In part two of Śrī Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛta, the book’s hero, Gopa-kumāra, an illiterate, naïve cowherd living near Govardhana Hill in Vṛndāvana, is inspired by a mysterious bhakta to start on a spiritual quest. In this volume, his journey takes him all the way from his home to Vaikuṇṭha-Ayodhya – and from śraddhā to almost-perfect prema.
Gopa-kumāra’s adventure is different from the hero’s journeys we read about in less spiritual literature because he explores the material universe not with his sights set on mundane wealth or power or romance or even simple heroism, but on the sweetness of confidential, selfless, devotional service to his dearest Lord and friend, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. It is this focus that takes him beyond all temporal dimensions into the spiritual world beyond.
As Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī writes, “Our divine master [Sanātana Gosvāmī] has revealed in his Bhāgavatāmṛta all the sweet conclusions of devotional philosophy, including its most confidential secrets.”
And Śrīla Prabhupāda adds: “Anyone who wants to know about the subject matter of devotees, devotional service, and Kṛṣṇa must read this book.”