāṅgirasa-śākhā. Nṛsimḥa-tāpanī Upaniṣad In Bhagavata, Paramātma and Bhakti Sandarbhas this has been elaborately described.

What can be said? By service to the Lord one attains his abode. Just by hearing this story, one becomes completely liberated from the suffering of saṁsāra. Considering the intention of Śukadeva, pleased with the sweet stories from his lotus mouth, Sūta speaks. Etat modifies piyuṣam. Or one should drink the nectar fragrant from the lotus mouth of this person (etat) Śukadeva, who is realized by all as dearest to the Lord. The lotus and the fragrance indicate excellent coolness and sweetness of the topics. By the great sweetness, the topics yield the highest result. The topics destroy fear of saṁsāra (bhaya-bhit). This is a secondary results. Or the most excellent Lord (parasya) destroys all fear. One constantly, with affection, with great absoroptioin, drinks through the ears. Since it is nectar, it is impossible to give up. This defines the svarūpa of the topics, for even hearing once destroys the suffering of saṁsāra. Ears is in the plural rather than dual to show respect for the drinking. Though a person has fallen onto the path of saṁsāra, he becomes free of the suffering of saṁsāra, by attaining Vaikuṇṭha.