Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Bhāgavata Purāṇa)-Daily recital

ŚB 1.2.4

नारायणं नमस्कृत्य नरं चैव नरोत्तमम्

देवीं सरस्वतीं व्यासं ततो जयमुदीरयेत् ॥ १.२.४ ॥

nārāyaṇaṁ namaskṛtya
naraṁ caiva narottamam
devīṁ sarasvatīṁ vyāsaṁ
tato jayam udīrayet

Synonyms

nārāyaṇam — the Personality of Godhead; namaḥ-kṛtya — after offering respectful obeisances; naram ca eva — and Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi; nara-uttamam — the supermost human being; devīm — the goddess; sarasvatīm — the mistress of learning; vyāsam — Vyāsadeva; tataḥ — thereafter; jayam — all that is meant for conquering; udīrayet — be announced.

Translation

Before reciting this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is the very means of conquest, one should offer respectful obeisances unto the Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, unto Nara-nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi, the supermost human being, unto mother Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning, and unto Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the author.

ŚB 1.1.1

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥ ।

जन्माद्यस्य यतोऽन्वयादितरतश्चार्थेष्वभिज्ञः स्वराट्

तेने ब्रह्म हृदा य आदिकवये मुह्यन्ति यत्सूरयः ।

तेजोवारिमृदां यथा विनिमयो यत्र त्रिसर्गोऽमृषा

धाम्ना स्वेन सदा निरस्तकुहकं सत्यं परं धीमहि ॥ १.१.१ ॥

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
janmādy asya yato ’nvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ svarāṭ
tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ
tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ yathā vinimayo yatra tri-sargo ’mṛṣā
dhāmnā svena sadā nirasta-kuhakaṁ satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi

Synonyms

om — O my Lord; namaḥ — offering my obeisances; bhagavate — unto the Personality of Godhead; vāsudevāya — unto Vāsudeva (the son of Vasudeva), or Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the primeval Lord; janma-ādi — creation, sustenance and destruction; asya — of the manifested universes; yataḥ — from whom; anvayāt — directly; itarataḥ — indirectly; ca — and; artheṣu — purposes; abhijñaḥ — fully cognizant; sva-rāṭ — fully independent; tene — imparted; brahma — the Vedic knowledge; hṛdā — consciousness of the heart; yaḥ — one who; ādi-kavaye — unto the original created being; muhyanti — are illusioned; yat — about whom; sūrayaḥ — great sages and demigods; tejaḥ — fire; vāri — water; mṛdām — earth; yathā — as much as; vinimayaḥ — action and reaction; yatra — whereupon; tri-sargaḥ — three modes of creation, creative faculties; amṛṣā — almost factual; dhāmnā — along with all transcendental paraphernalia; svena — self-sufficiently; sadā— always; nirasta — negation by absence; kuhakam — illusion; satyam — truth; param — absolute; dhīmahi — I do meditate upon.

Translation

O my Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. I meditate upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmājī, the original living being. By Him even the great sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water. Only because of Him do the material universes, temporarily manifested by the reactions of the three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon Him, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which is forever free from the illusory representations of the material world. I meditate upon Him, for He is the Absolute Truth.

ŚB 2.9.31

श्रीभगवानुवाच ।

ज्ञानं परमगुह्यं मे यद्विज्ञानसमन्वितम्

सरहस्यं तदङ्गं च गृहाण गदितं मया ॥ २.९.३१ ॥

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
jñānaṁ parama-guhyaṁ me
yad vijñāna-samanvitam
sarahasyaṁ tad-aṅgaṁ ca
gṛhāṇa gaditaṁ mayā

Synonyms

śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Personality of Godhead said; jñānam — knowledge acquired; parama — extremely; guhyam — confidential; me — of Me; yat — which is; vijñāna — realization; samanvitam — coordinated; sa-rahasyam — with devotional service; tat — of that; aṅgam ca — necessary paraphernalia; gṛhāṇa — just try to take up; gaditam — explained; mayā — by Me.

Translation

The Personality of Godhead said: Knowledge about Me as described in the scriptures is very confidential, and it has to be realized in conjunction with devotional service. The necessary paraphernalia for that process is being explained by Me. You may take it up carefully.

ŚB 2.9.32

यावानहं यथाभावो यद्रूपगुणकर्मकः

तथैव तत्त्वविज्ञानमस्तु ते मदनुग्रहात् ॥ २.९.३२ ॥

yāvān ahaṁ yathā-bhāvo
yad-rūpa-guṇa-karmakaḥ
tathaiva tattva-vijñānam
astu te mad-anugrahāt

Synonyms

yāvān — as I am in eternal form; aham — Myself; yathā — as much as; bhāvaḥ — transcendental existence; yat — those; rūpa — various forms and colors; guṇa — qualities; karmakaḥ — activities; tathā — so and so; eva — certainly; tattva-vijñānam — factual realization; astu — let it be; te — unto you; mat — My; anugrahāt — by causeless mercy.

Translation

All of Me, namely My actual eternal form and My transcendental existence, color, qualities and activities — let all be awakened within you by factual realization, out of My causeless mercy.

ŚB 2.9.33

अहमेवासमेवाग्रे नान्यद्यत्सदसत्परम्

पश्चादहं यदेतच्च योऽवशिष्येत सोऽस्म्यहम् ॥ २.९.३३ ॥

aham evāsam evāgre
nānyad yat sad-asat param
paścād ahaṁ yad etac ca
yo ’vaśiṣyeta so ’smy aham

Synonyms

aham — I, the Personality of Godhead; eva — certainly; āsam — existed; eva — only; agre — before the creation; na — never; anyat — anything else; yat — all those; sat — the effect; asat — the cause; param — the supreme; paścāt — at the end; aham — I, the Personality of Godhead; yat — all these; etat — creation; ca — also; yaḥ — everything; avaśiṣyeta — remains; saḥ — that; asmi — I am; aham — I, the Personality of Godhead.

Translation

Brahmā, it is I, the Personality of Godhead, who was existing before the creation, when there was nothing but Myself. Nor was there the material nature, the cause of this creation. That which you see now is also I, the Personality of Godhead, and after annihilation what remains will also be I, the Personality of Godhead.

ŚB 2.9.34

ऋतेऽर्थं यत्प्रतीयेत न प्रतीयेत चात्मनि

तद्विद्यादात्मनो मायां यथाभासो यथा तमः ॥ २.९.३४ ॥

ṛte ’rthaṁ yat pratīyeta
na pratīyeta cātmani
tad vidyād ātmano māyāṁ
yathābhāso yathā tamaḥ

Synonyms

ṛte — without; artham — value; yat — that which; pratīyeta — appears to be; na — not; pratīyeta — appears to be; ca — and; ātmani — in relation to Me; tat — that; vidyāt — you must know; ātmanaḥ — My; māyām — illusory energy; yathā — just as; ābhāsaḥ — the reflection; yathā — as; tamaḥ — the darkness.

Translation

O Brahmā, whatever appears to be of any value, if it is without relation to Me, has no reality. Know it as My illusory energy, that reflection which appears to be in darkness.

ŚB 2.9.35

यथा महान्ति भूतानि भूतेषूच्चावचेष्वनु

प्रविष्टान्यप्रविष्टानि तथा तेषु न तेष्वहम् ॥ २.९.३५ ॥

yathā mahānti bhūtāni
bhūteṣūccāvaceṣv anu
praviṣṭāny apraviṣṭāni
tathā teṣu na teṣv aham

Synonyms

yathā — just as; mahānti — the universal; bhūtāni — elements; bhūteṣu ucca-avaceṣu — in the minute and gigantic; anu — after; praviṣṭāni — entered; apraviṣṭāni — not entered; tathā — so; teṣu — in them; na — not; teṣu — in them; aham — Myself.

Translation

O Brahmā, please know that the universal elements enter into the cosmos and at the same time do not enter into the cosmos; similarly, I Myself also exist within everything created, and at the same time I am outside of everything.

ŚB 2.9.36

एतावदेव जिज्ञास्यं तत्त्वजिज्ञासुनात्मनः

अन्वयव्यतिरेकाभ्यां यत्स्यात्सर्वत्र सर्वदा ॥ २.९.३६ ॥

etāvad eva jijñāsyaṁ
tattva-jijñāsunātmanaḥ
anvaya-vyatirekābhyāṁ
yat syāt sarvatra sarvadā

Synonyms

etāvat — up to this; eva — certainly; jijñāsyam — is to be inquired; tattva — the Absolute Truth; jijñāsunā — by the student; ātmanaḥ — of the Self; anvaya — directly; vyatirekābhyām — indirectly; yat — whatever; syāt — it may be; sarvatra — in all space and time; sarvadā — in all circumstances.

Translation

A person who is searching after the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, must certainly search for it up to this, in all circumstances, in all space and time, and both directly and indirectly.

ŚB 2.9.37

एतन्मतं समातिष्ठ परमेण समाधिना

भवान्कल्पविकल्पेषु न विमुह्यति कर्हिचित् ॥ २.९.३७ ॥

etan mataṁ samātiṣṭha
parameṇa samādhinā
bhavān kalpa-vikalpeṣu
na vimuhyati karhicit

Synonyms

etat — this; matam — the conclusion; samātiṣṭha — remain fixed; parameṇa — by the supreme; samādhinā — concentration of the mind; bhavān — yourself; kalpa — intermediate devastation; vikalpeṣu — in the final devastation; navimuhyati — will never bewilder; karhicit — anything like complacence.

Translation

O Brahmā, just follow this conclusion by fixed concentration of mind, and no pride will disturb you, neither in the partial nor in the final devastation.

KARMA IN ITS EFFECT ON CHARACTER

KARMA IN ITS EFFECT ON CHARACTER

The word Karma is derived from the Sanskrit Kri, to do; all action is Karma. Technically, this word also means the effects of actions. In connection with metaphysics, it sometimes means the effects, of which our past actions were the causes. But in Karma-Yoga we have simply to do with the word Karma as meaning work. The goal of mankind is knowledge. That is the one ideal placed before us by Eastern philosophy. Pleasure is not the goal of man, but knowledge. Pleasure and happiness come to an end. It is a mistake to suppose that pleasure is the goal. The cause of all the miseries we have in the world is that men foolishly think pleasure to be the ideal to strive for. After a time man finds that it is not happiness, but knowledge, towards which he is going, and that both pleasure and pain are great teachers, and that he learns as much from evil as from good. As pleasure and pain pass before his soul they have upon it different pictures, and the result of these combined impressions is what is called man's "character". If you take the character of any man, it really is but the aggregate of tendencies, the sum total of the bent of his mind; you will find that misery and happiness are equal factors in the formation of that character. Good and evil have an equal share in moulding character, and in some instances misery is a greater teacher than happiness. In studying the great characters the world has produced, I dare say, in the vast majority of cases, it would be found that it was misery that taught more than happiness, it was poverty that taught more than wealth, it was blows that brought out their inner fire more than praise.

Now this knowledge, again, is inherent in man. No knowledge comes from outside; it is all inside. What we say a man "knows", should, in strict psychological language, be what he "discovers" or "unveils"; what a man "learns" is really what he "discovers", by taking the cover off his own soul, which is a mine of infinite knowledge.

We say Newton discovered gravitation. Was it sitting anywhere in a corner waiting for him? It was in his own mind; the time came and he found it out. All knowledge that the world has ever received comes from the mind; the infinite library of the universe is in your own mind. The external world is simply the suggestion, the occasion, which sets you to study your own mind, but the object of your study is always your own mind. The falling of an apple gave the suggestion to Newton, and he studied his own mind. He rearranged all  the previous links of thought in his mind and discovered a new link among them, which we call the law of gravitation. It was not in the apple nor in anything in the centre of the earth.
 
All knowledge, therefore, secular or spiritual, is in the human mind. In many cases it is not discovered, but remains covered, and when the covering is being slowly taken off, we say, "We are learning," and the advance of knowledge is made by the advance of this process of uncovering. The man from whom this veil is being lifted is the more knowing man, the man upon whom it lies thick is ignorant, and the man from whom it has entirely gone is all-knowing, omniscient. There have been omniscient men, and, I believe, there will be yet; and that there will be myriads of them in the cycles to come. Like fire in a piece of flint, knowledge exists in the mind; suggestion is the friction which brings it out. So with all our feelings and action — our tears and our smiles, our joys and our griefs, our weeping and our laughter, our curses and our blessings, our praises and our blames — every one of these we may find, if we calmly study our own selves, to have been brought out from within ourselves by so many blows. The result is what we are. All these blows taken together are called Karma — work, action. Every mental and physical blow that is given to the soul, by which, as it were, fire is struck from it, and by which its own power and knowledge are discovered, is Karma, this word being used in its widest sense. Thus we are all doing Karma all the time. I am talking to you: that is Karma. You are listening: that is Karma. We breathe: that is Karma. We walk: Karma. Everything we do, physical or mental, is Karma, and it leaves its marks on us.

There are certain works which are, as it were, the aggregate, the sum total, of a large number of smaller works. If we stand near the seashore and hear the waves dashing against the shingle, we think it is such a great noise, and yet we know that one wave is really composed of millions and millions of minute waves. Each one of these is making a noise, and yet we do not catch it; it is only when they become the big aggregate that we hear. Similarly, every pulsation of the heart is work. Certain kinds of work we feel and they become tangible to us; they are, at the same time, the aggregate of a number of small works. If you really want to judge of the character of a man, look not at his great performances. Every fool may become a hero at one time or another. Watch a man do his most common actions; those are indeed the things which will tell you the real character of a great man. Great occasions rouse even the lowest of human beings to some kind of greatness, but he alone is the really great man whose character is great always, the same wherever he be.

Karma in its effect on character is the most tremendous power that man has to deal with. Man is, as it were, a centre, and is attracting all the powers of the universe towards himself, and in this centre is fusing them all and again sending them off in a big current. Such a centre is the real man — the almighty, the omniscient — and he draws the whole universe towards him. Good and bad, misery and happiness, all are running towards him and clinging round him; and out of them he fashions the mighty stream of tendency called character and throws it outwards. As he has the power of drawing in anything, so has he the power of throwing it out.

All the actions that we see in the world, all the movements in human society, all the works that we have around us, are simply the display of thought, the manifestation of the will of man. Machines or instruments, cities, ships, or men-of-war, all these are simply the manifestation of the will of man; and this will is caused by character, and character is manufactured by Karma. As is Karma, so is the manifestation of the will. The men of mighty will the world has produced have all been tremendous workers — gigantic souls, with wills powerful enough to overturn worlds, wills they got by persistent work, through ages, and ages. Such a gigantic will as that of a Buddha or a Jesus could not be obtained in one life, for we know who their fathers were. It is not known that their fathers ever spoke a word for the good of mankind. Millions and millions of carpenters like Joseph had gone; millions are still living. Millions and millions of petty kings like Buddha's father had been in the world. If it was only a case of hereditary transmission, how do you account for this petty prince, who was not, perhaps, obeyed by his own servants, producing this son, whom half a world worships? How do you explain the gulf between the carpenter and his son, whom millions of human beings worship as God? It cannot be solved by the theory of heredity. The gigantic will which Buddha and Jesus threw over the world, whence did it come? Whence came this accumulation of power? It must have been there through ages and ages, continually growing bigger and bigger, until it burst on society in a Buddha or a Jesus, even rolling down to the present day.
 
All this is determined by Karma, work. No one can get anything unless he earns it. This is an eternal law. We may sometimes think it is not so, but in the long run we become convinced of it. A man may struggle all his life for riches; he may cheat thousands, but he finds at last that he did not deserve to become rich, and his life becomes a trouble and a nuisance to him. We may go on accumulating things for our physical enjoyment, but only what we earn is really ours. A fool may buy all the books in the world, and they will be in his library; but he will be able to read only those that he deserves to; and this deserving is produced by Karma. Our Karma determines what we deserve and what we can assimilate. We are responsible for what we are; and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves. If what we are now has been the result of our own past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in future can be produced by our present actions; so we have to know how to act. You will say, “What is the use of learning how to work? Everyone works in some way or other in this world.” But there is such a thing as frittering away our energies. With regard to Karma-Yoga, the Gita says that it is doing work with cleverness and as a science; by knowing how to work, one can obtain the greatest results. You must remember that all work is simply to bring out the power of the mind which is already there, to wake up the soul. The power is inside every man, so is knowing; the different works are like blows to bring them out, to cause these giants to wake up.

Man works with various motives. There cannot be work without motive. Some people want to get fame, and they work for fame. Others want money, and they work for money. Others want to have power, and they work for power. Others want to get to heaven, and they work for the same. Others want to leave a name when they die, as they do in China, where no man gets a title until he is dead; and that is a better way, after all, than with us. When a man does something very good there, they give a title of nobility to his father, who is dead, or to his grandfather. Some people work for that. Some of the followers of certain Mohammedan sects work all their lives to have a big tomb built for them when they die. I know sects among whom, as soon as a child is born, a tomb is prepared for it; that is among them the most important work a man has to do, and the bigger and the finer the tomb, the better off the man is supposed to be. Others work as a penance; do all sorts of wicked things, then erect a temple, or give something to the priests to buy them off and obtain from them a passport to heaven. They think that this kind of beneficence will clear them and they will go scot-free in spite of their sinfulness. Such are some of the various motives for work.

Work for work's sake. There are some who are really the salt of the earth in every country and who work for work's sake, who do not care for name, or fame, or even to go to heaven. They work just because good will come of it. There are others who do good to the poor and help mankind from still higher motives, because they believe in doing good and love good. The motive for name and fame seldom brings immediate results, as a rule; they come to us when we are old and have almost done with life. If a man works without any selfish motive in view, does he not gain anything? Yes, he gains the highest. Unselfishness is more paying, only people have not the patience to practice it. It is more paying from the point of view of health also. Love, truth, and unselfishness are not merely moral figures of speech, but they form our highest ideal, because in them lies such a manifestation of power. In the first place, a man who can work for five days, or even for five minutes, without any selfish motive whatever, without thinking of future, of heaven, of punishment, or anything of the kind, has in him the capacity to become a powerful moral giant. It is hard to do it, but in the heart of our hearts we know its value, and the good it brings. It is the greatest manifestation of power — this tremendous restraint; self-restraint is a manifestation of greater power than all outgoing action. A carriage with four horses may rush down a hill unrestrained, or the coachman may curb the horses. Which is the greater manifestation of power, to let them go or to hold them? A cannonball flying through the air goes a long distance and falls. Another is cut short in its flight by striking against a wall, and the impact generates intense heat. All outgoing energy following a selfish motive is frittered away; it will not cause power to return to you; but if restrained, it will result in development of power. This self-control will tend to produce a mighty will, a character which makes a Christ or a Buddha. Foolish men do not know this secret; they nevertheless want to rule mankind. Even a fool may rule the whole world if he works and waits. Let him wait a few years, restrain that foolish idea of governing; and when that idea is wholly gone, he will be a power in the world. The majority of us cannot see beyond a few years, just as some animals cannot see beyond a few steps. Just a little narrow circle — that is our world. We have not the patience to look beyond, and thus become immoral and wicked. This is our weakness, our powerlessness.

Even the lowest forms of work are not to be despised. Let the man, who knows no better, work for selfish ends, for name and fame; but everyone should always try to get towards higher and higher motives and to understand them. "To work we have the right, but not to the fruits thereof:" Leave the fruits alone. Why care for results? If you wish to help a man, never think what that man's attitude should be towards you. If you want to do a great or a good work, do not trouble to think what the result will be.

There arises a difficult question in this ideal of work. Intense activity is necessary; we must always work. We cannot live a minute without work. What then becomes of rest? Here is one side of the life-struggle — work, in which we are whirled rapidly round. And here is the other — that of calm, retiring renunciation: everything is peaceful around, there is very little of noise and show, only nature with her animals and flowers and mountains. Neither of them is a perfect picture. A man used to solitude, if brought in contact with the surging whirlpool of the world, will be crushed by it; just as the fish that lives in the deep sea water, as soon as it is brought to the surface, breaks into pieces, deprived of the weight of water on it that had kept it together. Can a man who has been used to the turmoil and the rush of life live at ease if he comes to a quiet place? He suffers and perchance may lose his mind. The ideal man is he who, in the midst of the greatest silence and solitude, finds the intensest activity, and in the midst of the intensest activity finds the silence and solitude of the desert. He has learnt the secret of restraint, he has controlled himself. He goes through the streets of a big city with all its traffic, and his mind is as calm as if he were in a cave, where not a sound could reach him; and he is intensely working all the time. That is the ideal of Karma-Yoga, and if you have attained to that you have really learnt the secret of work.

But we have to begin from the beginning, to take up the works as they come to us and slowly make ourselves more unselfish every day. We must do the work and find out the motive power that prompts us; and, almost without exception, in the first years, we shall find that our motives are always selfish; but gradually this selfishness will melt by persistence, till at last will come the time when we shall be able to do really unselfish work. We may all hope that some day or other, as we struggle through the paths of life, there will come a time when we shall become perfectly unselfish; and the moment we attain to that, all our powers will be concentrated, and the knowledge which is ours will be manifest.

(Sources: http://www.advaitaashrama.org

 Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda)

Srimad Bhagavatam: Cont. 1 Creation, Ch 1 Questions by the sages

Srimad Bhagavatam: Cont. 1 Creation, Ch 1 Questions by the sages

October 28, 2018

Text 1

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥ ।

जन्माद्यस्य यतोऽन्वयादितरतश्चार्थेष्वभिज्ञः स्वराट्

तेने ब्रह्म हृदा य आदिकवये मुह्यन्ति यत्सूरयः ।

तेजोवारिमृदां यथा विनिमयो यत्र त्रिसर्गोऽमृषा

धाम्ना स्वेन सदा निरस्तकुहकं सत्यं परं धीमहि ॥ १.१.१ ॥

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

janmādy asya yato ’nvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ svarāṭ

tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ

tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ yathā vinimayo yatra tri-sargo ’mṛṣā

dhāmnā svena sadā nirasta-kuhakaṁ satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi

om — O my Lord; namaḥ — offering my obeisances; bhagavate — unto the Personality of Godhead; vāsudevāya — unto Vāsudeva (the son of Vasudeva), or Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the primeval Lord; janma-ādi — creation, sustenance and destruction; asya — of the manifested universes; yataḥ — from whom; anvayāt — directly; itarataḥ — indirectly; ca — and; artheṣu — purposes; abhijñaḥ — fully cognizant; sva-rāṭ — fully independent; tene — imparted; brahma — the Vedic knowledge; hṛdā — consciousness of the heart; yaḥ — one who; ādi-kavaye — unto the original created being; muhyanti — are illusioned; yat — about whom; sūrayaḥ — great sages and demigods; tejaḥ — fire; vāri — water; mṛdām — earth; yathā — as much as; vinimayaḥ — action and reaction; yatra — whereupon; tri-sargaḥ — three modes of creation, creative faculties; amṛṣā — almost factual; dhāmnā — along with all transcendental paraphernalia; svena — self-sufficiently; sadā— always; nirasta — negation by absence; kuhakam — illusion; satyam — truth; param — absolute; dhīmahi — I do meditate upon.

Translation

O my Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. I meditate upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmājī, the original living being. By Him even the great sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water. Only because of Him do the material universes, temporarily manifested by the reactions of the three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon Him, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which is forever free from the illusory representations of the material world. I meditate upon Him, for He is the Absolute Truth.

Text 2

धर्मः प्रोज्झितकैतवोऽत्र परमो निर्मत्सराणां सतां

वेद्यं वास्तवमत्र वस्तु शिवदं तापत्रयोन्मूलनम् ।

श्रीमद्भागवते महामुनिकृते किं वा परैरीश्वरः

सद्यो हृद्यवरुध्यतेऽत्र कृतिभिः शुश्रूषुभिस्तत्क्षणात् ॥ १.१.२ ॥

dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo ’tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ

vedyaṁ vāstavam atra vastu śivadaṁ tāpa-trayonmūlanam

śrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-muni-kṛte kiṁ vā parair īśvaraḥ

sadyo hṛdy avarudhyate ’tra kṛtibhiḥ śuśrūṣubhis tat-kṣaṇāt

Synonyms

dharmaḥ — religiosity; projjhita — completely rejected; kaitavaḥ — covered by fruitive intention; atra — herein; paramaḥ — the highest; nirmatsarāṇām — of the one-hundred-percent pure in heart; satām — devotees; vedyam — understandable; vāstavam — factual; atra — herein; vastu — substance; śivadam — well-being; tāpa-traya — threefold miseries; unmūlanam — causing uprooting of; śrīmat — beautiful; bhāgavate — the Bhāgavata Purāṇa; mahā-muni — the great sage (Vyāsadeva); kṛte — having compiled; kim — what is; vā — the need; paraiḥ — others; īśvaraḥ — the Supreme Lord; sadyaḥ — at once; hṛdi — within the heart; avarudhyate — becomes compact; atra — herein; kṛtibhiḥ — by the pious men; śuśrūṣubhiḥ — by culture; tat-kṣaṇāt — without delay.

Translation

Completely rejecting all religious activities which are materially motivated, this Bhāgavata Purāṇa propounds the highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees who are fully pure in heart. The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold miseries. This beautiful Bhāgavatam, compiled by the great sage Vyāsadeva [in his maturity], is sufficient in itself for God realization. What is the need of any other scripture? As soon as one attentively and submissively hears the message of Bhāgavatam, by this culture of knowledge the Supreme Lord is established within his heart.

Text 3

निगमकल्पतरोर्गलितं फलं

शुकमुखादमृतद्रवसंयुतम् ।

पिबत भागवतं रसमालयं

मुहुरहो रसिका भुवि भावुकाः ॥ १.१.३ ॥

nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ

śuka-mukhād amṛta-drava-saṁyutam

pibata bhāgavataṁ rasam ālayam

muhur aho rasikā bhuvi bhāvukāḥ

Synonyms

nigama — the Vedic literatures; kalpa-taroḥ — the desire tree; galitam — fully matured; phalam — fruit; śuka — Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the original speaker of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; mukhāt — from the lips of; amṛta — nectar; drava — semisolid and soft and therefore easily swallowable; saṁyutam — perfect in all respects; pibata — do relish it; bhāgavatam — the book dealing in the science of the eternal relation with the Lord; rasam — juice (that which is relishable); ālayam — until liberation, or even in a liberated condition; muhuḥ — always; aho — O; rasikāḥ — those who are full in the knowledge of mellows; bhuvi — on the earth; bhāvukāḥ — expert and thoughtful.

Translation

O expert and thoughtful men, relish Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the mature fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literatures. It emanated from the lips of Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Therefore this fruit has become even more tasteful, although its nectarean juice was already relishable for all, including liberated souls.

Text 4

नैमिषेऽनिमिषक्षेत्रे ऋशयः शौनकादयः

सत्रं स्वर्गाय लोकाय सहस्रसममासत ॥ १.१.४ ॥

naimiṣe ’nimiṣa-kṣetre

ṛṣayaḥ śaunakādayaḥ

satraṁ svargāya lokāya

sahasra-samam āsata

Synonyms

naimiṣe — in the forest known as Naimiṣāraṇya; animiṣa-kṣetre — the spot which is especially a favorite of Viṣṇu (who does not close His eyelids); ṛṣayaḥ — sages; śaunaka-ādayaḥ — headed by the sage Śaunaka; satram — sacrifice; svargāya— the Lord who is glorified in heaven; lokāya — and for the devotees who are always in touch with the Lord; sahasra — one thousand; samam — years; āsata — performed.

Translation

Once, in a holy place in the forest of Naimiṣāraṇya, great sages headed by the sage Śaunaka assembled to perform a great thousand-year sacrifice for the satisfaction of the Lord and His devotees.

Text 5

त एकदा तु मुनयः प्रातर्हुतहुताग्नयः

सत्कृतं सूतमासीनं पप्रच्छुरिदमादरात् ॥ १.१.५ ॥

ta ekadā tu munayaḥ

prātar huta-hutāgnayaḥ

sat-kṛtaṁ sūtam āsīnaṁ

papracchur idam ādarāt

Synonyms

te — the sages; ekadā — one day; tu — but; munayaḥ — sages; prātaḥ — morning; huta — burning; huta-agnayaḥ — the sacrificial fire; sat-kṛtam — due respects; sūtam — Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī; āsīnam — seated on; papracchuḥ — made inquiries; idam — on this (as follows); ādarāt — with due regards.

Translation

One day, after finishing their morning duties by burning a sacrificial fire and offering a seat of esteem to Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī, the great sages made inquiries, with great respect, about the following matters.

Text 6

ऋषय ऊचुः ।

त्वया खलु पुराणानि सेतिहासानि चानघ

आख्यातान्यप्यधीतानि धर्मशास्त्राणि यान्युत ॥ १.१.६ ॥

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ

tvayā khalu purāṇāni

setihāsāni cānagha

ākhyātāny apy adhītāni

dharma-śāstrāṇi yāny uta

Synonyms

ṛṣayaḥ — the sages; ūcuḥ — said; tvayā — by you; khalu — undoubtedly; purāṇāni — the supplements to the Vedas with illustrative narrations; sa-itihāsāni — along with the histories; ca — and; anagha — freed from all vices; ākhyātāni — explained; api — although; adhītāni — well read; dharma-śāstrāṇi — scriptures giving right directions to progressive life; yāni — all these; uta — said.

Translation

The sages said: Respected Sūta Gosvāmī, you are completely free from all vice. You are well versed in all the scriptures famous for religious life, and in the Purāṇas and the histories as well, for you have gone through them under proper guidance and have also explained them.

Text 7

यानि वेदविदां श्रेष्ठो भगवान्बादरायणः

अन्ये च मुनयः सूत परावरविदो विदुः ॥ १.१.७ ॥

yāni veda-vidāṁ śreṣṭho

bhagavān bādarāyaṇaḥ

anye ca munayaḥ sūta

parāvara-vido viduḥ

Synonyms

yāni — all that; veda-vidām — scholars of the Vedas; śreṣṭhaḥ — seniormost; bhagavān — incarnation of Godhead; bādarāyaṇaḥ — Vyāsadeva; anye — others; ca — and; munayaḥ — the sages; sūta — O Sūta Gosvāmī; parāvara-vidaḥ — amongst the learned scholars, one who is conversant with physical and metaphysical knowledge; viduḥ — one who knows.

Translation

Being the eldest learned Vedāntist, O Sūta Gosvāmī, you are acquainted with the knowledge of Vyāsadeva, who is the incarnation of Godhead, and you also know other sages who are fully versed in all kinds of physical and metaphysical knowledge.

Text 8

वेत्थ त्वं सौम्य तत्सर्वं तत्त्वतस्तदनुग्रहात्

ब्रूयुः स्निग्धस्य शिष्यस्य गुरवो गुह्यमप्युत ॥ १.१.८ ॥

vettha tvaṁ saumya tat sarvaṁ

tattvatas tad-anugrahāt

brūyuḥ snigdhasya śiṣyasya

guravo guhyam apy uta

Synonyms

vettha — you are well conversant; tvam — Your Honor; saumya — one who is pure and simple; tat — those; sarvam — all; tattvataḥ — in fact; tat — their; anugrahāt — by the favor of; brūyuḥ — will tell; snigdhasya — of the one who is submissive; śiṣyasya — of the disciple; guravaḥ — the spiritual masters; guhyam — secret; api uta — endowed with.

Translation

And because you are submissive, your spiritual masters have endowed you with all the favors bestowed upon a gentle disciple. Therefore you can tell us all that you have scientifically learned from them.

Text 9

तत्र तत्राञ्जसायुष्मन्भवता यद्विनिश्चितम्

पुंसामेकान्ततः श्रेयस्तन्नः शंसितुमर्हसि ॥ १.१.९ ॥

tatra tatrāñjasāyuṣman

bhavatā yad viniścitam

puṁsām ekāntataḥ śreyas

tan naḥ śaṁsitum arhasi

Synonyms

tatra — thereof; tatra — thereof; añjasā — made easy; āyuṣman — blessed with a long duration of life; bhavatā — by your good self; yat — whatever; viniścitam — ascertained; puṁsām — for the people in general; ekāntataḥ — absolutely; śreyaḥ — ultimate good; tat — that; naḥ — to us; śaṁsitum — to explain; arhasi — deserve.

Translation

Please, therefore, being blessed with many years, explain to us, in an easily understandable way, what you have ascertained to be the absolute and ultimate good for the people in general.

Text 10

प्रायेणाल्पायुषः सभ्य कलावस्मिन्युगे जनाः

मन्दाः सुमन्दमतयो मन्दभाग्या ह्युपद्रुताः ॥ १.१.१० ॥

prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya

kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ

mandāḥ sumanda-matayo

manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ

Synonyms

prāyeṇa — almost always; alpa — meager; āyuṣaḥ — duration of life; sabhya — member of a learned society; kalau — in this Age of Kali (quarrel); asmin — herein; yuge — age; janāḥ — the public; mandāḥ — lazy; sumanda-matayaḥ — misguided; manda-bhāgyāḥ — unlucky; hi — and above all; upadrutāḥ — disturbed.

Translation

O learned one, in this iron Age of Kali men almost always have but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all, always disturbed.

Text 11

भूरीणि भूरिकर्माणि श्रोतव्यानि विभागशः

अतः साधोऽत्र यत्सारं समुद्धृत्य मनीषया

ब्रूहि भद्राय भूतानां येनात्मा सुप्रसीदति ॥ १.१.११ ॥

bhūrīṇi bhūri-karmāṇi

śrotavyāni vibhāgaśaḥ

ataḥ sādho ’tra yat sāraṁ

samuddhṛtya manīṣayā

brūhi bhadrāya bhūtānām

yenātmā suprasīdati

Synonyms

bhūrīṇi — multifarious; bhūri — many; karmāṇi — duties; śrotavyāni — to be learned; vibhāgaśaḥ — by divisions of subject matter; ataḥ — therefore; sādho — O sage; atra — herein; yat — whatever; sāram — essence; samuddhṛtya — by selection; manīṣayā — to the best of your knowledge; brūhi — please tell us; bhadrāya — for the good of; bhūtānām — the living beings; yena — by which; ātmā — the self; suprasīdati — becomes fully satisfied.

Translation

There are many varieties of scriptures, and in all of them there are many prescribed duties, which can be learned only after many years of study in their various divisions. Therefore, O sage, please select the essence of all these scriptures and explain it for the good of all living beings, that by such instruction their hearts may be fully satisfied.

Text 12

सूत जानासि भद्रं ते भगवान्सात्वतां पतिः

देवक्यां वसुदेवस्य जातो यस्य चिकीर्षया ॥ १.१.१२ ॥

sūta jānāsi bhadraṁ te

bhagavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ

devakyāṁ vasudevasya

jāto yasya cikīrṣayā

Synonyms

sūta — O Sūta Gosvāmī; jānāsi — you know; bhadram te — all blessings upon you; bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead; sātvatām — of the pure devotees; patiḥ — the protector; devakyām — in the womb of Devakī; vasudevasya — by Vasudeva; jātaḥ — born of; yasya — for the purpose of; cikīrṣayā — executing.

Translation

All blessings upon you, O Sūta Gosvāmī. You know for what purpose the Personality of Godhead appeared in the womb of Devakī as the son of Vasudeva.

Text 13

तन्नः शुष्रूषमाणानामर्हस्यङ्गानुवर्णितुम्

यस्यावतारो भूतानां क्षेमाय च भवाय च ॥ १.१.१३ ॥

tan naḥ śuśrūṣamāṇānām

arhasy aṅgānuvarṇitum

yasyāvatāro bhūtānāṁ

kṣemāya ca bhavāya ca

Synonyms

tat — those; naḥ — unto us; śuśrūṣamāṇānām — those who are endeavoring for; arhasi — ought to do it; aṅga — O Sūta Gosvāmī; anuvarṇitum — to explain by following in the footsteps of previous ācāryas; yasya — whose; avatāraḥ — incarnation; bhūtānām — of the living beings; kṣemāya — for good; ca — and; bhavāya — upliftment; ca — and.

Translation

O Sūta Gosvāmī, we are eager to learn about the Personality of Godhead and His incarnations. Please explain to us those teachings imparted by previous masters [ācāryas], for one is uplifted both by speaking them and by hearing them.

Text 14

आपन्नः संसृतिं घोरां यन्नाम विवशो गृणन्

ततः सद्यो विमुच्येत यद्बिभेति स्वयं भयम् ॥ १.१.१४ ॥

āpannaḥ saṁsṛtiṁ ghorāṁ

yan-nāma vivaśo gṛṇan

tataḥ sadyo vimucyeta

yad bibheti svayaṁ bhayam

Synonyms

āpannaḥ — being entangled; saṁsṛtim — in the hurdle of birth and death; ghorām — too complicated; yat — what; nāma— the absolute name; vivaśaḥ — unconsciously; gṛṇan — chanting; tataḥ — from that; sadyaḥ — at once; vimucyeta — gets freedom; yat — that which; bibheti — fears; svayam — personally; bhayam — fear itself.

Translation

Living beings who are entangled in the complicated meshes of birth and death can be freed immediately by even unconsciously chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, which is feared by fear personified.

Text 15

यत्पादसंश्रयाः सूत मुनयः प्रशमायनाः

सद्यः पुनन्त्युपस्पृष्टाः स्वर्धुन्यापोऽनुसेवया ॥ १.१.१५ ॥

yat-pāda-saṁśrayāḥ sūta

munayaḥ praśamāyanāḥ

sadyaḥ punanty upaspṛṣṭāḥ

svardhuny-āpo ’nusevayā

Synonyms

yat — whose; pāda — lotus feet; saṁśrayāḥ — those who have taken shelter of; sūta — O Sūta Gosvāmī; munayaḥ — great sages; praśamāyanāḥ — absorbed in devotion to the Supreme; sadyaḥ — at once; punanti — sanctify; upaspṛṣṭāḥ — simply by association; svardhunī — of the sacred Ganges; āpaḥ — water; anusevayā — bringing into use.

Translation

O Sūta, those great sages who have completely taken shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord can at once sanctify those who come in touch with them, whereas the waters of the Ganges can sanctify only after prolonged use.

Text 16

को वा भगवतस्तस्य पुण्यश्लोकेड्यकर्मणः

शुद्धिकामो न शृणुयाद्यशः कलिमलापहम् ॥ १.१.१६ ॥

ko vā bhagavatas tasya

puṇya-ślokeḍya-karmaṇaḥ

śuddhi-kāmo na śṛṇuyād

yaśaḥ kali-malāpaham

Synonyms

kaḥ — who; vā — rather; bhagavataḥ — of the Lord; tasya — His; puṇya — virtuous; śloka-īḍya — worshipable by prayers; karmaṇaḥ — deeds; śuddhi-kāmaḥ — desiring deliverance from all sins; na — not; śṛṇuyāt — does hear; yaśaḥ — glories; kali — of the age of quarrel; mala-apaham — the agent for sanctification.

Translation

Who is there, desiring deliverance from the vices of the age of quarrel, who is not willing to hear the virtuous glories of the Lord?

Text 17

तस्य कर्माण्युदाराणि परिगीतानि सूरिभिः

ब्रूहि नः श्रद्दधानानां लीलया दधतः कलाः ॥ १.१.१७ ॥

tasya karmāṇy udārāṇi

parigītāni sūribhiḥ

brūhi naḥ śraddadhānānāṁ

līlayā dadhataḥ kalāḥ

Synonyms

tasya — His; karmāṇi — transcendental acts; udārāṇi — magnanimous; parigītāni — broadcast; sūribhiḥ — by the great souls; brūhi — please speak; naḥ — unto us; śraddadhānānām — ready to receive with respect; līlayā — pastimes; dadhataḥ — advented; kalāḥ — incarnations.

Translation

His transcendental acts are magnificent and gracious, and great learned sages like Nārada sing of them. Please, therefore, speak to us, who are eager to hear, about the adventures He performs in His various incarnations.

Text 18

अथाख्याहि हरेर्धीमन्नवतारकथाः शुभाः

ईला विदधतः स्वैरमीश्वरस्यात्ममायया ॥ १.१.१८ ॥

athākhyāhi harer dhīmann

avatāra-kathāḥ śubhāḥ

līlā vidadhataḥ svairam

īśvarasyātma-māyayā

Synonyms

atha — therefore; ākhyāhi — describe; hareḥ — of the Lord; dhīman — O sagacious one; avatāra — incarnations; kathāḥ— narratives; śubhāḥ — auspicious; līlā — adventures; vidadhataḥ — performed; svairam — pastimes; īśvarasya — of the supreme controller; ātma — personal; māyayā — energies.

Translation

O wise Sūta, please narrate to us the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Godhead’s multi-incarnations. Such auspicious adventures and pastimes of the Lord, the supreme controller, are performed by His internal powers.

Text 19

वयं तु न वितृप्याम उत्तमश्लोकविक्रमे

यच्छृण्वतां रसज्ञानां स्वादु स्वादु पदे पदे ॥ १.१.१९ ॥

vayaṁ tu na vitṛpyāma

uttama-śloka-vikrame

yac-chṛṇvatāṁ rasa-jñānāṁ

svādu svādu pade pade

Synonyms

vayam — we; tu — but; na — not; vitṛpyāmaḥ — shall be at rest; uttama-śloka — the Personality of Godhead, who is glorified by transcendental prayers; vikrame — adventures; yat — which; śṛṇvatām — by continuous hearing; rasa — humor; jñānām — those who are conversant with; svādu — relishing; svādu — palatable; pade pade — at every step.

Translation

We never tire of hearing the transcendental pastimes of the Personality of Godhead, who is glorified by hymns and prayers. Those who have developed a taste for transcendental relationships with Him relish hearing of His pastimes at every moment.

Text 20

कृतवान्किल कर्माणि सह रामेण केशवः

अतिमर्त्यानि भगवान्गूढः कपटमानुषः ॥ १.१.२० ॥

kṛtavān kila karmāṇi

saha rāmeṇa keśavaḥ

atimartyāni bhagavān

gūḍhaḥ kapaṭa-mānuṣaḥ

Synonyms

kṛtavān — done by; kila — what; karmāṇi — acts; saha — along with; rāmeṇa — Balarāma; keśavaḥ — Śrī Kṛṣṇa; atimartyāni — superhuman; bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead; gūḍhaḥ — masked as; kapaṭa — apparently; mānuṣaḥ — human being.

Translation

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, along with Balarāma, played like a human being, and so masked He performed many superhuman acts.

Text 21

कलिमागतमाज्ञाय क्षेत्रेऽस्मिन्वैष्णवे वयम्

आसीना दीर्घसत्रेण कथायां सक्षणा हरेः ॥ १.१.२१ ॥

kalim āgatam ājñāya

kṣetre ’smin vaiṣṇave vayam

āsīnā dīrgha-satreṇa

kathāyāṁ sakṣaṇā hareḥ

Synonyms

kalim — the Age of Kali (iron age of quarrel); āgatam — having arrived; ājñāya — knowing this; kṣetre — in this tract of land; asmin — in this; vaiṣṇave — specially meant for the devotee of the Lord; vayam — we; āsīnāḥ — seated; dīrgha — prolonged; satreṇa — for performance of sacrifices; kathāyām — in the words of; sa-kṣaṇāḥ — with time at our disposal; hareḥ — of the Personality of Godhead.

Translation

Knowing well that the Age of Kali has already begun, we are assembled here in this holy place to hear at great length the transcendental message of Godhead and in this way perform sacrifice.

Text 22

त्वं नः सन्दर्शितो धात्रा दुस्तरं निस्तितीर्षताम्

कलिं सत्त्वहरं पुंसां कर्णधार इवार्णवम् ॥ १.१.२२ ॥

tvaṁ naḥ sandarśito dhātrā

dustaraṁ nistitīrṣatām

kaliṁ sattva-haraṁ puṁsāṁ

karṇa-dhāra ivārṇavam

Synonyms

tvam — Your Goodness; naḥ — unto us; sandarśitaḥ — meeting; dhātrā — by providence; dustaram — insurmountable; nistitīrṣatām — for those desiring to cross over; kalim — the Age of Kali; sattva-haram — that which deteriorates the good qualities; puṁsām — of a man; karṇa-dhāraḥ — captain; iva — as; arṇavam — the ocean.

Translation

We think that we have met Your Goodness by the will of providence, just so that we may accept you as captain of the ship for those who desire to cross the difficult ocean of Kali, which deteriorates all the good qualities of a human being.

Text 23

ब्रूहि योगेश्वरे कृष्णे ब्रह्मण्ये धर्मवर्मणि

स्वां काष्ठामधुनोपेते धर्मः कं शरणं गतः ॥ १.१.२३ ॥

brūhi yogeśvare kṛṣṇe

brahmaṇye dharma-varmaṇi

svāṁ kāṣṭhām adhunopete

dharmaḥ kaṁ śaraṇaṁ gataḥ

Synonyms

brūhi — please tell; yoga-īśvare — the Lord of all mystic powers; kṛṣṇe — Lord Kṛṣṇa; brahmaṇye — the Absolute Truth; dharma — religion; varmaṇi — protector; svām — own; kāṣṭhām — abode; adhunā — nowadays; upete — having gone away; dharmaḥ — religion; kam — unto whom; śaraṇam — shelter; gataḥ — gone.

Translation

Since Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Truth, the master of all mystic powers, has departed for His own abode, please tell us to whom the religious principles have now gone for shelter.

(Sources: ISCKON)