In the Bhagwatam, King Parīkṣhit, who has only one week to live, asks Śhukdev Ji, “Guru Ji, please tell me what should I do with the rest of the time I have here on Earth, and also tell me, what should ordinary souls do?”
Shukadev Ji told him,
न ह्यतोऽन्य: शिव: पन्था विशत: संसृताविह । वासुदेवे भगवति भक्तियोगो यतो भवेत् ॥ ३३ ॥
Na hyato’nyaḥ Shivaḥ panthā vishataḥ saṁsṛitāv iha. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogo yato bhavet.
- Bhagwatam: 2/2/33
He says, “Parīkṣhit, O King, “Viśhataḥ saṁsṛitāv iha’ means you're caught in the whirlwind of this sansār!...”
Many of you express this type of thing to me, “Life is just moving so fast and I have so many responsibilities, and there are so many distractions! I'm just caught up in this cycle of day after day after day, and life is going by! How do I bring devotion into this?”
So, Shukdev Ji says for such souls, “nyaḥ”... “There is no other path. ‘Shivaḥ panthā, shivaḥ’ (‘Shivah’ in this case means: auspicious, welcoming, easy to follow.)... “There is no other path but bhakti yog, the path of devotion.” Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogo yato bhavet “ Whatever a soul can do to develop bhakti in his heart, that is the easiest path for these souls who are so caught up in the world.”
He goes on to tell more about the greatness of bhakti. He says,
भगवान् ब्रह्म कार्त्स्न्येन त्रिरन्वीक्ष्य मनीषया । तदध्यवस्यत् कूटस्थो रतिरात्मन् यतो भवेत् ॥ ३४ ॥
Bhagvān brahma kārtsnyen triranvīkṣhya manīṣhayā. Tad adhyavasyat kūṭastho ratirātman yato bhavet’
- Bhagwatam: 2/2/34
He says, “O King, did you know that one time the great Brahma studied the Vedas?” And who knows the Vedas better than Brahma? He's the one through whose vani (voice) Vedas were produced in this world, and with Shri Kṛishna's grace He was able to understand the Vedas. “He went through the Vedas, studying them in detail three times, not once.” Imagine a hundred thousand shloks. He went through it one time, the next time, third time with His Divine intellect. And he decided that the essence of everything is whatever develops bhakti in your heart for Shrī Kṛishna. That's it.
‘Ratirātman yato bhavet - rati’ (bhakti, devotion) ātman (the soul of your soul). Whatever develops love for the soul of your soul, Shri Krishna, that is the best path. That is the path for all the souls.
Therefore, Parikshit,
तस्मात् सर्वात्मना राजन् हरि: सर्वत्र सर्वदा । श्रोतव्य: कीर्तितव्यश्च स्मर्तव्यो भगवान्नृणाम् ॥ ३६ ॥
Tasmāt sarvātmanā rājan hariḥ sarvatra sarvadā. Shrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyashcha smartavyo bhagavān nṛiṇām.
- Bhagwatam 2/2/36
“O King, you should practice bhakti all the time.”
