SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM: CANTO 1

(1) Sûta said: "In the beginning assumed the Supreme Lord, for the creation of the worlds, the form of the Original Person[: the integrity of the material realm] composed of the sixteen elements [of the ten knowing and working senses, the mind and the five elements] and the cosmic intelligence and such. (2) Resting in His meditative slumber was in that water, out of the lotus that spread from the lake of His navel, Brahmâ manifested, the master of the progenitors in the universe. (3) One believes the different worlds [as expansions] to be part of the form of the Fortunate One, that truly is the excellence of the purest existence. (4) His form seen perfectly thus has numerous legs, thighs, arms and faces, with wonderful heads, ears, eyes and noses, all glowing with garlands and dresses. (5) This multifarious source of the incarnations is the imperishable seed from which the plenary portions and portions thereof again, the gods, the human beings and the animals, originate.

(6) First were the sons of Brahmâ [the Kumâras] disciplined in austerity for the realization of continuation. (7) Incarnated next for the sake of its welfare, He, like a boar, lifted the world from the lower regions. (8) Thirdly accepted He [in the form of Nârada Muni] His presence among the learned for the sake of evolving vedic knowledge for service in devotion without further material motives. (9) Fourth born as the twin sons of king Dharma in the form of Nara-Nârâyana He underwent severe penances to attain control over the senses. (10) Fifth with the name of Kapila He gave an exposition to the brahmin Âsuri on the nature of metaphysics and the elements of creation because in the course of time the knowledge was lost. (11) Sixth, born as the son of Atri from Anasûyâ who prayed for Him, He lectured to Alarka, Prahlâda and others about the transcendental. (12) Seventh born from Âkûti as Yajñ'a, the son of Prajâpati Ruci He, assisted by the godly, ruled over the change of the period of Svâyambhuva Manu together with His son Yama and others. (13) Eighth, from the wife of King Nâbhi, Merudevî, He took birth as King Rishabha and showed the path of perfection respected by people of all stages of life. (14) Accepting His ninth incarnation from prayers by the sages, He ruled [as Prithu] the earth for the sake of its cultivation and produces, which made it beautifully attractive. (15) Like a fish [Mâtsya] in the water He kept Vaivasvata Manu after the period of Câkshusha Manu on a boat of protection afloat the waters when the world was deeply inundated. (16) Eleventh as a tortoise [Kurma] He sustained the Mandarâcala Hill of the theists and atheists which served as a pivot in the ocean. (17) Twelfth was Dhanvantari [Lord of medicine] and thirteenth He appeared as an alluring beautiful woman to the atheists while giving nectar to the godly. (18) His fourteenth incarnation He appeared as Nrisimha, who with His nails half as a Lion on His lap tore apart the king of the atheists like a carpenter does cane. (19) Fifteenth He assumed the form of Vâmana [the dwarf-brâhmana] who, from the arena of sacrifice of Mahârâja Bali, begged only for three steps of land, while at heart willing to return to the kingdom of the three worlds. (20) In His sixteenth incarnation [as Bhrigupati or Paras'urâma] He acted twenty-one times against the ruling class that negated the intelligentsia. (21) Seeing the common people as being less intelligent He seventeenth incarnated as Vyâsadeva from Satyavatî by Parâs'ara Muni, to divide the desire tree of the Veda into several branches. (22) Next He performed superhuman in controlling the Indian Ocean having assumed the form of a divine human being [Râma] in order to act for the sake of the godly. (23) Nineteenth as well as twentieth He appeared as Balarâma and Krishna from the Vrishni-family and thus Bhagavân removed the burden from the world. (24) Thereafter in the Age of Kali His birth as Lord Buddha from Añjanâ in Gayâ will take place in order to delude the ones envious with the theists. (25) Following that at the conjunction of two yugas when there is hardly a ruler found that is not a plunderer, the Lord of Creation will take birth with the name of Kalki as the son of Vishnu Yas'â.

(26) O twice-born, from the ocean of goodness are the Lord His incarnations as innumerable as the thousands of streams found from the lakes. (27) All the powerful sages, the godly, the Manus and their progeny, as well as the Prajâpatis [founding fathers] are aspects of the Lord. (28) All these are part of Lord Krishna, the Supreme Lord [Bhagavân] in person who gives protection in all ages and worlds against the enemies of the king of heaven [Indra]. (29) Those who in the morning and the evening carefully recite these mysterious births of the Lord, will find relief from all miseries of life. (30) All these forms of the Lord are certainly of the one without a form that is transcendental; they came about in the self from the modes of the material energy with its elements. (31) To the less intelligent seer they are as clouds in the sky and dust in the air in order to perceive. (32) This unmanifested beyond, which is without a form that is affected by the modes of nature and is alike that what is unseen and unheard - thàt is the living being that takes birth repeatedly. (33) Whenever one realizes that all these gross and subtle forms originate from the ignorance in the self, at that time is one in association with the divine. (34) With the illusory energy subsided there is enrichment with the full knowledge of enlightenment and knowing in the glories of the Self. (35) Thus the inactive unborn Lord of the Heart with His births and activities has been described by the learned as being undetectable even in the Vedas. (36) Being within every living being He, the omnipotent master of the senses whose play is spotless, is independent and unaffected by creation, destruction and maintenance. (37) Acting like an actor in a drama, can by His manipulations the ones with little knowledge not know Him in His activities, names and forms by means of speculation and oration. (38) Only he can know of the transcendental glories of the Creator all-powerful with the wheel of the chariot in His hand, who renders unconditional, uninterrupted, favorable service to His fragrant lotus feet. (39) In this world one can be successful if one knows in full about the Personality of Godhead who embraces all of His universes and inspires for the complete of the spirit of ecstasy in which one will never find the dreaded repetitions of the worldly interest."

(40) This book about the story of the Personality of Godhead and His devotees compiled by the wise man of God is, as a supplement to the Vedas, there for the ultimate good of all people, bringing success, happiness and perfection. (41) S'rîla Vyâsadeva delivered it, as the cream extracted from all the Vedic literatures and histories, to his son, the most respectful among the self-realized. (42) He on his turn spoke it to emperor Parîkchit who sat at the Ganges surrounded by the wise in penance until his death. (43) With Krishna having left for His abode along with the proper conduct and its spiritual insight, has now this purâna bright as the sun risen for all the persons who in the Age of Quarrel [Kali-yuga] have lost their vision. (44) When I heard the story from that powerful great sage, I as well managed to understand it, being perfectly attentive by his mercy, so that I can also tell it to you from my own realization."

Sûta said: "In the beginning assumed the Supreme Lord, for the creation of the worlds, the form of the Original Person[: the integrity of the material realm] composed of the sixteen elements [of the ten knowing and working senses, the mind and the five elements] and the cosmic intelligence and such.

Sûta said: In the beginning of the creation, the Lord first expanded Himself in the universal form of the purusha incarnation and manifested all the ingredients for the material creation. And thus at first there was the creation of the sixteen principles of material action. This was for the purpose of creating the material universe. (Vedabase)

Text 2:

Resting in His meditative slumber was in that water, out of the lotus that spread from the lake of His navel, Brahmâ manifested, the master of the progenitors in the universe.

A part of the purusha lies down within the water of the universe, from the navel lake of His body sprouts a lotus stem, and from the lotus flower atop this stem, Brahmâ, the master of all engineers in the universe, becomes manifest. (Vedabase)

Text 3:

One believes the different worlds [as expansions] to be part of the form of the Fortunate One, that truly is the excellence of the purest existence.

It is believed that all the universal planetary systems are situated on the extensive body of the purusha, but He has nothing to do with the created material ingredients. His body is eternally in spiritual existence par excellence. (Vedabase)

Text 4:

His form seen perfectly thus has numerous legs, thighs, arms and faces, with wonderful heads, ears, eyes and noses, all glowing with garlands and dresses.

The devotees, with their perfect eyes, see the transcendental form of the purusha who has thousands of legs, thighs, arms and faces--all extraordinary. In that body there are thousands of heads, ears, eyes and noses. They are decorated with thousands of helmets and glowing earrings and are adorned with garlands. (Vedabase)

Text 5:

This multifarious source of the incarnations is the imperishable seed from which the plenary portions and portions thereof again, the gods, the human beings and the animals, originate.

This form [the second manifestation of the purusha] is the source and indestructible seed of multifarious incarnations within the universe. From the particles and portions of this form, different living entities, like demigods, men and others, are created. (Vedabase)

Text 6:

First were the sons of Brahmâ [the Kumâras] disciplined in austerity for the realization of continuation.

First of all, in the beginning of creation, there were the four unmarried sons of Brahmâ [the Kumâras], who, being situated in a vow of celibacy, underwent severe austerities for realization of the Absolute Truth. (Vedabase)

Text 7:

Incarnated next for the sake of its welfare, He, like a boar, lifted the world from the lower regions.

The supreme enjoyer of all sacrifices accepted the incarnation of a boar [the second incarnation], and for the welfare of the earth He lifted the earth from the nether regions of the universe. (Vedabase)

Text 8:

Thirdly accepted He [in the form of Nârada Muni] His presence among the learned for the sake of evolving vedic knowledge for service in devotion without further material motives.

In the millennium of the rishis, the Personality of Godhead accepted the third empowered incarnation in the form of Devarshi Nârada, who is a great sage among the demigods. He collected expositions of the Vedas which deal with devotional service and which inspire nonfruitive action. (Vedabase)

Text 9:

Fourth born as the twin sons of king Dharma in the form of Nara-Nârâyana He underwent severe penances to attain control over the senses.

In the fourth incarnation, the Lord became Nara and Nârâyana, the twin sons of the wife of King Dharma. Thus He undertook severe and exemplary penances to control the senses. (Vedabase)

Text 10

Fifth with the name of Kapila He gave an exposition to the brahmin Âsuri on the nature of metaphysics and the elements of creation because in the course of time the knowledge was lost.

The fifth incarnation, named Lord Kapila, is foremost among perfected beings. He gave an exposition of the creative elements and metaphysics to Âsuri Brâhmana, for in course of time this knowledge had been lost. (Vedabase)

Text 11

Sixth, born as the son of Atri from Anasûyâ who prayed for Him, He lectured to Alarka, Prahlâda and others about the transcendental.

The sixth incarnation of the purusha was the son of the sage Atri. He was born from the womb of Anasûyâ, who prayed for an incarnation. He spoke on the subject of transcendence to Alarka, Prahlâda and others [Yadu, Haihaya, etc.]. (Vedabase)

Text 12:

Seventh born from Âkûti as Yajñ'a, the son of Prajâpati Ruci He, assisted by the godly, ruled over the change of the period of Svâyambhuva Manu together with His son Yama and others.

The seventh incarnation was Yajña, the son of Prajâpati Ruci and his wife Âkûti. He controlled the period during the change of the Svâyambhuva Manu and was assisted by demigods such as His son Yama. (Vedabase)

Text 13:

Eighth, from the wife of King Nâbhi, Merudevî, He took birth as King Rishabha and showed the path of perfection respected by people of all stages of life.

The eighth incarnation was King Rishabha, son of King Nâbhi and his wife Merudevî. In this incarnation the Lord showed the path of perfection, which is followed by those who have fully controlled their senses and who are honored by all orders of life. (Vedabase)

Text 14:

Accepting His ninth incarnation from prayers by the sages, He ruled [as Prithu] the earth for the sake of its cultivation and produces, which made it beautifully attractive.

O brâhmanas, in the ninth incarnation, the Lord, prayed for by sages, accepted the body of a king [Prithu] who cultivated the land to yield various produces, and for that reason the earth was beautiful and attractive. (Vedabase)

Text 15:

Like a fish [Mâtsya] in the water He kept Vaivasvata Manu after the period of Câkshusha Manu on a boat of protection afloat the waters when the world was deeply inundated.

When there was a complete inundation after the period of the Câkshusha Manu and the whole world was deep within water, the Lord accepted the form of a fish and protected Vaivasvata Manu, keeping him up on a boat. (Vedabase)

Text 16:

Eleventh as a tortoise [Kurma] He sustained the Mandarâcala Hill of the theists and atheists which served as a pivot in the ocean.

The eleventh incarnation of the Lord took the form of a tortoise whose shell served as a pivot for the Mandarâcala Hill, which was being used as a churning rod by the theists and atheists of the universe. (Vedabase)

Text 17:

Twelfth was Dhanvantari [Lord of medicine] and thirteenth He appeared as an alluring beautiful woman to the atheists while giving nectar to the godly.

In the twelfth incarnation, the Lord appeared as Dhanvantari, and in the thirteenth He allured the atheists by the charming beauty of a woman and gave nectar to the demigods to drink. the atheists by the charming beauty of a woman and gave nectar to the demigods to drink. (Vedabase)

Text 18:

His fourteenth incarnation He appeared as Nrisimha, who with His nails half as a Lion on His lap tore apart the king of the atheists like a carpenter does cane.

In the fourteenth incarnation, the Lord appeared as Nrisimha and bifurcated the strong body of the atheist Hiranyakas'ipu with His nails, just as a carpenter pierces cane. (Vedabase)

Text 19:

Fifteenth He assumed the form of Vâmana [the dwarf-brâhmana] who, from the arena of sacrifice of Mahârâja Bali, begged only for three steps of land, while at heart willing to return to the kingdom of the three worlds

In the fifteenth incarnation, the Lord assumed the form of a dwarf-brâhmana [Vâmana] and visited the arena of sacrifice arranged by Mahârâja Bali. Although at heart He was willing to regain the kingdom of the three planetary systems, He simply asked for a donation of three steps of land. (Vedabase)

Text 20:

In His sixteenth incarnation [as Bhrigupati or Paras'urâma] He acted twenty-one times against the ruling class that negated the intelligentsia.

In the sixteenth incarnation of the Godhead, the Lord [as Bhrigupati] annihilated the administrative class [kshatriyas] twenty-one times, being angry with them because of their rebellion against the brâhmanas [the intelligent class]. (Vedabase)

Text 21:

Seeing the common people as being less intelligent He seventeenth incarnated as Vyâsadeva from Satyavatî by Parâs'ara Muni, to divide the desire tree of the Veda into several branches.

Thereafter, in the seventeenth incarnation of Godhead, S'rî Vyâsadeva appeared in the womb of Satyavatî through Parâs'ara Muni, and he divided the one Veda into several branches and subbranches, seeing that the people in general were less intelligent. (Vedabase)

Text 22:

Next He performed superhuman in controlling the Indian Ocean having assumed the form of a divine human being [Râma] in order to act for the sake of the godly.

In the eighteenth incarnation, the Lord appeared as King Râma. In order to perform some pleasing work for the demigods, He exhibited superhuman powers by controlling the Indian Ocean and then killing the atheist King Râvana, who was on the other side of the sea. (Vedabase)

Text 23:

Nineteenth as well as twentieth He appeared as Balarâma and Krishna from the Vrishni-family and thus Bhagavân removed the burden from the world.

In the nineteenth and twentieth incarnations, the Lord advented Himself as Lord Balarâma and Lord Krishna in the family of Vrishni [the Yadu dynasty], and by so doing He removed the burden of the world. (Vedabase)

Text 24:

Thereafter in the Age of Kali His birth as Lord Buddha from Añjanâ in Gayâ will take place in order to delude the ones envious with the theists.

Then, in the beginning of Kali-yuga, the Lord will appear as Lord Buddha, the son of Añjanâ, in the province of Gayâ, just for the purpose of deluding those who are envious of the faithful theist. (Vedabase)

Text 25:

Following that at the conjunction of two yugas when there is hardly a ruler found that is not a plunderer, the Lord of Creation will take birth with the name of Kalki as the son of Vishnu Yas'â.

Thereafter, at the conjunction of two yugas, the Lord of the creation will take His birth as the Kalki incarnation and become the son of Vishnu Yas'â. At this time the rulers of the earth will have degenerated into plunderers. (Vedabase)

Text 26:

O twice-born, from the ocean of goodness are the Lord His incarnations as innumerable as the thousands of streams found from the lakes.

O brâhmanas, the incarnations of the Lord are innumerable, like rivulets flowing from inexhaustible sources of water. (Veda b ase)

Text 27:

All the powerful sages, the godly, the Manus and their progeny, as well as the Prajâpatis [founding fathers] are aspects of the Lord.

All the rishis, Manus, demigods and descendants of Manu, who are especially powerful, are plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord. This also includes the Prajâpatis.. (Vedabase)

Text 28:

All these are part of Lord Krishna, the Supreme Lord [Bhagavân] in person who gives protection in all ages and worlds against the enemies of the king of heaven [Indra].

All of the above mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord S'rî Krishna is the original personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists The Lord incarnates to protect the theists. (Vedabase)

Text 29:

Those who in the morning and the evening carefully recite these mysterious births of the Lord, will find relief from all miseries of life.

Whoever carefully recites the mysterious appearances of the Lord, with devotion in the morning and in the evening, gets relief from all miseries of life. (Vedabase)

Text 30:

All these forms of the Lord are certainly of the one without a form that is transcendental; they came about in the self from the modes of the material energy with its elements.

The conception of the virâth universal form of the Lord, as appearing in the material world, is imaginary. It is to enable the less intelligent [and neophytes] to adjust to the idea of the Lord's having form. But factually the Lord has no material form. (Vedabase)

Text 31:

To the less intelligent seer they are as clouds in the sky and dust in the air in order to perceive.

Clouds and dust are carried by the air, but less intelligent persons say that the sky is cloudy and the air is dirty. Similarly, they also implant material bodily conceptions on the spirit self. (Vedabase)

Text 32:

This unmanifested beyond, which is without a form that is affected by the modes of nature and is alike that what is unseen and unheard - thàt is the living being that takes birth repeatedly.

Beyond this gross conception of form is another, subtle conception of form which is without formal shape and is unseen, unheard and unmanifest. The living being has his form beyond this subtlety, otherwise he could not have repeated births. (Vedabase)

Text 33:

Whenever one realizes that all these gross and subtle forms originate from the ignorance in the self, at that time is one in association with the divine.

Whenever a person experiences, by self-realization, that both the gross and subtle bodies have nothing to do with the pure self, at that time he sees himself as well as the Lord. (Vedabase)

Text 34:

With the illusory energy subsided there is enrichment with the full knowledge of enlightenment and knowing in the glories of the Self.

If the illusory energy subsides and the living entity becomes fully enriched with knowledge by the grace of the Lord, then he becomes at once enlightened with self-realization and thus becomes situated in his own glory. (Vedabase)

Text 35:

Thus the inactive unborn Lord of the Heart with His births and activities has been described by the learned as being undetectable even in the Vedas.

Thus learned men describe the births and activities of the unborn and inactive, which is undiscoverable even in the Vedic literatures. He is the Lord of the heart. (Vedabase)

Text 36:

Being within every living being He, the omnipotent master of the senses whose play is spotless, is independent and unaffected by creation, destruction and maintenance.

The Lord, whose activities are always spotless, is the master of the six senses and is fully omnipotent with six opulences. He creates the manifested universes, maintains them and annihilates them without being in the least affected. He is within every living being and is always independent. (Vedabase)

Text 37:

Acting like an actor in a drama, can by His manipulations the ones with little knowledge not know Him in His activities, names and forms by means of speculation and oration.

The foolish with a poor fund of knowledge cannot know the transcendental nature of the forms, names and activities of the Lord, who is playing like an actor in a drama. Nor can they express such things, neither in their speculations nor in their words. (Vedabase)

Text 38:

Only he can know of the transcendental glories of the Creator all-powerful with the wheel of the chariot in His hand, who renders unconditional, uninterrupted, favorable service to His fragrant lotus feet.

Only those who render unreserved, uninterrupted, favorable service unto the lotus feet of Lord Krishna, who carries the wheel of the chariot in His hand, can know the creator of the universe in His full glory, power and transcendence. (Vedabase)

Text 39:

In this world one can be successful if one knows in full about the Personality of Godhead who embraces all of His universes and inspires for the complete of the spirit of ecstasy in which one will never find the dreaded repetitions of the worldly interest."

Only by making such inquiries in this world can one be successful and perfectly cognizant, for such inquiries invoke transcendental ecstatic love unto the Personality of Godhead, who is the proprietor of all the universes, and guarantee cent-percent immunity from the dreadful repetition of birth and death. (Vedabase)

Text 40:

This book about the story of the Personality of Godhead and His devotees compiled by the wise man of God is, as a supplement to the Vedas, there for the ultimate good of all people, bringing success, happiness and perfection.

This S'rîmad-Bhâgavatam is the literary incarnation of God, and it is compiled by S'rîla Vyâsadeva, the incarnation of God. It is meant for the ultimate good of all people, and it is all-successful, all-blissful and all-perfect. (Vedabase)

Text 41:

S'rîla Vyâsadeva delivered it, as the cream extracted from all the Vedic literatures and histories, to his son, the most respectful among the self-realized.

S'rî Vyâsadeva delivered it to his son, who is the most respected among the self-realized, after extracting the cream of all Vedic literatures and histories of the universe. (Vedabase)

Text 42:

He on his turn spoke it to emperor Parîkchit who sat at the Ganges surrounded by the wise in penance until his death.

S'ukadeva Gosvâmî, the son of Vyâsadeva, in his turn delivered the Bhâgavatam to the great Emperor Parîkshit, who sat surrounded by sages on the bank of the Ganges, awaiting death without taking food or drink. (Vedabase)

Text 43:

With Krishna having left for His abode along with the proper conduct and its spiritual insight, has now this purâna bright as the sun risen for all the persons who in the Age of Quarrel [Kali-yuga] have lost their vision.

This Bhâgavata Purâna is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just after the departure of Lord Krishna 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 Purâna. (Vedabase)

Text 44:

When I heard the story from that powerful great sage, I as well managed to understand it, being perfectly attentive by his mercy, so that I can also tell it to you from my own realization."

O learned brâhmanas, when S'ukadeva Gosvâmî recited Bhâgavatam there [in the presence of Emperor Parîkshit], I heard him with rapt attention, and thus, by his mercy, I learned the Bhâgavatam from that great and powerful sage. Now I shall try to make you hear the very same thing as I learned it from him and as I have realized it. (Vedabase)