Vyāsa’s Dissatisfaction

This chapter contains thirty-three verses. The opening verse is spoken by Vyāsa, the next twelve by Śaunaka Ṛṣi, and the last twenty by Sūta Gosvāmī. In the final five verses of the previous chapter, Sūta Gosvāmī referred to the Bhāgavata Purāṇa’s being manifested by Vyāsa and to its being transmitted from Vyāsa to Śukadeva and from Śukadeva to King Parīkṣit. When Śaunaka heard this, he wanted to know more about the history of this Purāṇa and what had impelled Vyāsa to compose it in the first place. He was also curious to discover how the meeting took place between Śukadeva, who was a highly renounced sage beyond all worldly concerns, and a great king such as Parīkṣit. Additionally, he was surprised that Parīkṣit could abandon his kingdom and opulence in the prime of youth and sit on the bank of the Gaṅgā with a vow to fast until death. Śaunaka inquired about all these topics in the twelve verses spoken by him (SB 1.4.2–13).

In response, Sūta related that Vyāsa, while seated in his hermitage in Badarikāśrama on the bank of the Sarasvatī River, began to contemplate the deterioration of dharma that he witnessed over the course of the ages and how humanity had become impoverished in vitality, intellectual capacity, and general well-being. Out of compassion, he thus reflected on the means by which such unfortunate humanity could be benefited (SB 1.4.14–18).

Recognizing the purifying nature of Vedic karma for people in general, Vyāsa divided the one Veda into four branches, known as the Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma, and Atharva Vedas, to facilitate the continuation of yajña along distinct lines. In addition, he brought forth the Itihāsas and Purāṇas, which are known as the fifth Veda. After doing so, he taught and entrusted these four branches as well as the Purāṇas to five sages, one branch for each, who then passed them down through their respective disciplic lines. Vyāsa’s intent in doing all of this was to make the meaning of the Vedas easy to assimilate for all, including those who were otherwise ineligible to study the four Vedas. In this spirit, he wrote the voluminous Mahābhārata, in which is elaborated even the dharma of those who had no access to the Vedas, and which also leads in a general way to the attainment of the ultimate good (SB 1.4.19–25).

In spite of offering such elaborate guidance for the benefit of humanity, Vyāsa felt dissatisfied at heart. As we shall see, this implies that humanity’s “ultimate good” had not yet been made accessible through all these other scriptures, even though they also aim at the good in a general way. At this critical point, Vyāsa sat on the bank of the Sarasvatī River to deliberate on the cause of his feeling of deficiency (SB 1.4.26–27).

The crux of his dilemma, as he himself expressed, was that in spite of all that he had accomplished, he felt incomplete in his being, even though he knew his authentic self to be filled with the luster of Vedic wisdom and complete by its essential nature. He then intuited that his dissatisfaction was due to not having sufficiently elaborated the dharmas that pertain directly to Bhagavān (SB 1.4.28–31). While Vyāsa was reflecting in this manner, the celestial sage Nārada suddenly appeared at his hermitage. Vyāsa stood up at once to honor him, and on this note, the chapter ends (SB 1.4.32–33).

All Verses

  1. Verse 1Śrī Vyāsa said: After honoring Śrī Sūta, who had spoken in this manner, Śaunaka, who was the leader of the assembly of the many sages who were undertaking the long-enduring sacrifice, being senior among them and well-versed in the Vedas, submitted the following request.
  2. Verse 2Śrī Śaunaka said: O highly fortunate Sūta, Sūta! O foremost of speakers! Kindly relate to us the sacred discourse that pertains to Bhagavān [Śrīmad Bhāgavata], which was disclosed to Parīkṣit by the illustrious sage Śrī Śuka.
  3. Verse 3In which yuga or location and for what reason was this Bhāgavatī-kathā brought forth into being? On what account was the contemplative sage Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana Vyāsa impelled to compose this Saṁhitā?
  4. Verse 4His son [Śuka], who was a paramount yogī, who perceived everything equally, who had consequently transcended duality, whose consciousness was firmly established in the One Absolute alone, who was awakened from the sleep of illusion, and who thus remained incognito, appeared as if devoid of all sense.
  5. Verse 5When the maidens, who were bathing naked in the water, saw the sage [Vyāsa], who was following after his son [Śuka], they quickly dressed themselves out of modesty, even though Vyāsa himself was not naked. Yet, they did not do so in the case of his son, who passed them naked just a moment before. When the sage noticed this curious behavior and inquired as to its cause, the maidens replied, “The dualistic notion of female and male is held to by you but not by your son because his vision is completely pure.”
  6. Verse 6When Śuka reached the land of Kuru-jāṅgala, he wandered the city of Hastināpura as if deranged, mute, and devoid of sense. How was he recognized by the citizens?
  7. Verse 7My dear [Sūta], how, moreover, did the conversation occur between the sage-like king [Parīkṣit], who appeared in the Pāṇḍu dynasty, and the introverted sage [Śuka], in the course of which, this Vaiṣṇava scripture was disclosed?
  8. Verse 8Just to sanctify their residences, that most exalted sage [Śuka] waits outside the houses of the householders only as long as it takes to milk a cow.
  9. Verse 9O Sūta, people universally proclaim the son of Abhimanyu [King Parīkṣit] as a highly realized devotee of Bhagavān. Therefore, kindly relate to us the most astonishing story of his birth and deeds.
  10. Verse 10For what reason did this emperor, who enhanced the prestige of the Pāṇḍu dynasty, discard his luxurious royal wealth and sit with a vow to fast till death on the bank of the Gaṅgā?
  11. Verse 11For their own well-being, his enemies used to bring expensive gifts and openly offer homage to his footstool. So why, my dear Sūta, did this hero [Parīkṣit], in the prime of youth, choose to forego his royal wealth, which is so difficult to give up, along with his life itself?
  12. Verse 12Those people who are exclusively devoted to Uttamaśloka, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, live for the happiness, well-being, and prosperity of the world, but not for their own self-interest. Such being the case, why did he [the king], though indifferent to worldly pursuits, give up his body, which was a source of refuge for others?
  13. Verse 13Please elaborately describe to us all of the topics that we have inquired about in this regard, since I consider you to be thoroughly versed in all subjects implicit within the complete range of sacred speech, other than the Vedic hymns.
  14. Verse 14Śrī Sūta said: At the end of Dvāparayuga, at the conclusion of the third yuga in the succession of four yugas, the self-realized yogī [Vyāsa], who was a partial manifestation of Hari [Śrī Kṛṣṇa], was born from the sage Parāśara in the womb of Vāsavī [Satyavatī].
  15. Verse 15-18One day, while the sun was rising, he [Vyāsa], after contacting the pure water of the Sarasvatī River, sat alone in a secluded place [Badarikāśrama]. That seer of all the Vedas, who was cognizant of the past and future, observed that in each yuga on earth, due to the imperceptible surgence of time, there had come to pass a transgression of the dharma prescribed for each age. He also observed that the power of the material elements and their evolutes had diminished through the influence of time and that people had become faithless, impotent, less intelligent, short-lived, and unfortunate. Having witnessed all this through divine insight, the muni, whose vision was unfailing, began to contemplate what could be productive of the highest good for all human beings in all vocations (varṇas) and stages of life (āśramas).
  16. Verse 19Having observed that the Vedic rituals enacted via the four types of priests are purifying for people in general, he [Vyāsa] divided the one Veda into four divisions for the perpetuation of sacrificial rites (yajña).
  17. Verse 20Being thus divided, the four Vedas are named the Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda, Sāma Veda, and Atharva Veda, while the Itihāsas together with the Purāṇas are called the fifth Veda.
  18. Verse 21In the matter of these [five Vedas], Paila Ṛṣi became the receptacle and support of the Ṛg Veda, the poetically adept and learned Jaimini Ṛṣi became a singer of the Sāma Veda, and Vaiśampāyana Ṛṣi alone became the skilled propounder of the Yajur Veda.
  19. Verse 22Sumantu Muni, who was severe by nature, was accomplished in the Atharva Veda, while my father, Romaharṣaṇa, was adept in the Itihāsas and Purāṇas.
  20. Verse 23All these ṛṣis divided their respective Vedas exponentially, and thus these Vedas became many-branched through their disciples, their grand-disciples, and their ongoing disciplic lines.
  21. Verse 24Bhagavān Vyāsa, out of affection for the helpless, presented all these Vedas in such a manner that they could be easily assimilated by less intelligent people.
  22. Verse 25The three Vedas were inaccessible to women, śūdras, and the unqualified among the three twice-born classes. Consequently, out of compassion, the muni [Vyāsa], contemplating in what manner the ultimate good might be attained here in this world by the less intelligent through actions that are conducive to such good, composed the narration known as the Mahābhārata.
  23. Verse 26-27O twice-born brāhmaṇas, when Vyāsa, who was perpetually intent upon the ultimate good of all living beings in the manner just described, felt as yet unfulfilled at heart even by such comprehensive involvement, then he, the ultimate authority regarding dharma, feeling not entirely contented at heart, sat in a secluded place on the sacred bank of the Sarasvatī River [to focus his attention]. Reflecting on the cause of his dissatisfaction, he spoke to himself as follows.
  24. Verse 28I have indeed worshiped the Vedas, the gurus, and the sacrificial fires by observing the vows appropriate to their service, and I have also carried out the instructions that pertain to them without duplicity.
  25. Verse 29Moreover, I have also disclosed the meaning of the Vedas under the pretext of the Mahābhārata, in which is found the dharma to be enacted even by women, śūdras, and others, not to speak of the dharma that is meant for those of higher eligibility.
  26. Verse 30Alas! In spite of all this, my authentic self, present within the body, which is in reality certainly complete by its very essential nature and preeminent among all sādhus endowed with the luster of Vedic wisdom, appears as though incomplete.
  27. Verse 31Is this because I have insufficiently delineated the dharmas that pertain directly to Bhagavān? It is only these dharmas that are dear to the most highly elevated devotees since they alone are pleasing to Bhagavān Acyuta [Śrī Kṛṣṇa].
  28. Verse 32While Vyāsa was thinking of himself as deficient in this manner and thus feeling aggrieved, sage Nārada appeared at his aforementioned hermitage [on the bank of the Sarasvatī].
  29. Verse 33When sage Vyāsa became aware that Nārada, who is honored even by the gods, had arrived, he stood up at once [to receive him] and worshiped him according to the sacred rites.