Introduction

Importance of the Purāṇas

In India, the Vedas are traditionally considered the most sacred scriptures. Bhagavān revealed them to Brahmā, the first living being to appear within the universe. It is on the basis of Vedic knowledge that Brahmā was able to execute his function of evolving the creation. The Vedas are believed to be unchanging from one creational cycle to the next. Traditionally, however, the study of the Vedas is available only to dvijas, or those who have undergone the ritual called upanayana. All others are barred from their study. For those who do not have access to the Vedas, Vyāsa wrote a genre of literature called the Purāṇas. After composing the eighteen Purāṇas, Vyāsa wrote the Mahābhārata,¹ which is classified as Itihāsa.²

The word purāṇa is derived by affixing the indeclinable purā (lit., “in former times” or “previously”) to the root √ṇīñ (“to lead toward” or “to carry”), followed by the suffix -ḍa. Alternatively, it can be derived by affixing the -ṭyu suffix to the indeclinable purā in the sense of “that which was in the past.” Yāskācārya defines the word purāṇa in his Nirukta (3.19.24) as purāṇaṁ kasmāt—purā navaṁ bhavati: “Why is it called a Purāṇa? Because it existed in the past and yet remains ever new.” The sense is that a Purāṇa describes events that occurred in the past (purā), yet it remains fresh (nava) because the principles it teaches are of perennial relevance, being newly disclosed again and again to each new submissive inquirer.

The Purāṇas and Itihāsas do not require students to undergo the upanayana ceremony before commencing study. Consequently, they are available to be studied by all. The knowledge contained in the Vedas is presented in the Purāṇas and Itihāsas in a more easily comprehensible manner, thus accounting for their popularity. As a result, they have survived up to the present, while a significant portion of the Vedas has been lost. Thus, at present, for a person who is interested in the investigation of Reality, the Purāṇas are of greater significance than the Vedas. If one studies the still available portions of the Vedas, one cannot understand them without the help of the Purāṇas and Itihāsas. Indeed, the study of the Vedas was recommended along with the study of the Purānas and Itihāsas even in the past, as is evident from the following statement of Mahābhārata:

One should comprehensively fortify one’s understanding of the Veda with the help of the Itihāsas and Purāṇas. Indeed, the Veda fears a person of petty learning [bereft of knowledge of the Itihāsas and Purāṇas], suspecting, “He will abuse me” [by misinterpreting my statements]. (MB 1.1.267)³

For this reason, the Purāṇas are an essential component of Vedic literature and an excellent source for the determination of Truth and Reality. Additionally, the Purāṇas are like an encyclopedia of Indian history, dharma, philosophy, culture, tradition, moral and social principles, astronomy, music, art, poetry, and astrology. Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī goes a step further and concludes that, at present, the study of the Vedas alone cannot provide a comprehensive understanding of the Truth. He writes in Tattva Sandarbha:

Because at present it is difficult to study the Vedas in their entirety, and because their meaning is highly abstruse—and further yet, because even the great thinkers who have commented on the meaning of the Vedas interpret them in contradictory ways—we should study only the Itihāsas and Purāṇas, since they are Vedic in nature and are conclusive in determining the meaning of the Vedas. Moreover, with the help of the Itihāsas and Purāṇas, we can infer the meaning of the unavailable portions of the Vedas. Thus, at present, only the Itihāsas and Purāṇas are the appropriate sources of valid knowledge. (Tattva Sandarbha, Anuccheda 12)

The fact that the very knowledge that is implicit in the Vedas is contained in the Itihāsas and Purāṇas is confirmed in the following statement of Viṣṇu Purāṇa:

On the pretext of writing Mahābhārata, Śrīla Vyāsa has disclosed the meaning of the Vedas. Without doubt, all of the Vedas are firmly established in the Purāṇas. (Cited in Tattva Sandarbha, Anuccheda 15)⁴

Thus, the Purāṇas are sometimes rightly called the fifth Veda as in the following two statements from Bhāgavata Purāṇa:

Then, the all-seeing (sarva-darśanaḥ) omnipotent (Īśvara) Brahmā brought forth the fifth Veda—the Purāṇas and the Itihāsas—from all of his mouths. (SB 3.12.39)⁵

The Itihāsas and Purāṇas are called the fifth Veda (SB 1.4.20).⁶

Śrīmad Bhāgavata—Foremost of the Purāṇas

Śrīmad Bhāgavata Purāṇa is one among the eighteen Purāṇas composed by Bādarāyaṇa Vyāsa. The name Bhāgavata Purāṇa can be understood to mean “the Purāṇa spoken by Bhagavān” (bhagavatā proktam), or “the Purāṇa that delineates the character of Bhagavān’s exclusive devotees” (bhāgavatānāṁ purāṇam), or “the Purāṇa that describes the nature and divine acts of Bhagavān and His devotees” (bhagavataḥ bhāgavatānāñ ca purāṇam).

As is evident from the story related in the fourth to seventh chapters of the First Canto, the Bhāgavata is Vyāsa’s last work. Up to that point, he had already rendered tremendous service to humanity by dividing the one Veda into four and then teaching these different branches to his four prominent disciples for the perpetuation of Vedic dharma. He also wrote the Purāṇas as well as his magnum opus, the Mahābhārata, to disclose the meaning of the Vedas to all. Moreover, having directly intuited the truth of the self and Brahman, Vyāsa composed the Vedānta-sūtra to synthesize and codify the essential teachings of the entire corpus of the Upaniṣads. In spite of these prodigious and selfless accomplishments, however, he remained unfulfilled at heart.

It was only on being instructed by sage Nārada and then bringing forth Śrīmad Bhāgavata from out of his samādhi vision that he finally attained complete inner fulfillment. From this, it can be concluded that the Bhāgavata Purāṇa is of paramount importance among all his works. Befittingly, the Bhāgavata is qualified by the word śrīmat, meaning, “that which by its essential nature is intrinsically endowed with śrī.” The word śrī means “beauty” as well as “opulence.” Śrīmad Bhāgavata is beautiful as a poetic composition, especially in its various prayers (stuti) and songs (gītam). At the same time, it contains the divine opulence of the highest wisdom of Vedānta, as proclaimed by Sūta Gosvāmī:

This Śrīmad Bhāgavata is the essence of all Vedānta philosophy because its subject matter is the one nondual Absolute Existent (advitīyam vastu), characterized by the constitutional oneness of being [in love] of the individual self (ātmā) with Brahman. Moreover, it has for its one and only intended aim (prayojana) the state of unconditional liberation (kaivalya) [which finds its ultimate repose in divine love alone (prītāv eva viśrāntiḥ)⁷]. (SB 12.13.12)⁸

And a few verses later, he adds:

Śrīmad Bhāgavata is indeed celebrated as the essence of all Vedānta [i.e., the Upaniṣads]. To one who is enraptured by the immortal nectar of its aesthetic relish (rasa), attraction for any other literature simply does not arise. (SB 12.13.15)⁹

Earlier, Sūta declared Śrīmad Bhāgavata as “the essence of all the Vedas and Itihāsas”:

Thereafter, Vyāsa imparted this Mahā Purāṇa, Śrīmad Bhāgavata, which is the condensed essence extracted from all of the Vedas and Itihāsas, to his son [Śrī Śukadeva], the foremost of all those established in immediate realization of the Self. (SB 1.3.41)¹⁰

According to Skanda Purāṇa, each verse of Śrīmad Bhāgavata is more potent than all the other Purāṇas combined:

A person who intently recites one verse of Śrīmad Bhāgavata daily, O sage, attains the fruit of reading the eighteen Purāṇas. (Skanda Purāṇa, Viṣṇu-khaṇḍa 5.16.33)¹¹

The superiority of Śrīmad Bhāgavata is also understood from its defining characteristics. A Purāṇa generally has five defining characteristics, as stated in Matsya Purāṇa:

A Purāṇa is characterized by the following five topics—sarga (cosmic evolution), pratisarga (cosmic dissolution), vaṁśa (genealogy), manvantara (the dharmic reign of the Manus), and vaṁśānucarita (narrations of the various dynasties of religious kings and enlightened sages). (Matsya Purāṇa 53.65)¹²

In contrast, however, Śrīmad Bhāgavata has ten defining characteristics, as stated by Śukadeva:

In this book, ten subjects are discussed—sarga (the primary evolution of primordial nature as a whole), visarga (the secondary evolution of life forms and living beings), sthāna (the sustenance of living beings), poṣaṇa (the grace displayed by Bhagavān in nurturing His devotees), ūti (the subconscious imprints and desires that promote engagement in goal-oriented action), manvantara (the religious path enacted by the Manus), īśānukathā (narrations of Īśvara and His devotees), nirodha (cosmic dissolution), mukti (liberation), and āśraya (the ultimate ground and refuge of all being). (SB 2.10.1)¹³

On this basis, Sūta rightly declares Śrīmad Bhāgavata to be the foremost among the Purāṇas:

As the Gaṅgā is supreme among rivers, Acyuta among the devas, and Śiva among Vaiṣṇavas, so too this [Śrīmad Bhāgavata] is supreme among the Purāṇas. (SB 12.13.16)¹⁴

This conclusion is substantiated by the Padma Purāṇa:

Among all the Purāṇas, Śrīmad Bhāgavata is supreme. In each of its words, Kṛṣṇa is sung about in various ways by the sages. (Padma Purāṇa, Uttara-khaṇḍa 193.3)¹⁵

The superiority of the Bhāgavata is further established on the basis of its incomparable speaker, Śrī Śukadeva. He was Brahman-realized from birth and thus priorly situated in the state of freedom from all attachment. He left home immediately after his birth, without even undergoing any Vedic rituals, and did not heed his father’s request to remain at home (SB 1.2.2). He was so absorbed in the immediate awareness of Brahman that he remained indifferent to his own personal care. He had transcended altogether the duality of male and female (SB 1.4.4–5).

The Bhāgavata’s eminence is also due to the illustrious status of its original audience headed by King Parīkṣit. When he was cursed to die in seven days, he renounced his kingdom and sat on the bank of Gaṅgā with a vow to fast until death. At that time, great sages from different regions of the universe assembled to bless the king. This event is described by Sūta:

At that time, many sages endowed with extraordinary spiritual power, who purify the entire world, arrived there, accompanied by their disciples. Generally, on the plea of visiting the sacred places of pilgrimage, the sages sanctify those holy places merely by their presence. [The great sages who arrived there included] Atri, Vasiṣṭha, Cyavana, Śaradvān, Ariṣṭanemi, Bhṛgu, Aṅgirā, Parāśara, Viśvāmitra, Paraśurāma, Utathya, Indrapramada, Idhmabāhu, Medhātithi, Devala, Ārṣṭiṣeṇa, Bhāradvāja, Gautama, Pippalāda, Maitreya, Aurva, Kavaṣa, Kumbhayoni (Agastya), Dvaipāyana, and the illustrious Nārada. Many other sages also arrived there, including the foremost of the celestial sages, the brāhmaṇa sages, and the royal sages, as well as other sages who preside over particular branches of the Vedas, such as Aruṇa. (SB 1.19.8–11)¹⁶

This most august assembly of sages included three avatāras, namely, Paraśurāma, Vyāsa, and Nārada. When Śukadeva arrived in the assembly, everyone stood to honor him (SB 1.19.28). He was unanimously selected as the right person to answer the query of King Parīkṣit. When he accepted the seat of honor, his eminence was described as follows:

While installed upon that seat of honor, surrounded by groups of brāhmaṇa sages, royal sages, and celestial sages, the illustrious Śukadeva, greatest even among the great, appeared extraordinarily resplendent, like the moon encircled by clusters of planets, constellations, and stars. (SB 1.19.30)¹⁷

Finally, the supremacy of the Bhāgavata is understood because of its supreme message:

In this Śrīmad Bhāgavata, the supreme dharma is disclosed, utterly devoid of all deception and compromise. (SB 1.2.2)¹⁸

Śrīmad Bhāgavata Is Equivalent to the Veda

Although Śrīmad Bhagāvata belongs to the class of the Purāṇas, it is equated to the Vedas in authority. In Bhagavad Gītā, Kṛṣṇa declares, “By all the Vedas, I alone am to be known” (Gītā 15.15).¹⁹ Śrīmad Bhāgavata is unquestionably the Purāṇa that directly discloses the ontological truth pertaining to Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Śukadeva Gosvāmī affirmed this very point in the conclusion of his teachings to King Parīkṣit: “Bhagavān Hari [Kṛṣṇa], the Immanent Self of the cosmos, is repeatedly described in this book [Śrīmad Bhāgavata]” (SB 12.5.1).²⁰

Accordingly, in the penultimate chapter of the Bhāgavata, Sūta Gosvāmī sums up the entire discussion in the following words: “Here [in Śrīmad Bhāgavata], Hari, the dispeller of all sins, who is Nārāyaṇa, Hṛṣīkeśa, and Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, the Guardian and Master of the Sātvatas, has been directly described” (SB 12.12.3).²¹

Śrīmad Bhāgavata’s status as equivalent to the Vedas is also directly affirmed in the book itself in statements such as the following: “This Purāṇa, called the Bhāgavata, is equal (sammitam) to the Vedas” (SB 1.3.40).²² The word sammitam can mean “equal,” “similar,” “resembling,” “like,” “comparable,” or “of identical value.” Thus, here it signifies that the Bhāgavata is equal to the Vedas or is esteemed on a par with the Vedas. The intended sense is that Śrīmad Bhāgavata’s authority is equivalent to that of the Vedas, and it conveys the essential import of the Vedas in the form of transcendental knowledge regarding Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

While questioning Sūta Gosvāmī, sage Śaunaka directly refers to Śrīmad Bhāgavata as a Śruti, a word that is synonymous with the Vedas:

My 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 Śruti was disclosed? (SB 1.4.7)²³

Śrī Śukadeva also refers to the Bhāgavata as equal to the Vedas while informing King Parīkṣit about his own study: “This Purāṇā, called the Bhāgavata, is equal to the Vedas. I studied it from my father Dvaipāyana Vyāsa at the end of Dvāparayuga” (SB 2.1.8).²⁴ Here also, the word sammitam is used to point out the Bhāgavata’s equivalence to the Vedas. The compound dvāpara-adau, which would normally be interpreted to mean, “at the beginning of Dvāpara,” is of the bahuvrihi, or “exocentric,” classification, meaning that its referent is external to, yet qualified by, its component members. The compound thus comes to mean “at that period of time the beginning of which corresponded to Dvāpara’s end.” Here, “at that period of time” is the external referent, while the remainder of the phrase, drawn from the words adau and dvāpara, is its qualifier.

Sūta Gosvāmī also refers to the Bhāgavata as equal to the Vedas while describing the dialogue between King Parīkṣit and Śukadeva: “He recited the Purāṇa called the Bhāgavata, which is equal to the Vedas and was spoken by Bhagavān to Brahmā at the beginning of the Brahma-kalpa” (SB 2.8.28).²⁵

From the above citations, it is clear that Śrīmad Bhāgavata has a distinct place among the Purāṇas because of being equated to or esteemed on a par with the Vedas. Indeed, its importance exceeds even that of the Vedas because it is determined as the ripened fruit of the tree of all the Vedas. The fruit is indeed the most highly valued product of a tree and more delectable than any other part. The author himself praises it as follows:

O you devotees, who are connoisseurs of the aesthetic experience (rasa) [of divine love for Bhagavān] and who are highly skilled in the art of contemplation on particular aesthetic modes of being (bhāvukas), drink again and again up to liberation and beyond the divine rasa known as Śrīmad Bhāgavata, the ripened fruit of the wish-fulfilling tree of all the Vedas. Abounding with the fluid essence of immortal nectar, it has descended upon the earth [unbroken, out of the utter fullness of its taste] from the mouth of Śrī Śuka. (SB 1.1.3)²⁶

Śrīmad Bhāgavata Is Nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa

Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī calls Śrīmad Bhāgavata “the lamp that illuminates the Absolute Reality” (tattva-dīpaṁ purāṇam, SB 12.12.68). He also calls it “the light [or the direct revealer] of supreme transcendence” (adhyātma-dīpam, SB 1.2.3), as well as “the unparalleled lamp of transcendental knowledge” (atulo jñāna-pradīpaḥ, SB 12.13.19). In Devakī’s prayers to Kṛṣṇa when He appeared in the prison of Kaṁsa, she refers to Him in identical terms as “the lamp of spiritual knowledge” (adhyātma-dīpaḥ, SB 10.3.24). These statements imply that Śrīmad Bhāgavata is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa Himself. This fact is further confirmed by Sūta Gosvāmī in his reply to the following pertinent question of Śaunaka Ṛṣi:

Now that Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Master of yoga, the well-wisher of the brāhmaṇas, and the protector of dharma, has departed to His own paramount abode, please tell us to whom dharma has gone for refuge. (SB 1.2.23)²⁷

Sūta Gosvāmī’s reply given below makes it evident that Śrīmad Bhāgavata appeared as Kṛṣṇa’s direct representative (tat-pratinidhi-rūpeṇāvirbabhūva):²⁸

Upon Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s departure to His own abode, accompanied by dharma, transcendental knowledge (jñāna), and other divine majesties, this self-effulgent Sun in the form of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa has now arisen for those bereft of sight in the age of Kali. (SB 1.3.43)²⁹

In Padma Purāṇa, while describing the glories of Śrīmad Bhāgavata, the Kumāras inform sage Nārada: “This Purāṇa called Śrīmad Bhāgavata is indeed directly Śrī Kṛṣṇa and none else” (Uttara-khaṇḍa 198.30).³⁰ Accordingly, in Skanda Purāṇa, it is stated: “The Śrīmad Bhāgavata and Śrī Bhagavān [Kṛṣṇa] share an eternal absolute oneness of essential nature (svarūpa), characterized as unalloyed being (sat), consciousness (cit), and divine bliss (ānanda)” (Viṣṇu-khaṇḍa 6.4.3).³¹ Such being the case, the twelve cantos of Śrīmad Bhāgavata are equated with the twelve parts of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental body:

Kṛṣṇa’s two feet are the First and Second Cantos, His two thighs are the Third and Fourth Cantos, His navel area is the Fifth Canto, His chest is the Sixth Canto, and His two arms are the Seventh and Eighth Cantos. O King, Kṛṣṇa’s throat is the Ninth Canto, His smiling lotus face is the Tenth Canto, His forehead is the Eleventh Canto, and His head is the Twelfth Canto. I worship Him, the Primeval Deva, the repository of compassion, whose bodily hue resembles a Tamāla tree, whose avatāric descent is meant for the highest good of all living beings, who is the bridge to cross over the limitless ocean of worldly existence, and who is directly manifest in the form of Śrīmad Bhāgavata.³²

King Parīkṣit—the Primary Audience (Śrotā) of Śrīmad Bhāgavata

Various students of Śrīmad Bhāgavata are mentioned in the work itself. The first student was Brahmā, who heard the four seed verses of the Bhāgavata from Bhagavān Himself at the beginning of creation (SB 2.9.30–35). Later, Brahmā imparted the Bhāgavata to Nārada and requested him to expand it in such a manner that human beings would be graced with bhakti by hearing it (SB 2.8.51–53). Nārada taught it to Vyāsa when the latter was left feeling unfulfilled in his mission of bestowing the ultimate good on humanity (SB 1.5.30–40).

Thereafter, in the state of transcognitive awareness (samādhi), the Bhāgavata was directly self-disclosed to Vyāsa in seed form, which he then expanded into a book for the benefit of people in general (SB 1.7.2–6). Later, he edited it and taught it to his son Śukadeva (SB 1.7.8), who recited it to King Parīkṣit when the latter was on the verge of death (SB 2.1.1 and 12.6.8). At that time, Sūta Gosvāmī also heard the Bhāgavata and later recited it to the sages of Naimiṣaraṇya, headed by sage Śaunaka (SB 1.3.45).

Among all of these students and teachers, King Parīkṣit and Śukadeva are counted as the chief audience and speaker, respectively. The reason in the case of Parīkṣit is that he heard the Bhāgavata for his own upliftment with the sole intent to experience Bhagavān directly. In the case of Śukadeva, he is considered the chief speaker of the Bhāgavata because he was selected to speak it in the first open assembly that included the most illustrious sages from all over the universe as well as three avatāras.

Śukadeva was also unique in that he was first drawn to hear the Bhāgavata simply because he was attracted by Kṛṣṇa’s divine acts, as he himself admits:

O sage among kings, although I was firmly situated in Brahman, which is beyond the three guṇas of primordial nature, my consciousness became captivated by the enchanting līlās of the most glorious Bhagavān. Therefore, I studied this Purāṇa [Śrīmad Bhāgavata]. (SB 2.1.9)³³

All others heard the Bhāgavata for different purposes. Brahmā heard it with the intent to evolve the universe. Nārada heard it because he was requested to expand the Bhāgavata to enable the self-disclosure of bhakti and Bhagavān. Vyāsa heard it with the intent to bestow the highest good on humanity. Sūta heard it because of his extraordinary fortune to have been present when it was spoken to the king. Thus, only King Parīkṣit and Śukadeva are accepted as the primary audience and speaker of the Bhāgavata.

It is still a custom in India that whenever a seven-day recitation of Śrīmad Bhāgavata is held, a principal listener is appointed from among the audience as the representative of Parīkṣit. For his own part, Śukadeva was such an exceptional speaker that his audience included not only his guru and father, Śrī Vyāsa, but also Vyāsa’s guru, the sage Nārada, both of whom heard from his mouth with rapt attention. In history, there is no other example where a student’s guru and grand-guru become the audience, accompanied by the most illustrious sages. According to Sūta Gosvāmī, it is Bhagavān Himself who speaks through the contemporary speaker, as indicated in the following verse:

Let us meditate on the Supreme Reality, who is pure, immaculate, devoid of sorrow, and beyond death, who in the distant past graciously revealed this peerless lamp of knowledge unto Brahmā, and then in the form of Brahmā [He disclosed it] to Nārada Muni, and as Nārada to Kṛṣṇa [Dvaipāyana Vyāsa], and again as Vyāsa to the chief of yogīs [Śuka], and then as Śuka to Bhagavad-rāta [King Parīkṣit]. (SB 12.13.19)³⁴

Since this verse was spoken by Sūta Gosvāmī, out of modesty, he did not add, “and as Sūta to Śaunaka.” Moreover, Bhagavān Himself is eager to hear the Bhāgavata, as is evident from Vyāsa’s declaration that when the virtuous simply wish to hear the Bhāgavata, Bhagavān becomes at once established in their hearts, sadyo hṛdy avarudhyate’tra kṛtibhiḥ śuśrubhis tat-kṣaṇāt (SB 1.1.2).

Hearing Śrīmad Bhāgavata Is Sufficient to Award Perfection

It was demonstrated above that Śrīmad Bhāgavata is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. For this reason, receptive and attentive hearing of the Bhāgavata can itself deliver perfection to a sincere student. Sūta Gosvāmī affirmed this very point in the course of describing how Vyāsa manifested the Bhāgavata:

Indeed, in the very act of receptively and attentively hearing this Bhāgavata Purāṇa, bhakti [in its completion state of prema] for Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Puruṣa, self-manifests in a person’s heart, dispelling grief, delusion, and fear. (SB 1.7.7)³⁵

Similar statements occur in the twelfth chapter of the Twelfth Canto, where Sūta explicitly delineates the glory of reciting or hearing the Bhāgavata:

A dvija who studies this Purāṇa with devotion attains to that supreme destination which has been described by Bhagavān. (SB 12.12.63)³⁶

This indeed was the experience of King Parīkṣit. After hearing it, he made the following pronouncement:

I stand perfected and blessed by you, the very embodiment of grace, because you have made it possible for me to hear about Sākṣāt Bhagavān Hari, who is without beginning or end. (SB 12.6.2)³⁷

It is from you that we have heard this Purāṇa Saṁhitā, in which the most glorious Bhagavān has been continuously described. (SB 12.6.4)³⁸

In his prayers to his guru in the concluding chapter of the book, Sūta Gosvāmī also confirms that Parīkṣit was liberated simply by hearing the Bhāgavata:

I bow down to that master of the yogīs, Śrī Śukadeva, the direct embodiment of Brahman, who liberated Viṣṇurāta (Parīkṣit) when he was bitten by the snake of worldly existence. (SB 12.13.21)³⁹

Śrīmad Bhāgavata—the Supreme Pramāṇa

Traditionally, the Veda is accepted as the authority par excellence in India. The various schools of philosophy (darśanas) originated in India and can be divided into theistic (āstika) and nontheistic (nāstika). All the theistic schools accept the Veda as the supreme pramāṇa and derive their respective darśanas, directly or indirectly, from the Veda. Among these schools, the Vedānta darśana is considered the ultimate. There are various subschools within the Vedānta School, which can be broadly divided into two categories—niṛākāra-vādīs and sākāra-vādīs. Nirākāra-vādīs accept the ultimate Reality as Brahman, which is nondual consciousness alone devoid of any form or qualities. Sākāra-vādīs, on the other hand, also accept the ultimate Reality as Brahman but with transcendental form and qualities. They prefer to call it Paramātmā or Bhagavān.

Before Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī’s time, the Vedānta schools based their theology and philosophy on the study of the ten principal Upaniṣads, Vedānta-sūtra, and Bhagavad Gītā, collectively called the prasthāna-trayī, or “the three sources of valid knowledge for ascertaining the Ultimate Truth.” Every school has their own interpretation of the prasthāna-trayī. Śrī Vallabhācārya, a senior contemporary of Jīva Gosvāmī, accepted Śrīmad Bhāgavata as the fourth pramāṇa along with the prasthāna-trayī.

In Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī’s magnum opus, Bhāgavata Sandarbha or Ṣaṭ Sandarbha, a systematic study of Śrīmad Bhāgavata, he departs from this general trend. In the epistemology, or pramāṇa, section of Tattva Sandarbha, the first book of the Ṣaṭ Sandarbha, Śrī Jīva undertook a lengthy analysis to establish Śrīmad Bhāgavata as the highest authority for ascertaining life’s ultimate goal.⁴⁰ This was a bold step in the history of Vedānta, but it does not mean that Jīva Gosvāmī rejected the authority of the prasthāna-trayī. Rather, he argued that although the Upaniṣads and Vedānta-sūtra are authoritative, they are liable to interpretation and misinterpretation; it is not easy to comprehend the ultimate goal to be attained and the methodology prescribed therein.

Śrīmad Bhāgavata, on the other hand, is very explicit about the goal of life and the means to attain it. Since its authority is equal to the Veda, as shown above, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī accepts the Bhāgavata as the preeminent means to determine life’s ultimate goal and the method to realize it. He proves both logically and scripturally that Śrīmad Bhāgavata is an independent authority and thus not reliant on the prasthāna-trayī for the determination of the Truth.⁴¹ Consequently, the ripened fruit of the Veda, Śrīmad Bhāgavata, is superior to the prasthāna-trayī as a source of valid knowledge, for it consists of nothing extraneous. In the case of the Veda, a seeker of Truth must wade through the karma-kāṇḍa section to arrive at the Truth, as confirmed by Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the Gītā:

O Arjuna, the unwise, who are attached to the evanescent goals described in the Vedas, who claim that the Vedas are concerned with nothing other than this, who are full of material desires, and who are intent upon the attainment of heaven, utter the flowery words of the Vedas concerning various specific rites as the means to pleasure and power, and which result in rebirth and perpetuation of the cycle of karma. (Gītā 2.42–43)⁴²

The Vedas are [predominantly] concerned with the three guṇas [i.e., with means and ends impelled by the guṇas]. O Arjuna, be free from the influence of these three guṇas, situated beyond all duality, and free from concerns for acquisition and preservation. Become established in the eternal state of unalloyed being and grounded in the immediate intuition of the self. (Gītā 2.45)⁴³

The Essential Teachings of Śrīmad Bhāgavata

One of the unique contributions of Śrīmad Bhāgavata is to establish bhakti—also called prema, prīti, or parama dharma—as the ultimate object of human attainment, parama puruṣārtha, beyond even mokṣa. On the other hand, the theistic schools of Nyāya, Vaiśeṣika, Sāṅkhya, Yoga, and Vedānta, all consider mokṣa as the ultimate end to be attained. Although Pūrva-mīmāṁsā is an exception to this view, their goal of svarga is just another word for mokṣa, as is evident from their definition of svarga:

That happiness which is unmixed with misery, uninterrupted by misery, endless, and attained by focused intent, is the referent of the word svarga.⁴⁴

Śrīmad Bhāgavata establishes bhakti as the parama puruṣārtha from the very beginning of the text. In the opening chapter, sage Śaunaka poses six pivotal questions to Sūta Gosvāmī. The first two questions are as follows:

O long-lived Sūta, it behooves you to reveal to us that which has been ascertained by you through the study of all those śāstras as the straightforward, all-inclusive highest good for humanity. (SB 1.1.9)⁴⁵

And further:

There are innumerable prescribed practices to be undertaken and a profusion of scriptures to be heard, each with their various subdivisions [of dharma and sādhana]. Therefore, O saintly teacher, having extracted the essence of all such means to the ultimate good through thoughtful reflection, please inform us, who are firmly established in faith, of that preeminent engagement by which the self can attain complete fulfillment. (SB 1.1.11)⁴⁶

Sūta Gosvāmī replies categorically to these two questions in one verse:

That alone is humanity’s supreme essential duty [meaning sādhana-bhakti] by which causeless, unobstructed bhakti [characterized as divine love (prema-lakṣaṇā)] for Adhokṣaja, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, can come into being, as a consequence of which the self is completely fulfilled. (SB 1.2.6)⁴⁷

In this verse, the words paraḥ dharmaḥ refer to sādhana-bhakti because it is later established that the completion state of bhakti, called prema, is reached only through the practice of sādhana-bhakti and not by any other means. This theme is expanded throughout the book through examples, stories, prayers, and instructions.⁴⁸

Śrīmad Bhāgavata is also very explicit in establishing Kṛṣṇa as the Original Form of the Absolute Truth, the very ground and source of all existence—both transcendental and phenomenal. In the third chapter of the First Canto, after enumerating twenty-three avatāras of Bhagavān’s manifestation as the Puruṣa, Sūta concludes the discussion with the following definitive statement:

All these avatāras are either portions (aṁśas) or minute portions (kalās) of the first Puruṣa. Śrī Kṛṣṇa, however, is Bhagavān Himself in His ownmost original existential being.⁴⁹ Appearing in every yuga, all these avatāras delight the world when it is oppressed by the enemies of Indra. (SB 1.3.28)⁵⁰

The general belief among Hindus is that Viṣṇu or Nārāyaṇa is the source of all avatāras. The Bhāgavata, however, disagrees with this opinion. It is admitted, however, that all avatāras other than Śrī Kṛṣṇa do manifest from Viṣṇu, as is evident from Sūta’s statement earlier in the same chapter:

This form of the Puruṣa [Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu] is the repository and the imperishable seed of the innumerable avatāras. (SB 1.3.5)⁵¹

Versatility of Śrīmad Bhāgavata

Śrīmad Bhāgavata, being the sonic representation of Kṛṣṇa, is highly versatile in its meaning. Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī calls it vidvat-kāmadhenu,⁵² or “the wish-fulfilling cow for the erudite.” Vyāsa himself calls it the ripened fruit of the wish-fulfilling tree of the Veda (nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam). It is believed that in Vaikuṇṭha, there are kāmadhenu cows and kalpa-taru trees that can fulfill all the wishes of those who approach them. Correspondingly, the words of the Bhāgavata can disclose multiple layers of meaning to the introspective students in accordance with their śraddhā. This understanding is rooted in the same ideal that Kṛṣṇa expressed to Arjuna: “I reciprocate with all those who seek refuge in Me in direct correspondence with the essential nature of their surrender” (Gītā 4.11).

In this regard, the Advaitavādīs understand Śrīmad Bhāgavata to be the book that teaches the self’s identity with Brahman as the highest goal of life—sarva-vedānta-sāraṁ yad brahmātmaikatva-lakṣaṇam (SB 12.13.12). Vaiṣṇavas, on the other hand, consider it to be the immaculate Purāṇa that discloses their heart’s delight of bhakti—śrīmad-bhāgavataṁ purāṇam amalaṁ yad vaiṣṇavānāṁ priyaṁ (SB 12.13.18).

An example of the Bhāgavata’s versatility of meaning is found in Vaṁśīdhara’s one hundred explanations of its opening verse. Each meaning is a prayer offered to a different deity. In a similar vein, Hari Nārāyaṇa Cakravarti has also given one hundred different meanings to the first verse, but in contrast to the former, each meaning is a prayer to Śrī Kṛṣṇa alone. The Bhāgavata’s vast array of implicit meanings is also exemplified by the sixty-four explanations of its famous ātmārāma verse (SB 1.7.10) given by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to Sanātana Gosvāmī. The variety and subtlety of meaning contained in the Bhāgavata’s words find its greatest exposition in the commentaries on the five chapters (29–33) of the rāsa-līlā from the Tenth Canto.

From this characteristic, one should not conclude that the Bhāgavata does not have a unitary message of its own to convey. A wish-fulfilling tree can bestow whatever the petitioners may desire, yet it also has its own natural fruit that it will graciously supply if approached without preconceptions. Accordingly, the Bhāgavata also has its own implicit message that it willingly conveys to readers who study it without ulterior motives. The Bhāgavata conveys its own conclusion with certain indicators. For example, whenever the Bhāgavata intends to highlight a conclusion that is fundamental to its basic nature, it does so by using the words etāvān eva—“This alone”—to underscore the point in question. A few examples of this are given below:

In this world, this alone (etāvān eva) is concluded to be the supreme essential duty (para-dharma) for humanity—namely, to engage in bhakti-yoga to Bhagavān by uttering His names and other such direct acts of devotion. (SB 6.3.22)⁵³

And:

In this world, this alone is determined as the attainment of the ultimate good for human beings—namely, the offering and stabilization of the mind in Me by way of resolute bhakti-yoga. (SB 3.25.44)⁵⁴

And:

This alone is the attainment of the ultimate good for those who are engaged in worship—that in the course of such worship (iha), by the association of devotees, unswerving devotion for Bhagavān is evoked in them. (SB 2.3.11)⁵⁵

Another indicator employed in the Bhāgavata to draw a decisive conclusion from a preceding discussion is the causative pronoun tasmāt, “therefore” or “consequently.” An example of this type of usage is found at the very beginning of the Bhāgavata as follows:

Consequently (tasmāt), with one-pointed mental attention, one should continuously hear about, glorify, meditate upon, and worship Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Guardian of His devotees. (SB 1.2.14)⁵⁶

Controversies Related to Śrīmad Bhāgavata

References to Śrīmad Bhāgavata are occasionally found in other Purāṇas. Some of these references contain only the single word “bhāgavata,” while others include either the word “śrī” or “śrīmat.” For example, we find statements such as the following from Skanda Purāṇa:

In Kaliyuga, what is the value of collecting hundreds or even thousands of other scriptures if one does not keep the Bhāgavata śāstra at home? (Skanda Purāṇa, Viṣṇu-khaṇḍa 2.5.16.40)⁵⁷

There is also a Purāṇa called Śrīmad Devī Bhāgavata. In the past, there have been heated debates about whether the word bhāgavata appearing in various scriptures refers to the Śrīmad Bhāgavata spoken by Śukadeva to King Parīkṣit or to the Devī Bhāgavata. At present, however, it is well established that the word bhāgavata refers specifically to Śrīmad Bhāgavata. Thus, there is no need to go into the details of the arguments in favor of Śrīmad Bhāgavata.

The other controversy regards the number of chapters in the work. The most popular view is that Śrīmad Bhāgavata consists of 335 chapters divided into twelve cantos. However, some scholars consider three chapters of the Tenth Canto, the 12^th, 13^th, and 14^th, as interpolated. The leading proponents of this view are the commentators of the Puṣṭi-sampradāya and the Śrī-sampradāya, as well as Śrī Madhvācārya and his follower, Śrī Vijayadhvaja Tīrtha. Although the last two ācāryas did not explicitly state that these chapters are interpolated, they did not comment on them at all, as if to deny them of any significance or as if they did not even exist. Out of twenty-two commentators on the Tenth Canto, only two, Śrī Madhvācārya and Śrī Vijayadhvaja Tīrtha, have not commented on these three chapters. Of the remaining twenty commentators, six consider these chapters to be interpolated. Surprisingly, however, all six of them have commented on them due to their popularity.

In commenting on the first verse of Chapter Twelve—the first among the three chapters of contention—Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī reasons why these chapters should be considered genuine. Later, Śrī Giridhara Lāl, an ācārya of the Puṣṭi Mārga, composed a lengthy refutation of Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī’s arguments and attempted to prove that these chapters are interpolated.⁵⁸ Presently, a difference of opinion continues, and the followers honor the view of their respective ācāryas.

Traditional View on the Composition of the Bhāgavata

Padma Purāṇa has six chapters about Śrīmad Bhāgavata (Uttara Khaṇḍa, Chapters 193–198), called Bhāgavata Māhātmya, or “The Glory of the Bhāgavata.” These chapters contain a description of three separate recitations of the Bhāgavata—namely, that of Śuka to Parīkṣit, Gokarṇa to Dhundhumāra, and the Kumāra brothers to sage Nārada. In the last chapter, Śaunaka asks Sūta about the period when these recitations occurred. Sūta replies that Śukadeva recited the Bhāgavata thirty years after the beginning of the present yuga, called Kali. The recitation began on the ninth day of the month of Bhādrapada (mid-August to mid-September).

The eighth day in the dark fortnight of Bhādrapada is Kṛṣṇa’s appearance day, and the eighth day in the bright fortnight is the appearance of Śrīmatī Rādhā. Since the lunar month is counted from the beginning of the bright fortnight, tradition takes the ninth day in the Padma Purāṇa description as being that of the bright fortnight, the day after the appearance day of Śrīmatī Rādhā. This occasion for the first Bhāgavata recitation is highly significant because Rādhā is the very embodiment of bhakti, which is the prime subject of the Bhāgavata. Her appearance day thus heralded the Bhāgavata’s first public disclosure.

Continuing with our analysis, Kaliyuga began the very day Kṛṣṇa left the Earth planet, as stated in the Bhāgavata itself: “On that very day and in the precise moment that Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa left the Earth, this same Kali, the source of unrighteousness, entered this world” (SB 1.18.6).⁵⁹ According to Vedic astrologers, Kṛṣṇa left the Earth in 3102 BCE. If Vyāsa composed the Bhāgavata after the departure of Kṛṣṇa, he must have done so between 3102 BCE and 3072 BCE. This is the traditional view. Modern scholars have no consensus on the matter. Their dates vary from the fourth century CE to the tenth century CE.

The Popularity of Śrīmad Bhāgavata

Among all the Purāṇas, Śrīmad Bhāgavata is undoubtedly the most popular. No other Purāṇa has been studied, commented upon, and translated into different languages as much as Śrīmad Bhāgavata. There have been at least 85 commentaries written in Sanskrit on Śrīmad Bhāgavata, and they continue to be written. Many more commentaries may have been written that did not become popular and thus eventually became lost.

Besides commentaries, many independent essays have been written on Śrīmad Bhāgavata. These include Bhāgavata-tāparya-nirṇaya by Madhvācārya, Muktāphala and Hari-līlāmṛtam by Bopadeva, Śrīmad-bhāgavatārtha-prakaraṇam by Vallabhācārya, Śrī Bhāgavata Sandarbha by Jīva Gosvāmī, Nārāyaṇīyam of Nārāyaṇa Bhaṭṭa, Bhakti Ratnāvalī of Viṣṇu Puri, and Līlā-kalpa-druma by Vaṁśīdhara. Numerous works have also been written based on Śrīmad Bhāgavata, such as Kaivalya-dīpikā of Hemādri, Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛtam by Sanātana Gosvāmī, Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛtam by Rūpa Gosvāmī, Gopāla Campu of Jīva Gosvāmī, Ānanda Vṛndāvana Campu of Kavi Karṇapūra, and Jayollāsa Nidhi of Appaya Dīkṣita. The complete list is too long to be included here.

Śrīmad Bhāgavata has also been translated into poetry in the various regional languages of India, such as Bengali, Hindi, Vraja-bhāṣā, and Telugu. It is the first Purāṇa to be translated into foreign languages. It was translated into Persian in the 15^th century. The first French translation came out in 1840. Śrī A.C. Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Prabhupāda, the founder of ISKCON, translated it into English along with an elaborate commentary. His followers have translated it into the world’s major languages and popularized it vigorously.

Of related interest is the influence of Śrīmad Bhāgavata on Tulasīdāsa’s 16^th century classic, Rāma-carita-mānasa, which is very popular especially in North India. Even uneducated men and women know some popular couplets from the book and may refer to them in their conversations. It is a book about the pastimes of Bhagavān Rāma. The author has borrowed extensively from Śrīmad Bhāgavata. This is understood from a comparative study of the two books. Dr. Balacandrikā Pāṭhaka did her Ph.D. thesis on this topic and has the following to say:

“By studying deeply the immortal work Śrī-rāma-carita-mānasa of Gosvāmī Tulasīdāsa, it is evident that he was influenced by Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, in some parts directly and in others indirectly. […] By regular study of the two books, it can be said without a doubt that Gosvāmī Tulasīdāsa studied Śrīmad Bhāgavata very scrutinizingly and accepted it as the foundation of his book. In other words, Śrī-rāma-carita-mānasa is indeed Rāma-bhāgavata.”⁶⁰

In contrast, almost no commentaries have been written on the other Purāṇas, the only exceptions being those on the Viṣṇu Purāna and Devī Bhāgavata. Of these, only one commentary is available on the Devī Bhāgavata, while only two of the four commentaries on the Viṣṇu Purāna are in print. The names of many other Purāṇas are practically unknown even to devout Hindus. But such is not the case with Śrīmad Bhāgavata.

One of the unique reasons for the Bhāgavata’s popularity is the seven-day recitation of the text known as Bhāgavata-saptāha. It has been a long-standing tradition to recite the complete Bhāgavata in seven days. This has become even more popular in the past few decades. Thousands of people gather to listen to the recitation and stories of the Bhāgavata narrated by learned speakers. Such recitations take place all over India and even in foreign countries. No other Purāṇa is recited in this manner. In holy places like Vrindavana, there are even schools that are specifically designed to train Bhāgavata speakers.

The glories of the Bhāgavata are found even in other Purāṇas, such as the Padma Purāṇa, Matsya Purāṇa, and Skanda Purāṇa, as well as in the Śiva Saṁhitā and Kauśika Saṁhitā. One can thus readily understand the supremacy of Śrīmad Bhāgavata not only among the Purāṇas but also among all other Vedic scriptures. It is supreme because it is the last work of Śrī Vyāsa, who attained fulfillment only after manifesting Śrīmad Bhāgavata. It is supreme because its speaker, Śrī Śukadeva, was steeped in Brahman from birth. It is supreme because its first audience, Arjuna’s grandson King Parīkṣit, was protected by Kṛṣṇa from the brahmāstra of Aśvatthāma within the womb of his mother. King Parīkṣit was so valorous that he was able to chastise even Kali personified, and he was so renounced that he gave up everything and heard the Bhāgavata in the company of highly venerable sages like Nārada and Vyāsa. This Śrīmad Bhāgavata is also a storehouse of philosophy (darśanas).

Among Sanskrit scholars, there is a popular saying, “The true test of scholarship lies in one’s understanding of Śrīmad Bhāgavata”—vidyāvatāṁ bhāgavate parikṣā. It is poetry par excellence, abounding with beautiful stutis (prayers) and gītas (songs). There are approximately twenty-six different meters employed within the work. Above all, it is the most important book for understanding bhakti or prema. Every serious devotee should study it regularly—nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā.

Satyanarayana Dasa