Bhagavata Purana
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The Bhagavata Purana (sometimes rendered as Bhagavata Purana), also known as the Srimad Bhagavatam, is one of the Puranas, a part of the literature of Hinduism. Its focus is on the bhakti cult of Vishnu/Krishna, understood as Bhagavat (all-embracing God). Earlier parts of the work contain stories of some devotees and objects of their devotion, avataras of God. The last and most important part of the work is an elaboration of the traditional story of Krishna.
sarva-vedanta saram hi sri bhagavatam-isyate
tad-rasamrta-trptasya nanyatra syad-ratim kvacit
"Srimad Bhagavatam is accepted as the essence of all Vedic literature and Vedantic philosophy. Whoever tastes the transcendental mellow of Srimad Bhagavatam is never attracted to any other literature." (12.13.15)
It is considered a natural commentary on the Vedanta-sutra and is used as a textual source for Vaishnava Theology and Gaudiya Vaishnava Theology.
According to tradition it was written by Vyasa in about c.3100 BCE. Modern scholars date it to the first millennium, as part of the development of the bhakti traditions. However, it mentions the Vedic_Sarasvati_River (which dried up about 2000 BCE) more than 30 times, as a great river (maha-nadi, 9.16.23).
The Bhagavata Purana is a narration of a conversation. King Pariksit of India, who has been cursed to die in seven days by a Brahmin, decides to give up his kingly duties to learn about the goal of life. As he prepares for his impending death, the saint Shuka (Shukadeva Goswami), who has been searching for a suitable disciple to whom he might impart his great knowledge, approaches the king and agrees to teach him. Their conversation goes on uninterrupted for seven days, during which the king does not eat, drink or sleep. During this time the saint explains that one's goal in life is understanding the supreme absolute truth defined as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna (1.3.28, etc.).
The Purana mentions the first Jain Tirthankara, Rishabhadeva, and includes the Lord Buddha (Buddhadev) as the ninth avatar of Vishnu, instead of Balarama.
The Bhagavata describes the various lilas of twenty-five avatara of Vishnu[1].
- Catuhsana (four Kumaras)
- Narada Muni
- Varaha
- Matsya
- Yajna
- Nara Narayana
- Kapila
- Dattatreya
- Hayasirsa
- Hamsa
- Prsnigarbha
- Rsabha
- Prthu
- Nrsimha
- Kurma
- Dhanvantari
- Mohini
- Vamanadeva
- Parasurama
- Raghavendra (Sri Rama)
- Vyasa
- Balarama
- Krishna
- Buddha
- Kalki
A popular English translation of this immense work was begun and mostly written by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, a teacher from a disciplic succession claimed to have descended from Krishna himself, and completed by his disciples (see External links).
External links
- www.srimadbhagavatam.com
- Srimad Bhagavatam - glories, subjects, dating, concordance to Vedanta-sutra
- Srimad Bhagavatam as the topmost pramana
- Some Srimad Bhagavatam commentaries
- Meter in Srimad Bhagavatam
- Srimad-Bhagavatam – Canto One by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
- Stories from Srimad Bhagavatam
