श्रीमद भागवतम

Srimad Bhagavatam
Glories of Srimad Bhagavatam in various Puranas
Enumeration of the subjects in the Srimad Bhagavatam

Glories of Srimad Bhagavatam in various Puranas

History of Srimad Bhagavatam is described in the beginning and at the end (SB 12.13.19).
After compiling the Vedic literature, Puranas, etc., Vyasadeva was still feeling unsatisfied. While thinking in this way Narada Muni reached the cottage of Vyasadeva and was asked about the cause of dissatisfaction. Narada Muni explained that because he (Vyasadeva) did not directly describe Krsna's pastimes, and instead gave a license to enjoy sense gratification under religious principles, he was remaining unsatisfied. Narada then instructed Vyasadeva in the catur sloka, or catuhsloki (SB 2.9.33-36) the essence of the Veda. Vyasadeva took these four verses and expanded them to compile the Srimad Bhagavatam, which is known as the ripened fruit of Vedic literature because it directly describes Krsna's transcendental pastimes. Vyasadeva has written SB in his spiritual maturity (SB 1.5.13: samadhi nanusmara tad-vicestitam - "In the trance you are thinking about Lord's pastimes and describing them").

krsne sva-dhamopagate
dharma-jnanadibhih saha
kalau nasta-drsam esa
puranarko 'dhunoditah

This Bhagavata Purana is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just after the departure of Lord Krsna to His own abode, accompanied by religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the age of Kali shall get light from this Purana. (SB 1.3.43)

As stated in the Matsya Purana (53.65,68,69):

A Purana has five characteristics as opposed to an Akhyana. (The scriptures are divided into three classes - sattvika, rajasika, and tamasika.) The glory of Lord Hari is greater in the sattvika Puranas; the glory of Lord Brahma is more in the rajasika Puranas; the glory of Lord Siva and Agni is more in the tamasika Puranas. In the mixed scriptures the glory of Sarasvati and the Pitrs is explained."

The verse cited from the Matsya Purana refers to the five characteristics of a Purana. These characteristics are given in another verse of the Matsya Purana, 53.65 and Garuda Purana 1.223.14:

sargasca pratisargasca vamso manvantarani ca
vamsyanucaritaccaiva puranam pancalaksanam

"Creation, dissolution, genealogy, manvantaras and descriptions of the activities of famous kings, these are the five characteristics of a Purana."

Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda (236.18-21), which explicitly state that the eighteen Puranas are divided according to the three modes of nature.:

vaisnavam naradiyanca tathabhagavatam subham garudanca tathapadmam varaham subhadarsane sattvikanipuranani vijneyani subhani vai brahmandam brahmavaivartam markandeyam tathaiva ca bhavisyam vamanam brahmam rajasani nibodhame matsyam kaurmam tathalaingam saivam skandam tathaiva ca agneyam ca sadetani tamasani nibodhame

"Lord Siva said: O beautiful lady, know that the Visnu, Narada, Bhagavata, Garuda, Padma and Varaha Puranas are sattvika; the Brahmanda, Brahma-vaivarta, Markandeya, Bhavisya, Vamana and Brahma Puranas are rajasika; and the Matsya, Kurma, Linga, Siva, Skanda and Agni Puranas are tamasika."

The characteristics of Srimad Bhagavatam are given in the Matsya Purana (53.20-22), "That which explains the topmost principles of religion, basing it on Gayatri, and which has the incident of the killing of Vrtrasura is to be known as the Srimad Bhagavatam. This Purana has eighteen thousand verses. Whoever makes a copy of the Srimad Bhagavatam and, placing it on a golden lion throne, donates it on the full moon day in the month of Bhadra (August-September), will attain the supreme goal".

Skanda Purana, Prabhasa Khanda (7.1.2.39-42) also describes Srimad Bhagavatam: "That which gives accounts of the humans and demigods in the Sarasvata Kalpa, explains the supreme religion, basing itself on Gayatri, and narrates the slaying of Vrtrasura is to be known as the Srimad Bhagavatam. It has eighteen thousand verses. Whoever makes a copy of the Bhagavatam and donates it, on a golden lion throne, on the full moon day in the month of Bhadra, will attain the supreme destination".

These verses are also found in the Agni Purana (272.6,7).

Padma Purana, "Gautama said: O Lord of the Earth, do you recite the Bhagavata Purana in front of the Deity of Lord Hari, especially the narration of the king of the demons, Prahlada Maharaja?" (Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda 22.115)

Again, in the Padma Purana, in the section glorifying the vow of Vyanjuli Mahadvadasi, Gautama instructs King Ambarisa, "One should stay awake (on the night of Vyanjuli Mahadvadasi) and hear the scriptures that narrate the stories of Lord Visnu and His devotees, especially the Bhagavad-gita, the thousand names of Lord Visnu, and the Purana narrated by Suka (Srimad Bhagavatam). These should be recited with care since they are pleasing to Lord Hari."

And in the same section of the Padma Purana he says: "O Ambarisa, if you desire an end to your material existence, then everyday hear Srimad Bhagavatam narrated by Suka, and also recite it yourself." (nityam bhagavatam srnu suka proktam ambarisa)

In the Prahlada Samhita of the Skanda Purana, in the section describing the glory of Dvaraka is this statement, "A person who stays up (on the night of Ekadasi) and recites the Srimad Bhagavatam with devotion in front of the Deity of Lord Hari goes to the abode of Lord Hari with all his family members."

The Padma Purana, Uttara khanda (190.3), states:

puranesu tu sarvesu srimad bhagavatam param
yatra pratipadam krsnam giyate bahudarsibhih

"Among all the Puranas, the Srimad Bhagavatam, in which Lord Krsna is glorified at every step by various great sages, is supreme."

The Skanda Purana (2.6.4.3) states:

srimadbhagavatasyatha srimadbhagavatah sada
svarupam ekamevasti saccidanandalaksanam

"The nature of the Srimad Bhagavatam and the Personality of Godhead is always the same - full knowledge, bliss, and eternal existence." And the Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda (198.30) says: srimadbhagavatakhyo'yam pratyaksah krsna eva hi, "Without any doubt, Srimad Bhagavatam is directly Lord Krsna."

The Skanda Purana states, "In Kali-yuga, of what value are collections of hundreds of thousands of other scriptures, if one does not keep the Srimad Bhagavatam in his house? In Kali-yuga, how can a person be considered a Vaisnava if the Srimad Bhagavatam does not find a place in his house? Even if he is a brahmana, he is to be considered lower than a dog-eater. O Vipra, Narada, wherever is the Srimad Bhagavatam in Kali-yuga, the Lord goes there along with the demigods. O muni, a person who faithfully recites a verse of Srimad Bhagavatam every day attains the fruit of reading the eighteen Puranas". (Skanda Purana, 2.5.16.40-42,44,33)

Quote from Garuda Purana in Hari-bhakti-vilasa 10.394-395:

artho'yam brahma sutranam bharatartha-vinirnayah gayatri bhasya rupo'sau vedartha paribrmhitah purananam sama rupah saksad bhagavatoditah dvadasa skandha yukto'yam sata viccheda samyutah grantho'stadasa sahasrah srimad bhagavatabhidam

"The Srimad Bhagavatam is the explanation of the Vedanta Sutra. It is the complete settlement of the Mahabharata. It is the complete commentary on the Gayatri mantra. It strengthens the explanation of the Vedas and is the topmost Purana, written by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It has twelve cantos, one hundred sections and eighteen thousand slokas."

padau yadiyau prathama dvitiyau tritiyaturyau kathitau yaduru nabhistatha pancama eva sasto bhujantaram doryugalam yathanyau mukharavindam dasamam praphullam ekadasau yasya lalatha pathakam siro pi yad dvadasa eva bati tamadidevam karuna nidhanam tamala varnam suhitavataram aparasamsara samudra setum bhajamehe bhagavata svarupam

"I worship Him, the Original Lord, the reservoir of mercy, who is of the color of a tamala tree, who has descended to benefit all (suhitavataram). He is the Personality of the Bhagavatam, a bridge to cross over the ocean of the endless material existence. The First and Second Cantos are His two feet (padau); the Third and Fourth are said to be His thighs (uru); the Fifth Canto is His navel (nabhih); the Sixth Canto is His chest (bhujantaram); the other two [Seventh and Eighth] Cantos are His two arms (dor-yugalam); O King, the Ninth Canto is His neck (kanthah); the Tenth C anto is His blossomed lotus face (mukharavindam praphullam); the Eleventh Canto is His forehead (lalata-pattakam); and the Twelfth Canto shines as His crown (sirah)." (Padma Purana)

Supremacy of SB is established in SB itself (1.1.2-3, 12.13.15-16). Analogy about supremacy of SB: Vedas teach as a king (by orders), Puranas as a friend (by promises and blessings), Vedic poetry sweetly as a lover but SB contains all three aspects: all Vedic laws and principles, gives blessings and is poetic.

Srila Prabhupada instructs in SB 2.2.12 p. that those who still have sexual desires should hold lectures only from 1. and 2. Canto. This refers to criticism of professional reciters who hold so-called Bhagavata saptahas (seven-day recitation) for material profit, focusing only on Krsna's rasa-lila pastimes in Tenth Canto to indulge the paying audience.


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Enumeration of the subjects in the Srimad Bhagavatam
(SB 2.10.1)

By Sri Sukadeva Gosvami

1. Sarga (primary creation)
2. Visarga (secondary creation)
3. Sthanam (maintenance)
4. Posana (nourishment)
5. Uti (material desires)
6. Manvantara (reign of a Manu)
7. Isanukatha
(activities of Lord and His devotees)
8. Nirodha (annihilation)
9. Mukti (liberation)
10. Asraya (supreme shelter) By Sri Suta Gosvami

Sarga
Visarga
Vrtti
Raksa
Hetu
Antara
Vamsa,
Vamsanucarita
Samstha
Samstha
Apasraya

These ten characteristics are found in a Maha Purana but a Purana has only five characteristics (Amarakosa dictionary):

sargas ca pratisarga ca
vamsa manvantarani ca
vamsanu caritam capi
puranam panca laksanam

Sarga, or creation; pratisarga, or dissolution; vamsa, or the genealogies of kings or sages; manvantaras, a duration of a reign of a Manu; vamsanucarita, the description of various sages, kings, and incarnations.

These five include the ten characteristics of a Maha Purana, but in a Purana more stress is laid on these five topics and this gives the distinction between a Purana and a Maha Purana. How the ten characteristics of a Maha Purana is included in the five found in a lesser Purana is as follows:

1. Sarga
2. Pratisarga
3. Vamsa
4. Manvantara
5. Vamsanucaritam Sarga, Visarga, Asraya
Nirodha, Mukti
Isanukatha
Manvantara, Sthanam
Isanukatha, Posana, Uti, Asraya

The Srimad Bhagavatam is in twelve cantos, but the list of the characteristics of a Maha-Purana are in the Second Canto. Some scholars conclude therefore that these ten topics are explained successively in each canto from the Third Canto onwards. Srila Jiva Gosvami has complete disregard for such an explanation. If a Maha Purana has ten characteristics and if the first two cantos of Bhagavatam had none of these, then the Bhagavatam proper would have ten cantos. Analysis shows, however, that the First and Second Cantos discuss sarga, visarga, and raksa.

In Sarvasamvadini Srila Jiva Gosvami gives the following breakdown of the topics covered in each canto:

Topic Discussed

1. Sarga
2. Visarga
3. Vrtti
4. Raksa
5. Manvantara
6. Vamsa
7. Vamsanucarita
8. Samstha
9. Hetu
10. Apasraya Cantos primarily

Second and Third
Second, Third, Fourth
Third, Seventh, Eleventh
Throughout
Eighth
Fourth, Ninth
Fourth, Ninth
Eleventh, Twelfth
Third, Eleventh
Tenth

The ultimate purpose of the Srimad Bhagavatam is to explain the tenth item, Asraya, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.