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Canto 12

S'rī Rādhika Stava

 


Chapter 13: The Glories of S'rīmad Bhāgavatam

(1) Sūta said: "I offer Him my obeisances, the Godhead who in arrangements of mantras from the Vedas, their limbs [the angas] and the Upanishads with transcendental prayers is praised by Brahmā, Indra, Rudra and the children of heaven [the Maruts], the Godhead about whom the Sāma Veda chanters are singing, the Godhead upon whom the yogis who see Him in their minds concentrate in meditation, He whose end is not known to anyone among the enlightened and unenlightened souls. (2) The Supreme Personality of Godhead in the form of a tortoise [Kūrma] became sleepy from the scratching edges of the stones of Mandara mountain that most heavily rotated upon His back. May all of you be protected by the winds that are the traces left behind by the flow of His breathing and by the ceaseless tides of the ebb and flow of the water that up to the present day follows the example of His in- and outgoing breath. (3) Please listen now to a summation of the number [of verses] of the Purānas, what the purpose is of its subject matter, how the book should be given as a gift, what the glory of that gift-giving is and what the blessing is of the reading and such of this text.

(4-9) The Brahmā Purāna has ten thousand verses, the Padma Purāna counts fifty-five thousand, the S'rī Vishnu Purāna twenty-three thousand and the S'iva Purāna twenty-four thousand. The S'rīmad Bhāgavatam counts eighteen thousand verses, the Nārada Purāna has twenty-five thousand, the Mārkandeya Purāna nine thousand and the Agni Purāna fifteen thousand four hundred verses. The Bhavishya Purāna has fourteen thousand five hundred verses, the Brahma-vaivarta Purāna counts eighteen thousand and the Linga Purāna eleven thousand verses. The Varāha Purāna offers twenty-four thousand verses, the Skanda Purāna eighty-one thousand one hundred and the Vāmana Purāna is described in ten thousand verses. The Kūrma Purāna is described in seventeen thousand verses, the Matsya Purāna has fourteen thousand of them, the Garuda Purāna next has nineteen thousand verses and the Brahmānda Purāna counts twelve thousand verses. In sum the Purānas are thus expressed in four hundred thousand verses [*]. Eighteen thousand of them constitute, as said, the Bhāgavatam [see further under Purāna].

(10) This [tale of wisdom] was by the Supreme Personality of Godhead [Narāyāna, see 3.8-10] out of mercy for the first time in its entirety revealed to Brahmā who, fearful of a material existence, sat upon the lotus that grew from His navel [see also 1.1: 1]. (11-12) From the beginning to the end filled with accounts about renunciation, it delights the saintly and godly souls with the nectar of its many narrations about the Lord's pastimes. With beatitude [or eternal happiness by emancipation in devotional service] as its one ultimate goal, it has as its prime subject the One Reality Without a Second - the essence of all Vedānta philosophy - that is characterized by the non-difference of the Absolute [impersonal] Truth [brahman] and the One [personal] Soul [ātma **]. (13) He who gives the Bhāgavatam as a gift on the day of the full moon in the month Bhādra [August/September, in its full glory as the king of all literature] seated on 'a golden throne' [in the constellation of Leo], reaches the supreme destination. (14) Other classical collections of stories [other bibles, other Purānas or holy scriptures] are prominent in the assembly of the saintly only for as long as the great ocean of nectar that is the Bhāgavatam is not heard. (15) The S'rīmad Bhāgavatam constitutes the essence of all Vedānta philosophy, someone who found satisfaction from the taste of that nectar, will never feel attracted to anything else [to other sacred scriptures]. (16) Of all Purānas this one is  like what the Ganges means in relation to all rivers flowing towards the sea, what Acyuta, the Infallible One, means in relation to all deities and what S'ambhu [S'iva] means in relation to all Vaishnavas. (17) Just as unsurpassed Kās'ī [Benares] is among all holy places, S'rīmad Bhāgavatam is matchless among all the Purānas, oh brahmins. (18) S'rīmad Bhāgavatam is the spotless Purāna most dear to the Vaishnavas in which the perfectly pure and supreme spiritual knowledge is celebrated of none but the best devotees. Therein the freedom from all fruitive labor is revealed together with the [therewith associated] knowledge, detachment and devotion that will deliver the person who, in consideration of the transcendence, with his devotional service manages to listen and exercise the mantras the way it should.

(19) I meditate on the incomparable torch light of the Immortal Supreme Immaculate Pure Truth Free from Sorrow, who long ago revealed this transcendental knowledge to the deity ['Ka' or Brahmā], who transferred it to Nārada, the great sage, who delivered it by means of his personal form to Krishna Dvaipāyana Vyāsa, who next handed it down to the king of the yogis [S'ukadeva], who on his turn was as merciful to reveal it to [Parīkchit], the grace of the Fortunate One.  (20) I offer Him my obeisances, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Vāsudeva, the Supreme Witness who mercifully explained this [story, this science] to [Brahmā] the deity who desired liberation. (21) I offer him my obeisances, the king of the yogis, S'ukadeva Gosvāmī, the personal manifestation of the Absolute Truth who freed [Parīkchit] the grace of Vishnu who was bitten by the snake of material existence. (22) Oh Lord of Lords, You are our Master, therefore please make it so that we life after life may rise up in bhakti at Your feet. (23) I offer my obeisances to Him, the Supreme Lord, whose congregational chanting of the holy name destroys all sins and to whom bowing down all misery finds its end."

 

Thus the twelfth Canto of the S'rīmad Bhāgavatam ends named: The Age of Deterioration.

With this last Canto the Story of the Fortunate One ends, the Bhāgavata Purāna also known as the S'rīmad Bhāgavatam and the Paramahamsa Samhitā. All glories to the Brahmā-Mādhva-Gaudiyā Sampradāya paramparā of the foregoing Vaishnava ācāryas headed by Lord Gauranga, S'rī Krishna Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who by their commentaries, translations, bhajans and lectures made this presentation possible and brought the full of the Vaishnava culture to the humble western servant of Krishna, Anand Aadhar Prabhu, who in truth is never finished with his work.

                     

 
 

Third revised edition, loaded December 10, 2022.

 

 

 

 

 

Previous Aadhar edition and Vedabase links:

Text 1

Sūta said: "I offer Him my obeisances, the Godhead who in arrangements of mantras from the Vedas, their limbs [the angas] and the Upanishads with transcendental prayers is praised by Brahmā, Indra, Rudra and the children of heaven [the Maruts], the Godhead about whom the Sāma Veda chanters are singing, the Godhead upon whom the yogis who see Him in their minds concentrate in meditation, He whose end is not known to anyone among the enlightened and unenlightened souls.
 Sūta said: "The Godhead who by Brahmā, Indra, Rudra and the children of heaven [the Maruts] is praised with transcendental prayers and about whom the Sāma Veda chanters with arrangements of mantras from the Vedas, their limbs [the angas] and the Upanishads are singing; the Godhead upon whom the yogis, seeing Him in their minds, concentrate in the meditative position; He whose end is not known to anyone among the enlightened or unenlightened - unto Him I offer my obeisances. (Vedabase)

 

Text 2

The Supreme Personality of Godhead in the form of a tortoise [Kūrma] became sleepy from the scratching edges of the stones of Mandara mountain that most heavily rotated upon His back. May all of you be protected by the winds that are the traces left behind by the flow of His breathing and by the ceaseless tides of the ebb and flow of the water that up to the present day follows the example of His in- and outgoing breath.

By the scratching edges of the stones of Mandara mountain that most heavily rotated upon His back the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the form of a tortoise [Kūrma] became sleepy. May all of you be protected by the winds that are the traces left behind by the flow of His breathing and the ceaseless tides of the eb and flow of the water which up to the present day follows that example of breathing in and out. (Vedabase)

 

Text 3

Please listen now to a summation of the number [of verses] of the Purānas, what the purpose is of its subject matter, how the book should be given as a gift, what the glory of that gift-giving is and what the blessing is of the reading and such of this text.

Please listen to a summation of the number [of verses] of this [Purāna], the purpose of its subject matter, how the book should be given away as a gift, what the glory is of that gift-giving and what the blessing is of the reading, reciting and so on of this text. (Vedabase)

   

Text 4-9

The Brahmā Purāna has ten thousand verses, the Padma Purāna counts fifty-five thousand, the S'rī Vishnu Purāna twenty-three thousand and the S'iva Purāna twenty-four thousand. The S'rīmad Bhāgavatam counts eighteen thousand verses, the Nārada Purāna has twenty-five thousand, the Mārkandeya Purāna nine thousand and the Agni Purāna fifteen thousand four hundred verses. The Bhavishya Purāna has fourteen thousand five hundred verses, the Brahma-vaivarta Purāna counts eighteen thousand and the Linga Purāna eleven thousand verses. The Varāha Purāna offers twenty-four thousand verses, the Skanda Purāna eighty-one thousand one hundred and the Vāmana Purāna is described in ten thousand verses. The Kūrma Purāna is described in seventeen thousand verses, the Matsya Purāna has fourteen thousand of them, the Garuda Purāna next has nineteen thousand verses and the Brahmānda Purāna counts twelve thousand verses. In sum the Purānas are thus expressed in four hundred thousand verses [*]. Eighteen thousand of them constitute, as said, the Bhāgavatam [see further under Purāna].

The Brahmā Purāna has ten thousand verses, the Padma Purāna fifty-five thousand, the S'rī Vishnu Purāna twenty-three thousand and the S'iva Purāna twenty-four thousand. The S'rīmad Bhāgavatam counts eighteen thousand, the Nārada Purāna twenty-five thousand, the Mārkandeya Purāna nine thousand and the Agni Purāna fifteen thousand four hundred verses. The Bhavishya Purāna has fourteen thousand five hundred verses, the Brahma-vaivarta Purāna eighteen thousand and the Linga Purāna eleven thousand. The Varāha Purāna offers twenty-four thousand of them, the Skanda Purāna eighty-one thousand one hundred and the Vāmana Purāna is described in ten thousand verses. The Kūrma Purāna is said to have seventeen thousand verses, the Matsya Purāna has fourteen thousand of them, the Garuda Purāna next has nineteen thousand and the Brahmānda Purāna counts twelve thousand. In sum in the Purānas are this way described some four hundred thousand of them [*]. Eighteen thousand, as said, is the number of verses in the Bhāgavatam [see further under Purāna]. (Vedabase)

 

Text 10

This [tale of wisdom] was by the Supreme Personality of Godhead [Narāyāna, see 3.8-10] out of mercy for the first time in its entirety revealed to Brahmā who, fearful of a material existence, sat upon the lotus that grew from His navel [see also 1.1: 1].

This [tale of wisdom] was by the Supreme Personality of God [Narāyāna, see 3.8-10] out of mercy first in full revealed to Brahmā who fearful of a material existence sat upon the lotus that grew from His navel [see also 1.1: 1].  (Vedabase)

 

Text 11-12

From the beginning to the end filled with accounts about renunciation, it delights the saintly and godly souls with the nectar of its many narrations about the Lord's pastimes. With beatitude [or eternal happiness by emancipation in devotional service] as its one ultimate goal, it has as its prime subject the One Reality Without a Second - the essence of all Vedānta philosophy - that is characterized by the non-difference of the Absolute [impersonal] Truth [brahman] and the One [personal] Soul [ātma **].

From the beginning to the end filled with accounts on detachment it is delighting the saintly and godly with the nectar of its many narrations about the Lord His pastimes. In accord with the essence of all vedānta philosophy it has the One Reality Without a Second, that is characterized as the Absolute Truth [brahma, the impersonal] that is non-different from the One Soul [ātma, the personal], as its prime subject and the beatitude [of emancipation in devotional service or kaivalya] as the one ultimate goal [**]. (Vedabase)

 

Text 13

He who gives the Bhāgavatam as a gift on the day of the full moon in the month Bhādra [August/September, in its full glory as the king of all literature] seated on 'a golden throne' [in the constellation of Leo], reaches the supreme destination.

He who gives the Bhāgavatam as a gift in his full glory ['on a golden throne'] on the day of the full moon in the month Bhādra [August/September] reaches the supreme destination. (Vedabase)

  

Text 14

Other classical collections of stories [other bibles, other Purānas or holy scriptures] are prominent in the assembly of the saintly only for as long as the great ocean of nectar that is the Bhāgavatam is not heard.

Other classical collections of stories [other bibles, other Purānas or holy scriptures] are prominent in the assembly of the saintly only for as long as one does not listen to the great ocean of nectar which is the Bhāgavatam.  (Vedabase)

 

Text 15

The S'rīmad Bhāgavatam constitutes the essence of all Vedānta philosophy, someone who found satisfaction from the taste of that nectar, will never feel attracted to anything else [to other sacred scriptures].

The S'rīmad Bhāgavatam indeed is said to be the essence of all Vedānta philosophy; someone satisfied by its nectarean taste is never attracted to any other influence. (Vedabase)

 

Text 16

Of all Purānas this one is like what the Ganges means in relation to all rivers flowing towards the sea, what Acyuta, the Infallible One, means in relation to all deities and what S'ambhu [S'iva] means in relation to all Vaishnavas.

Of all Purānas this one is just like what the Ganges is in relation to all rivers flowing towards the sea, what Acyuta is in relation to all deities and what S'ambhu [S'iva] is in relation to all devotees. (Vedabase)

 

Text 17

Just as unsurpassed Kās'ī [Benares] is among all holy places, S'rīmad Bhāgavatam is matchless among all the Purānas, oh brahmins.

Just like Kās'ī [Benares] is unsurpassed among all holy places, S'rīmad Bhāgavatam is matchless among all the Purānas, o twice-born ones. (Vedabase)

 

Text 18

S'rīmad Bhāgavatam is the spotless Purāna most dear to the Vaishnavas in which the perfectly pure and supreme spiritual knowledge is celebrated of none but the best devotees. Therein the freedom from all fruitive labor is revealed together with the [therewith associated] knowledge, detachment and devotion that will deliver the person who, in consideration of the transcendence, with his devotional service manages to listen and exercise the mantras the way it should.

S'rīmad Bhāgavatam is the spotless Purāna most dear to the Vaishnavas in which the perfectly pure and supreme spiritual knowledge is celebrated of no one less but the best of devotees; in it is revealed, together with the knowledge, the detachment and the devotion, the freedom from all fruitive labor which will deliver that person who serious in his conviction with devotion listens, studies and does the mantras as should. (Vedabase)


Text 19

I meditate on the incomparable torch light of the Immortal Supreme Immaculate Pure Truth Free from Sorrow, who long ago revealed this transcendental knowledge to the deity ['Ka' or Brahmā], who transferred it to Nārada, the great sage, who delivered it by means of his personal form to Krishna Dvaipāyana Vyāsa, who next handed it down to the king of the yogis [S'ukadeva], who on his turn was as merciful to reveal it to [Parīkchit], the grace of the Fortunate One.

I meditate upon the incomparable torch light of the Immortal Truth that is Free from Sorrow and long ago was revealed to the deity ['Ka' or Brahmā], by whom this transcendental knowledge pure and uncontaminated was spoken to Nārada the great sage who delivered it by means of his personal form to Krishna Dvaipāyana Vyāsa who next expounded it to the king of the yogis [S'ukadeva] who out of his mercy on his turn revealed it to [Parīkchit] the grace of the Fortunate One. (Vedabase)

 

Text 20

I offer Him my obeisances, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Vāsudeva, the Supreme Witness who mercifully explained this [story, this science] to [Brahmā] the deity who desired liberation.

Obeisances to Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Vāsudeva, the Supreme Witness who mercifully explained this to the deity who desired liberation. (Vedabase)

  

Text 21

I offer him my obeisances, the king of the yogis, S'ukadeva Gosvāmī, the personal manifestation of the Absolute Truth who freed [Parīkchit] the grace of Vishnu who was bitten by the snake of material existence.

Obeisances to him, the king of the yogis, S'ukadeva Gosvāmī, the personal manifestation of the Absolute Truth who freed [Parīkchit] the grace of Vishnu who was bitten by the snake of material existence. (Vedabase)

 

Text 22

Oh Lord of Lords, You are our Master, therefore please make it so that we life after life may rise up in bhakti at Your feet.

O Lord, You are our Master, the Lord of the Divinity, therefore please make it so that we life after life at Your feet may find bhakti. (Vedabase)

 

Text 23

I offer my obeisances to Him, the Supreme Lord, whose congregational chanting of the holy name destroys all sins and to whom bowing down all misery finds its end."

I offer my obeisances to Him, the Supreme Lord, whose congregational chanting of the holy name destroys all sins and to whom bowing down the misery is extinguished." (Vedabase)

   

*: Next, so affirms the Matsya Purāna, there are besides the Purāna also a hundred thousand verses found in the Itihāsa (the single history) of Vyāsa's Mahābhārata and a twenty-five thousand in the Itihāsa of Vālmīki's Ramāyana. Thus the complete number of verses for the complete collection of classical stories amounts to five-hundred twenty-five thousand [the smaller Upa-purānas not counted].

**: This reminds one of the theme of Krishna as being the Time or Kāla, and Krishna as being the person, the Supreme Soul, the Original Person manifest before our eyes and present in the beyond. The world seems to be divided in impersonalist science, philosophy and governance on the one hand and personalistic religion of detachment and personal sentiment in civil attachment on the other. But when one with respecting the Time [of nature] as it should finds the person and with respecting the person as it should [in Krishna consciousness] finds the original Time, the problem is solved knowing the oneness of the personal/impersonal opposition to be our equal minded friend and guiding father in the beyond Lord Krishna. As the last word to this dual matter of respect for His reality He states: (in B.G. 18: 6) 'But with all these activities must without doubt, performing them out of duty, the association with their results be given up; that, oh son of Prithā, is My last and best word on it.' Therefore we are of emancipation in devotional service, free from ulterior motives.

 

 

 

 

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The picture is titled: 'Narada Muni and Vyasadev'. Kedar Ragini from Ragmala. Rajasthan Bikaner, c. 1690. Source.
Production:
Filognostic Association of The Order of Time.


 

 

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