What is Srimad Bhagavatam? | H.G Brajsundar Das

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is one of the eighteen Purāṇas, but Srila Vyasdeva wrote it after compiling the essence of the Vedas in the Vedānta-sūtra and also composing the Mahābhārata and Purāṇas. But, one might ask, if the eighteen Purāṇas had already been compiled, does this make Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the nineteenth Purāṇa?

Srila Jiva Goswami explains in Tattva Sandharbha that this is not the case. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam appeared first to Srila Vyasa in a concise and subtle form, as one of the eighteen Purāṇas. Srila Vyasa composed the Vedāntasūtra on the basis of this first edition of the Bhāgavatam. Later, when He sat in trance in pursuance of Nārada Muni’s order, the expanded form of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was revealed to Him as the natural commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the Vedāntasūtra share the same subject, the Absolute Truth, and they describe the same principles of sambandha (the relationship between the soul and God), abhidheya (the process of attaining the supreme goal), and prayojana (the supreme goal, perfect devotion to the Lord). Many ācāryas and scholars wrote later commentaries on the Vedānta-sūtra, but only those that agree with ŚrīmadBhāgavatam—such as those given by Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, and Baladeva Vidyabhusana—are bona fide. Suta Goswami alludes to Veda-vyasa’s composing two editions of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: sa saṁhitāṁ bhāgavatīṁ kṛtvān ukram ya cātma-jam śukam adhyāpayām āsa nivṛtti-nirataṁ muniḥ “The great sage Vyasadeva, after compiling ŚrīmadBhāgavatam and revising it, taught it to His own son, Sri Sukadeva Goswami, who was already absorbed in self-realization” —Srimad Bhāgavatam1.7.8.

Commenting on this verse, Srila Visvanatha Cakravatī Thakura writes, atastadaivapūrva-nirmitasyaivaśrībhāgavatasy ānukramaṇam: “The word anukramya in this verse means that Veda-vyasa compiled a new edition of the already existing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.”

THE ONENESS OF LORD KRISHNA AND BHAGAVATAM

pādau yadīyau prathama-dvitīyau

tṛtīya-turyau kathitau yad-ūrū

nābhis tathā paṣcama eva ṣaṣṭho

bhujāntaraṁ dor-yugalaṁ tathānyau

kaṇṭhas tu rājan navamo yadīyo

mukhāravindaṁ daśamaṁ praphullam

ekādaśo yaś ca lalāṭa-paṭṭaṁ

śiro ’pi yad dvādaśa eva bhāti

“The Bhāgavatam’s First and Second Cantos are Lord Krishna’s feet, and the Third and Fourth Cantos are His thighs. The Fifth Canto is His navel, the Sixth Canto is His chest, and the Seventh and Eighth Cantos are His arms. The Ninth Canto is His throat, the Tenth His blooming lotus face, the Eleventh His forehead, and the Twelfth His head.

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