The qualifications of Suta Goswami, and how to follow his example

Suta Goswami had many special characteristics that made him qualified to speak the Srimad Bhagavatam. We may never become as qualified as him, but we can follow on his footsteps.

Jul 25, 2025

Suta Goswami had many special characteristics that made him qualified to speak the Srimad Bhagavatam. We may never become as qualified as him, but by hearing about his characteristics, we can learn how to improve in our spiritual practice by following in his footsteps.

He is described as:

- Free from all vice.

- Well-versed in all the scriptures, having studied and explained them many times.

- The most senior learned Vedāntist.

- Acquainted with the knowledge of Vyāsadeva, blessed by Balarāma and his spiritual masters.

- Became qualified by submissively hearing from self-realized souls.

"The sages said: Respected Sūta Gosvāmī, you are completely free from all vice. You are well versed in all the scriptures famous for religious life, and in the Purāṇas and the histories as well, for you have gone through them under proper guidance and have also explained them. Being the eldest learned Vedāntist, O Sūta Gosvāmī, you are acquainted with the knowledge of Vyāsadeva, who is the incarnation of Godhead, and you also know other sages who are fully versed in all kinds of physical and metaphysical knowledge. And because you are submissive, your spiritual masters have endowed you with all the favors bestowed upon a gentle disciple. Therefore you can tell us all that you have scientifically learned from them." (SB 1.1.6-8)

In his purport, Srila Prabhupada emphasized the importance of hearing the scriptures from advanced devotees. Although reading is essential, hearing has a special quality:

"To hear and explain them is more important than reading them. One can assimilate the knowledge of the revealed scriptures only by hearing and explaining. Hearing is called śravaṇa, and explaining is called kīrtana. The two processes of śravaṇa and kīrtana are of primary importance to progressive spiritual life. Only one who has properly grasped the transcendental knowledge from the right source by submissive hearing can properly explain the subject." (SB 1.1.6)

When hearing, another quality is important: one needs to be submissive. Being submissive does not mean being fanatical and accepting everything blindly, but it means valuing the knowledge we are receiving and understanding that the Srimad Bhagavatam brings perfect knowledge. One has to study the Srimad Bhagavatam starting from the idea that everything that contains transcendental knowledge and everything the book mentions is correct. It's our understanding that needs to be adjusted to fit this knowledge and not the opposite.

Srila Prabhupada gives the example of cow dung. Although cow dung is the stool of an animal, it is described in the scriptures as pure. It may sound illogical at first, but when we bring it to the laboratory, we can observe that it has antiseptic qualities. Cow dung kills bacteria and can thus be used as a disinfectant agent. In India, cow dung is often used to clean floors and kitchen utensils instead of detergents. It may sound difficult to believe at first, but in the end, the knowledge is proven correct.

Similarly, the Bhagavatam includes many details about the universe and its history, as well as the activities of many great personalities, which may sound fictitious at first, but are proven correct as we advance in our understanding.

When we start from the principle that all information contained in the text is correct, we will have sufficient humility to change our points of view and thus gradually understand. If, however, we start from the principle that whatever we know is correct and the Bhagavatam is mythology, we will fail in our study.

Apart from being free from vices and knowledgeable in the scriptures, having both learned the scriptures and explained them many times, Suta Goswami was blessed by his spiritual masters for being a submissive and qualified student. The blessings of senior persons are another factor that is extremely important in our spiritual life since they make us qualified to understand spiritual knowledge.

What is the result of studying the Srimad Bhagavatam with the proper attitude, following the steps of Suta Goswami? This is explained on SB 1.2.18:

"By regular attendance in classes on the Bhāgavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact."

By just regularly hearing the Srimad Bhagavatam with the proper attitude, most of the contamination in the heart is cleansed. As the verse mentions, it is "almost completely destroyed". This means that even though the heart may not be 100% clean at this stage, it becomes clean enough for us to become fixed in the process of devotional service, and by being engaged, we progress further, up to pure love of Godhead. As long as we maintain ourselves on this platform of submissively hearing the Srimad Bhagavatam, worshiping the Lord with our intelligence, we maintain the foundation that keeps us fixed in spiritual life.

Submissive hearing sustains our chanting, and attentive chanting sustains everything else; therefore, it's a mistake to sacrifice our hearing to do more service or increase other activities. When we do that, we will notice that although we may be more engaged in service, our spiritual potency will diminish over time, instead of increasing, and by the time we notice it, we will already be in trouble.

Another common problem is that we may be submissive at the start, but over time we may come to the conclusion that the process doesn't work, after practicing for several years, without attaining Krsna prema. At this point, one may come to the conclusion that the problem is in the process, and not in oneself, and get off the proper path to look for a shortcut. One who goes on this path may become involved with some unbonafide sect and end up becoming a sahajiyā instead of a pure Vaishnava.

As Prabhupada explains, one can become Krsna Conscious even in one second, but most of us will not have the necessary sincerity and eagerness for such rapid progress. In this way, we have to be patient and continue practicing for many years until all the dust accumulated on the mirror of the heart is cleansed. We should keep in mind that we are stuck in this material world for trillions of lives; therefore that a few decades of practice to become free is not unreasonable.

As Krsna explains in the Gītā, pure devotional service starts being cultivated after one attains the platform of brahma-bhuta, or liberation from the three modes. The devotional service we practice while still being influenced by passion and ignorance, or even goodness, is called preliminary. The effect of this service is to gradually purify us from the influence of the three modes. At this stage, we may not directly feel much love for Krsna, but this doesn't mean we are not advancing. After this process is completed, however, we become very fixed in our practice, and, unrestricted by the material modes, our path for further advancement opens up. The mind clears up, our spiritual intelligence, nourished by years of attentive hearing, flares up, and we become very fixed in our practice. From this point on, we finally start developing the love of Godhead we are looking for.

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