(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20 April 2013, Korsnas, Stockholm, Srimad Bhagavatam 1.17.1)
I like the story of Sanatana Goswami who, as a young man, had a dream of how a brahmana came to him and offered him Srimad Bhagavatam. He was elated to receive it but then he woke up, “Aaaah, it was a mere dream.” Then, that very day, a brahmana actually came and presented him with Srimad Bhagavatam. So because he received it in this way, it was very special and as if by divine arrangement and he took it like that, that he has to read Bhagavatam.
Later, he wrote in the Krsna-lila-stava that Srimad Bhagavatam that was his constant companion. So, I thought about that, “What does that mean? Constant companion. Does that mean that he was always reading Bhagavatam? All the time? Twenty four hours a day? Constant companion. Obviously not. That’s not practical, that’s not realistic.”
It meant that he was reading Srimad Bhagavatam and that he had made it his way of life! It meant that he had adjusted his way of life according to Srimad Bhagavatam and in that way, Srimad Bhagavatam became his constant companion. He found Bhagavatam wherever he was because he lived according to Srimad Bhagavatam, saw descriptions of Bhagavatam in front of his eyes. And so this is really the path. The acaryas are emphasizing the importance of Srimad Bhagavatam.
