Lord Ṛṣabhadeva instructs His sons
We come then to the central part in this section of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, describing the teachings of Ṛṣabhadeva to His sons:
“Once while touring the world, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva, the Supreme Lord, reached a place known as Brahmāvarta. There was a great conference of learned brāhmaṇas at that place, and all the King’s sons attentively heard the instructions of the brāhmaṇas there. At that assembly, within the hearing of the citizens, Ṛṣabhadeva instructed His sons, although they were already very well-behaved, devoted and qualified. He instructed them so that in the future they could rule the world very perfectly. Thus he spoke as follows.” (SB 5.4.19)
Prabhupāda defines these instructions as a description of bhāgavata-dharma, religious principles in devotional service that transcend religious principles for liberation and the mitigation of material misery. In other words, they transcend ordinary Vedic teachings, bringing the hearer directly to the platform of Krsna Consciousness. That’s the reason they are included in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. As Prabhupāda mentions, these instructions of Ṛṣabhadeva were not exactly meant for His sons, because they were already very advanced in knowledge. They were meant to elevate transcendentalists, especially those on the path of jñana, to the platform of devotional service to the Lord...
