In this first volume of Bhakti-sandarbha Srila Jiva Gosvami discusses how devotional service is the best of all spiritual activities, how liberation is automatically attained by engagement in devotional service, how devotional service is achieved by the association of devotees, how devotional service automatically awards knowledge and detachment from materialism, how devotional service is the actual goal of life, how engagement in devotional service is far superior to impersonal liberation, how the devotees of the lord are always protected, how devotional service is transcendental to the three modes of material nature, how devotional service pleases the supreme Personality of Godhead, and how devotees of the Lord are not approached by Yamaraja or his servants. From his childhood Jiva Gosvami was greatly fond of Srimad-Bhagavatam. He later came to Navadvipa to study Sanskrit, and, following in the footsteps of Sri Nityananda Prabhu, he circumambulated the entire Navadvipa-dhama. After visiting Navadvipa-dhama he went to Benares to study Sanskrit under Madhusudana Vacaspati, and after finishing his studies in Benares he went to Vrndavana and took shelter of his uncles, Sri Rupa and Sanatana.