(Suka Brahma telling Srimad Bhagvatam to Parikshit)
Srimad Bhagavatam. A textbook of divine love, the story of Avatar, especially Krishna, it describes all the incarnations of Vishnu. It also means those with attachment to God, or the Godly. (Glossary for the Vahinis)
The Bhagavatam is a dialogue between a person under the sentence of death and a great saint, who prepared him to meet it. (Bhag Vahini, p. iii)
Bhagavatam is a text that has harmonised the three aspects of NarayanaUpasana, Vasudeva Upasana and Vishnu Upasana and demonstrated the oneness of divinity. (SSB 1978, p. 65)
The Enchanting Story
The Bhagavatam is ‘His Story’ There are many stories, some strange, in Bhagavatam. You might find them long or cumbersome. No, no. They are all ‘histories’. ‘History’ means ‘His Story’—stories of God. Unfortunately we are unable to appreciate the Bhagavatam. Hence, we violate its teachings. Truly, every verse of this scripture is a pearl, a diamond. Bhagavatam was written for the very purpose of teaching the secrets of attaining God. Otherwise, why would Vyasa sit dispiritedly on the banks of Saraswati (River) after composing the eighteen Puranas, and why would Narada go there and advise him to compose Bhagavatam? Narada told Vyasa, ‘You wrote the Puranas and the Mahabharata and earned the name shloka data—giver of divine verses. But your shlokas (divine verses) could not dispel your soka (sorrow). You inquired into the intentions of the wicked Kauravas and described their characters in the Mahabharata. Thus your mind was sullied. To cleanse yourself, now describe the stories of the Lord. Write the Bhagavatam.’ There is no text greater than the Bhagavatam. Why? The Bhagavatam alone explains the nature of God in entirety. (SSB 1995, pp. 131-132)
The Bhagavatam has, incorporated in it, every conceivable source of auspiciousness and joy. The Lord, Shri Narayana is the seed from which it has sprouted. The sprout is Brahman. The trunk of the Tree is Narada. Vyasa constitutes the branches. Its sweet fruit is the nectarine story of Krishna. Those earnest souls that yearn for that nectar, and pine plaintively, regardless of bodily comfort or the passage of the years, until they secure the fruit and imbibe its essence, such are real saints and yogis. (Bhag Vahini, p. 219)
Bhagavatam is the enchanting story of Krishna. The Bhagavatam inspires and promotes deep devotion to Lord Krishna. The Universal Absolute, the Birthless, Formless, Unmanifest, Infinite, took on limitations of Name and Form, and concretised Itself as Avatar (Incarnations) on many occasions and manifested countless instances of Divine Intercession and Grace. Through these as well as the characteristics assumed and the ideas propagated, God saved mankind from downfall. Those who sing the story of this Glory, those who listen eagerly to the recital, those who imbibe and digest the lessons conveyed, these are the real devotees. They are the Bhagavatas, those who follow the path laid down in the Bhagavatam. Bhagavatam binds Bhakta with Bhagavan. That is to say, the story fills you with God, and transmutes you into Divinity.
God incarnates for the sake of Bhaktas
God incarnates, not merely for the destruction of the wicked. That is just an excuse, one of the obvious reasons. Really speaking, God incarnates for the sake of Bhakta (faithful devotees). The cow has milk primarily as sustenance for its calf. But it is used by man for maintaining his health and efficiency. So too, God incarnates, primarily for the sustenance of the faithful, the devoted, the virtuous and the good. But even the faithless, and the bad, use the chance for their own purpose. Therefore, in the Bhagavatam, stories of such wicked persons intervene amidst the accounts of the Glory and Grace of God. This does not make the Bhagavatam any less holy. When the sweet juice has been squeezed out of the sugarcane, the bagasse is discarded. When the sweetness of Divine Majesty has been tasted, the bagasse can well be thrown out. The cane has both bagasse and sugar. It cannot be sugar only. So too, devotees have to be amidst the faithless. They cannot be without the others. (Bhag Vahini, pp. 219-220)
Concise Bhagavatam
The Supreme Sovereign Lord manifesting Himself as Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshvara, through the prompting of Primal Desire (Moha) is engaged in creating, fostering and destroying the worlds. In what is thus created, there is always the principle of Dualism. There is difference and disparity between one and another. If these differences and disparities are harmonised wisely, the world will have happiness and peace. If, on the other hand, living beings behave wrongly, the world will be sunk in anxiety, misery and confusion. When these arise, the Lord assumes appropriate Forms and affords necessary protection and correction. He sets right the damaged world, removes the evil forces that caused the damage, and instructs mankind in the science of fostering the right and the good.
It is not possible to limit the freedom of God in assuming Forms. He adopts endless Forms to manifest Himself in the world and saves it. His incarnation is in conformity with the need of the crisis at the time. When the Earth moaned under the injustice of Hiranyaksha, He had to appear as a Boar, taking form and equipped with attributes, though in essence, He is without Form and Attribute. The will of God is mysterious. It cannot be explained by categories or as consequences. It is above and beyond human reasoning and imagination. It can be comprehended only by those who have known Him, and not by those who have acquired scholarship or sharp intellect. The cause and the consequence are integrally related.
One day, when Brahma was resting awhile on His seat, there fell from His nose a boar as small as one’s thumb tip! Brahma who had assumed in sportive exuberance the Human form, knew the why and wherefore of everything; but He pretended not to, and looked upon the tiny boar with astonishment. Meanwhile, it developed faster and faster into greater and greater size, like a frog, rat, and a cat, and into the proportions of a monstrous elephant in rut. Brahma was smiling within Himself at its antics. Very soon, the Boar grew so huge that it seemed to cover both earth and sky. It slid into the sea and emerged from it with Goddess Earth (who had hidden herself under the waters through humiliation) borne aloft safe and secure, on its tusks.
Meanwhile, a cry was heard from behind, ‘You wretched swine! Where are you fleeing to? Stop where you are.’ The Boar paid no heed to that cry. He moved on, as if He had not heard it. Then, Hiranyaksha, the Evil-minded Ogre-chief confronted It like a terrible monster, and challenged It to overcome his might. A mortal combat ensued between the two. Witnessing the frightful thrusts and counter thrusts, Goddess Earth shivered in fear but the Boar consoled Her saying, ‘Oh Goddess, do not be frightened. I shall end this ogre’s life immediately. I shall ensure safety and peace for you, in a moment.’ Soon, the Boar became terrible to behold, the Goddess was greatly agitated about the encounter. The Boar fell upon Hiranyaksha with overwhelming might and the Goddess closed Her eyes in sheer terror, unable to bear the sight of the devastating Form of the Boar. The duel was fought with indescribable fury, but in the end, Hiranyaksha was torn to pieces and cast upon the ground.
Thus, the Lord assumed various Forms according to the needs of the situation, the Forms best suited for the destruction of the wicked Danava (the race of evil-minded Ogres), and for the protection of the good and godly, and the preservation of the Scriptures that reveal the Truth, the Vedas. In this manner, the Lord incarnated as the Fish, the Tortoise, the Man-lion, and the Short-statured (Matsya, Kurma, Narasimha, andVamana ). Of all the incarnations, the most supreme and the most blissful is the Krishna-form. (Bhag Vahini, pp. 218-236)
Brahma once addressed Narada, ‘Oh My Mind-projected Son (Manasaputra)! Creation is My task, the way in which I fulfil My Mission, My Tapas. I will, and Creation happens. But I lay down certain rules and modes for each species; and if they are properly adhered to, the wheel will turn aright in Dharma. Instead if the modes and rules are neglected and they toil for the satisfaction of their own wishes, along crooked and misleading paths, they will have to suffer various miseries.
‘Day and night are willed by Me. The rulers of living beings are parts of Me. The urge that people have to increase and multiply is the reflection of My Will. Sometimes, when the created worlds have to be sustained, I myself assume Name and Form and initiate Manvantharas (the Eras of Manu), and provide the Earth with appropriate Divine personalities and Sages, who set examples to be followed and indicate the paths for progress. I end also the unlimited increase of beings, when it happens. For this, I take on the Form of Rudra too. I create the bad, in order to highlight and promote the good. In order to protect the good, I set certain limits, both to the good and the bad, for, they would otherwise stray into wrong ways and inflict great harm.
‘I am immanent in every being. People forget Me, who is within and without them. I am the inner core of every being, but they are not aware of this. So, they are tempted to believe the objective world to be real and true, and they pursue objective pleasures, and fall into grief and pain. On the other hand, if they concentrate all attention on Me alone, believing that the Lord has willed everything and everyone, I bless them and reveal to them the Truth that they are I and I am they. Thousands have been blessed thus. They are the seekers, the aspirants, the Mahatmas, the Sages, the Divinely-Inspired, the Manifestations of the Divine, the Guides who show the Path. They have acquired the experience that Truth is Dharma.
‘I shall tell you about some of them, listen. Sagara, Ikshvaku, Prachinabarthi, Rubhu, Dhruva, Raghumaharaj, Yayati, Mandhatha, Alarka, Sathadhanva, Dileepa, Khali, Bhishma, Sibi, Pippalada, Saraswatha, Vibhishana, Hanuman, Muchukunda, Janaka, Satharupa, Prahlada, and many Rajarshis, Brahmarshis, Princes, Nobles—who can be grouped under one category, the Godly (Bhagavatas). They all yearn for the chance to listen to the glories of God. They have all been blessed, irrespective of cast, age, status, or sex. They have among them women Brahmins, Shudras and Chandalas.
‘I am the Cause of all Causes. I am Eternal. I am Sat-cit-ananda (I am Existence, Knowledge, Bliss). I am Hari and Hara, too; for, I transform Myself into these Manifestations as occasion arises. Creation, the Universe, is but the projection of My Will. It has no basic reality. My son, I declared this truth to you, as a result of My deep love towards you. Others will not be able to grasp the mystery of this creation. What I have just revealed to you is known as concise Bhagavatam.
Bhagavatam connotes three sections of knowledge:
(1) The glory and majesty of the Incarnations of God,
(2) The Names of those who are fully devoted to God and
(3) The intimate relationship between God and the Godly.
Where these three are found together, there we have the Bhagavatam. All that is visible is not beyond or outside God. Therefore, to put it succinctly, everything is Bhagavatam! Everything is worthy of being honoured so.’ (Bhag Vahini)
Bhagavatam Is a Sacred Text Catering to the Needs of Everyone
Srimad Bhagavatam can be described as a mansion of twelve floors or skandhas, and Narada has given a name for each of these skandhas. Although all the skandhas are equally important, there is one which may be regarded as the most important and which constitutes the basic for all other skandhas.
That has been called the Vasudeva Upasana. The other eleven skandhas are based on this Vasudeva Upasana which is like the foundation. This word Vasudeva means God and it also represents the Deva who is resident in every Jiva. This Deva resides not only in every Jiva but is also the basis for all creation. An individual in whom all thoughts, words and deeds are fully synchronised can truly be described as a Bhagavatam. All actions of a Jiva must be directed towards Vasudeva. It is impossible for us to seek directly the unmanifested form of God.
Since you have a body, with a form and a name, it is very difficult for you to recognise the un-manifested form of God. So long as you have attachments in the world, it becomes possible for you to comprehend the Lord only through a name and a form. In this context, Bhagavatam has also taught us that Vasudeva Upasana means the comprehension of the Lord with the help of a name and a form. It is thus necessary for us to do things, see things and hear things only in the context of Vasudeva.
It is the divine aspect alone that we will really find in all places. That individual who has understood the aspect of Atma deserves to do this Sadhana. Following the tradition of the Vedas, it has become common for us to recognise the importance of time and to worship time as a sacred entity. In this aspect of time, we divide a year into twelve months and to sanctify these twelve months, God‘s name is also spelt out in twelve letters as ‘Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.’ Here, we see that the God of time has twelve letters. It is in this context that Vyasa had composed the Bhagavatam in twelve skandhas.
The Kali Yuga is a measure of time. It constitutes a measure for measuring the Krita Yuga, the Dwapara Yuga and the Treta Yuga. There are certain rules prescribed for the use of this measure of time. The measure in time for Kali Yuga is four lakhs thirty-two thousand years (4,32,000 years). The Dwapara Yuga is two times this unit or 8,64,000 years. The Treta Yuga is three times or 12,96,000 years. The Krita Yuga is four times or 17,28,000 years. The period which consists of all these four Yugas together is described as the Maha Yuga. The Maha Yuga, therefore, has 43,20,000 years. The difference between the duration of a Kali Yuga and that of a Maha Yuga is the addition of an extra zero to the former at the end. Just as the days, months and seasons repeat again and again, the Yugas also repeat again and again periodically.
During the confluence of these Yugas and at the time of transition from one to another, various components of creation like mountains, rivers, habitations, etc., undergo major changes. The aspects of dharma also change when the Yuga changes. As a result of these changes several good things might change into evil.
In this context, four categories of people were recognised. They are Tapasvi, Maharishi, Brahmarshi and Rajarshi; and each one, depending on his background and capability, was following a certain code of dharma. For the story of Bhagavatam, a rishi by the name of Sami is the chief architect. By his attainments, he was a Brahmarshi. He had a son by the name Sringi who was a Tapasvi. Brahmarshi Sami knew all about Brahman and was living in a state of equanimity and equal-mindedness. He used to take pain and pleasure, sorrow and joy, blame and praise with the same attitude and was unmoved by events. He was meeting them with the same detachment.
He had several disciples and along with them, he was immersed in the study of the Philosophy of Advaita. He was living in a state of total surrender to God and was enjoying the bliss of divinity. His son Sringi was also a great individual, but he could be called only a Tapasvi. He did not have the ability to discriminate between things. Although he was a person with great strength, he did not acquire the right to give a curse. On one occasion, he lost his equanimity due to anger and cursed king Parikshit, himself a great Rajarshi. Here, we find two types of faults. A fault, committed with full knowledge, will cause a great deal of harm to the world. On the other hand, a fault committed accidentally and without full knowledge will cause harm to the individual only but not to the world. Parikshit was a great king who was in a state of total devotion and surrender to God. Parikshit committed a mistake unknowingly and so the consequence was to affect only him and would not bother others. His mistake was committed unknowingly and without a bad motive. At this act of Parikshit’s, Sringi lost control over himself and gave a curse to Parikshit. This curse, coming as it did under such circumstances, caused a great deal of harm to the entire kingdom.
Be that as it may, the origin of Bhagavatam, the meaning of Bhagavatam and its objectives are clearly laid out in the first skandha itself. This great text of Bhagavatam commenced with Narada, and Vyasa contributed a great deal to it. Suka brought about the culmination. During the interval of time between the commencement by Narada and culmination by Suka, several stories got attached to Bhagavatam and they constitute the contents of the succeeding eleven skandhas.
The conversation between Draupadi and Ashwatthama constitutes an important event in the Bhagavatam. The sacred story of the surrender to Uttara, the divine praise of Krishna by Kunti, the advice which Bhishma gives to Dharmaraja in the form of Shanti parva and finally the teaching which Krishna gives to Arjuna in the form of Bhagavad Gita are all great events of the Bhagavatam. The Uddhava Gita, the story of Prahlada, the story of Kuchela and several other episodes relating to great devotees constitute the essence of the Bhagavatam.
In reality, the text of the Bhagavatam is extremely sweet. Human beings who have experienced the sweetness of Bhagavatam will not have rebirth. It is because of this, that Pothana said that even the very act of his writing the Bhagavatam in Telugu is the result of the great good that he had done in his previous life.
Pothana felt that he had the great good fortune of describing the leelas of Lord Narayana himself, who had come in human form. In the Bhagavatam, the aspects of Bhakti, or devotion, and surrender to God are the most important ones which we should recognise. In both these, the aspect of prema is fully exemplified. Prema signifies the sweet thoughts that are generated in one’s own mind. The Bhagavatam is also like milk, a sacred extract that has been taken out of all the Vedas.
In this context, we should realise that there are many great people who attained salvation from the story of the Bhagavatam. The Bhagavatam should not be regarded as a text which depicts only the story of the gopikas. There are only a few individuals who are capable of recognising the sacred aspect of the prema that is contained in the Bhagavatam and can indeed become intoxicated and elevated by such thoughts.
Thinking of the name of Krishna, one can lose one’s consciousness. Thinking of Brahma, one can become identical with Brahma. So also, by constantly thinking of Krishna, one can become identical with the Lord. It is not easy to describe the exact nature of the Bhagavatam. It can cater to the average person, to the seeker of truth and also to the highest intellectual.
Bhagavatam has the ability to cater to everyone. A mango tree can give you only mangoes, a lime tree can give you only lemons but Bhagavatam can give everything to all its seekers, depending on the latter’s desires and yearnings. There is a small example for this.
There was a wealthy businessman who went abroad. He had four wives and he wrote letters to each of them asking what they wanted him to bring when he returned home. In reply, the eldest wrote that she would be very happy if he returned home safely and in good health. The second wife replied that she would like to have some medicines that would help her get over her illness. The third wife was always interested in reading some spiritual texts, and she wrote that she would like to have spiritual texts belonging to the foreign country. The fourth wife had very mundane qualities, and she asked the husband to bring back some saris and jewels of the latest fashion. All the letters reached the husband and he brought all the items needed and gave medicines to the second wife, spiritual texts to the third wife, saris and jewels to the fourth wife and himself sat in the residence of the first wife. This made the other wives very jealous. The wealthy individual explained that as the eldest wife only wanted him, he went to her and as the others had material requests, he gave them various items as per their requests.
In a similar manner, we may imagine that Paramatma has four wives by the names—Arthi, Aartharthi, Jijnasi and Jnani. The Lord satisfies the requirements of each of the first three, and He, Him-self, sits in the heart of the Jnani.
Paramatma will only give you the fruit of your work and not the work itself. Depending on your karma and your deservedness and your prayers, God gives you the fruit of your action.
This Bhagavatam describes how Krishna gave supreme bliss to different gopikas by appearing before each of them in a form which each liked most. He thus demonstrated that the diversity of forms is indeed the unity of God. Thus Bhagavatam tells us about the oneness which we should see in this diversity. The story is full of love and will give you the contents in a manner in which you can assimilate the same. It is my hope that you can understand and absorb at least a part of what you listen to. (SSB 1978)
The Bhagavatam has clearly expounded the connection between Samsara (family life) and the world. Family life is concerned with the bringing up of a family, the acquisition of properties, the enjoyment of comforts and other material benefits. Nature provides all that a man needs, air to breathe, land for shelter, water to drink, and food to eat. But man is forgetting how to live in harmony with nature according to Nature’s laws. Man craves for all kinds of artificial comforts. This was the teaching of Suka to Parikshit (in the Bhagavatam).
The world is full of egoism and acquisitiveness, lust and hatred. When man tries to utilise Nature to get rid of these bad traits, then he will be able to experience peace, love, and forbearance. Love can be got only though love and by no other means. Hence, spiritual aspirants should develop Divine love. Love is Divine. It seeks no return. Its only aim is to realise God. (SSS Vol.23), 14-8-1990
Spiritual significance of Bhagavatam episodes
The inner significance of the reference to 16,000 gopikas should be understood in this manner. Few attempt to understand the spiritual significance of many episodes in the Bhagavatam. Young men may easily be misled by references to Krishna‘s eight wives or his association with 16,000 gopikas. The real meaning is that each one should awaken the sixteen thousand potencies within him. This can be done only by implicit obedience to the commands of God. The Kundalini-shakti, which starts at the Muladhara (the root of the spinal column), ascends to the Sahasrara to attain its fullness. The life-breath for this power is Prema (Divine Love). This love has to be generated at the Muladhara and taken upto the Sahasrara. (SSS Vol.24), 2-9-1991 ( Extract from (Bhagavan, Bhakti, Bhakta and Bhagavatha: God, devotion, the devotee, and the scripture)
Bhagavatam teaches the Akshara through Kshara. You cannot attain the subtle without experiencing the gross, without the instrumentality of the gross. (SSS Vol.3, p. 239)
The name Bhagavatam can be applied to every account of the experiences of those who have contacted God and the Godly (Bhagavan and Bhakta). God assumes many Forms and enacts many activities. The name Bhagavatam is given to the descriptions of the experiences of those who have realised Him in those Forms and of those who have been blessed by His Grace and chosen as His Instruments.
The great Work known by that name is honoured by all masters of the Vedas. It is a panacea which cures physical, mental and spiritual illnesses. The Bhagavatam is saturated with sweetness of nectar, it shines with the splendour of God. (Bhag Vahini, p. 1)
Suka said, O King! The Bhagavatam is not merely the narrative of the Lord’s story, in the background of Mathura, Brindavan, Gokuls, the Banks of the Yamuna, Nanda-Yashoda, Vasudeva Devaki, and others. Bhagavatam includes the stories of all the incarnations of Bhagavan, of the Lord. All incarnations were the manifestations of the self-same Gopala, Krishna from Go-loka or Vaikuntha. The story of each is but the story of Vasudeva, emerging from Him and merging in Him. That Divine Power is the sustaining factor for all incarnations as well as all living Beings. (Bhag Vahini, pp. 282-283)
The Bhagavatam is not like Mahabharata and Ramayana; it has no qualities and no Form! It deals with the Atma which is beyond and behind the qualities or gunas, senses or Indriyas, the manas and the chittam; it deals with the powers and prowess of the Atman; and its apparent activities or leelas. The Bhagavatam contains the stories of the incarnations of that which is the Witness of everything.
He is All Forms, Sarvaswarup! There is no limit to the number or nature of His Forms. Still, if something must be said in conformity with what has happened, Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshvara, Matsya, Kurma Varaha; Vamana, Narasimha, Rama and Krishna, these are His incarnations. In order to transact the Creation, the Preservation and the Destruction of the World, and to punish the wicked and protect the good, He assumes Himself the form. He decides as best at the time and for the purpose He has set before Himself. When the purpose is realised, He is as before, the Witness, the Atmarupa.
The Ramayana and the Mahabharata stories have an end. In that sense, the Bhagavatam has no end. It speaks of the Lord who has no beginning or end. It tells of the forms, which the Lord wore with reference to the age, the time and the object. The other two on the other hand, teach the correct policies to be followed in this false, evanescent world and try to show mankind and make men follow Satya, Dharma; Shanti and Prema.
It is the Bhagavatam that is of the most use to Sadhakas. It alone contains the real secret of the Lord, His real Path! The Ramayana and the Mahabharata endeavour to some extent to uplift the secular man, the ordinary man, by moral teaching and example. They show how man can deserve the Lord’s grace. But those who seek to know the nature of the Atma and of the Paramatma should study, more than anything else, the Bhagavatam. (San Vah, pp. 96-98)
Bhagavatam is the story of the beginning-less, the ending-less Atma. It is the same, in both forms, subtle and gross. It is subtler than the subtlest; grosser than the grossest. It has no limit or measure. The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are Itihasas, historical epics. The Bhagavatam is different, it is of the nature of the Atma; it instructs in the Path of Bhakti. It can never end, nor has it ever a ‘Finis’. This is the significance of the Bhagavatam. (San Vah, p. 100)
The Bhagavatam teaches the lesson that anger destroys people. In the Bhagavatam, Hiranyakashipu looked upon God as his enemy. He deemed himself the supreme Lord. He felt that there was no power greater than himself. Hiranyakashipu was a great scientist. He plumbed the depths of the ocean. He had control over the five elements.
Despite all these accomplishments he developed enmity towards God. He subjected his son, Prahlada, to innumerable ordeals because he was a devotee of Narayana. He tried to drown Prahlada in the ocean and hurl him from the top of a mountain. He got Prahlada bitten by snakes. But Prahlada survived all the ordeals. Prahlada was always chanting the name of Lord Narayana, whom Hiranyakashipu hated. Anger causes destruction of wisdom. And when wisdom is lost, everything is lost--honour, wealth, position and life itself. Scientific knowledge without wisdom is of no use. Along with science there should be discrimination.
The Ramayana teaches how a person suffers on account of evil desires. The Bhagavatam teaches lessons as to how a person suffers on account of anger and hatred. All their knowledge and powers could not save Ravana or Hiranyakashipu. It is only God who can give protection. Developing enmity towards God, Ravana and Hiranyakashipu courted disaster. (SSS Vol.25), 17 Sep 1992
It is necessary for students to understand this scripture, its secrets, and the nature of the child Krishna. Bhagavatam rhymes with baagavutam, which means, we will improve. By listening to it, we will become better persons, permeated with devotion and wisdom. The Bhagavatham contains the fruits of all spiritual practices. (SSB 1995, p. 37)
Baagavatam’ is how the illiterate pronounce the word, Bhagavatam! Baagavataam means, let us become good. Yes! That must be the spirit in which you must take up the Bhagavatam for study. Enter into the spirit of the narration and imbibe the courage that restores the equilibrium of the mind. Then you can easily pace the path of Madhava, instead of the path of Manava (Man). Madhava means, the Master over Maya (Delusion due to ignorance). (Ma-Maya; Dhava-Master) Follow God and nothing can delude you, putting on the apparel of the real. (SSS Vol.7, p. 431)
The word Bhagavatamu has five syllables:
BHA stands for Bhakti (Devotion)
GA Jnanam (Wisdom)
VA Vairagyam (Detachment)
TA Tattvam (Nature)
MU Mukti (Liberation)
Therefore, the Bhagavatam is the gist of all scriptures and texts, the goal of all paths, the essence of all fruits. (SSB 1995, p. 37)
Bhagavatam chadivithe bagavatam in Telugu means, ‘If we study Bhagavatam, we shall become good.’ That is to say, Bhagavatam confers goodness on all. It contains the essence of all Vedas. (SSS Vol.32 Part II, p. 206)
Pothana, the great devotee and poet who wrote the Telugu Bhagavatamu dedicated his work to Lord Rama at the outset by saying that Rama was the real writer and he (Pothana) was a mere instrument in Rama’s hands. There is a greater spiritual significance in Pothana’s verse of dedication, which is a restatement of the famous Mahavakya viz., ‘Tat tvam asi (That-Thou-Art). In the present instance, Tat or ‘That’ is represented by the Divine Lord Rama, Tvam or ‘Thou’ by the poet - devotee Pothana, and Asi or ‘Art’ by the book Bhagavatamu. In other words, Bhagavan, Bhakta and Bhagavatam - God, the devotee and scripture are three in one. Moreover, the five letters ‘Bha-ga-va-ta-mu’ have their own spiritual significance. These five letters may be considered as the five elements, five senses, five sheaths or Pancha Koshas and life breaths or Pancha pranas. The letter Bha stands for Bhakti or devotion, Ga for Gyan or Jnana or Wisdom, Va for Vairagya or renunciation, Ta for Tattvam or realisation and Mu for mukti or liberation. Thus five letters represent the progressive steps for man’s liberation from bondage or ignorance. (I.C.S.-p. 159/160)
Do not think that Bhagavatam has no relevancy to the Veda Purusha Saptaha Jnana Yajna, for the Bhagavatam contains Vedasara itself. The Veda speaks in hymn after hymn of the Glory of God, known by various names as Indra, Varuna. Mithra etc. It is all Upasana filled with Bhakti, devotion to God, whom the Veda itself declares as One, ‘Though endowed with various Names.’ The Bhagavatam is Vedasara, the essence of Veda: made available for easy assimilation by all. It is just a limb of the Vedic Literature and as a limb it is an inseparable part of the Vedic tradition. The same blood flows in this limb too: it makes the Veda beautiful and Charming.
The Bhagavatam says that the stories and deeds of God are beyond comprehension. No one can understand His sports, but listening to them generates bliss in the heart and grants immortality. Such is the nature of the divinity. (SSB 1995, p. 23)
‘Students! Youth is a period characterized by unsteadiness. Youth can become prey to various kind of confusion. But it is also the golden period of life. You must achieve steadiness right now. Develop unwavering faith in god and remove the restlessness of your mind. Then life will have been well spent. There is nothing permanent in this world. This world is called Jagat. Why? Ja (going) + Gat (coming) is the nature of the world – birth and rebirth, creation and destruction, joy and sorrow. But divinity neither comes nor goes. This divine principle was given a written form by Vyasa in this scripture, Bhagavatam.
Vyasa composed both Mahabharata and Bhagavatam. For his greatness he is called shloka data – giver of divine verses. God is Loka data: Giver of the world itself. In spite of writing so many slokas, Vyasa’s soka (sorrow) did not come to an end. Why? When he wrote the Mahabharata, he described the fight between good and bad forces. As you think so you become. In visualizing Duryodhana and Dussashana, Vyasa himself became tainted. Whatever ‘actor’ you contemplate on, his actions enter your mind. That is why Naarada advised Vyasa, ‘Till now you wrote the Mahabharata. You composed this epic but sullied your heart in this process. You thought about both good and bad characters. Now write only good.’
The Vedas say- Tat Tvam Asi - You are That. Yat bhavam tad bhavati - You become whatever you think. When you constantly think of others’ faults, that bad enters you. How? When you have a camera in your hand, whichever direction you turn and click, that is the picture you will capture. Your body is like camera. Your vision is the lens, your heart is the film and your thoughts form the scene. Your intellect is the shutter. With your intellect, absorb only those impressions into your heart which are spiritual. If you think bad, it imprints on your heart. So do not encourage bad thoughts. Narada continued, so long you talked of the Kauravas’ bad deeds, how they troubled and cheated the Pandavas. Let go of the Kauravas’ sin. Let go of the Pandavas’ virtue as well. Brahmavid brahmaiva bhavati - Think of the Lord and you will become Him. When you wrote Mahabharata you thought of Prakriti (Nature, Creation) and not Purusha (God). So the restlessness of the God’s creation entered you. From tomorrow describe only the Lord, His sports and His qualities. You will achieve tranquillity without doubt. Thus, Bhagavatam came to be written.
We must experience at least a fraction of Vyasa’s feelings. Purification of the mind should come first. A pure mind results in God’s vision easily. Bhagavatam is an account of devotees experiences, their bliss and the close relations they had with Lord – all of which we must absorb. (SSB 1995, pp. 45-46)
Bhagavatam is full of devotion. But there is no one today with even thousandth part of Dhruva’s devotion and virtue. The sanctity of Bhagavatam is unsurpassed because it contains the lives of such exalted souls. But people neglect this scripture and even cast wrong accusations on it. Bhagavatam is nothing but God’s love from start to finish. But all cannot understand divine love. (SSB 1995, p. 70)
There are many stories, some strange in Bhagavatam. You might find them long or cumbersome. No, no. They are all ‘histories’. History means ‘His story’- stories of God. Unfortunately we are unable to appreciate the Bhagavatam. Hence we violate its teachings. Truly every verse of this scripture is pearl, a diamond. Bhagavatam was written for the very purpose of teaching the secrets of attaining God. Otherwise, why would Vyasa sit dispiritedly on the banks of river Saraswati after composing the 18 Puranas, and why would Narada go there and advise Him to compose Bhagavatam? Because there is no text greater than Bhagavatam. Why? The Bhagavatam alone explains the nature of God in entirety. (SSB 1995, p. 102)
Tyaja Durjana Samsargam
Bhaja Sadhu Samagamam
Kuru Punyam Ahoratram
Smara Nityam Anityataam
Renounce the company of the wicked.
Seek the company of the pious.
Perform good actions day and night.
Discriminate between the temporary and the permanent.
To understand the nature of God requires eligibility. Bhaagavatah Idam Bhagavatam —Bhagavatam speaks of God and His Divine sports. It is also said, Bhaagavataanaam Idam Bhagavatam —Bhagavatam describes the lives of devotees. Scholars have interpreted this scripture based on their individual outlooks. Truly, the Bhagavatam illustrates the intimate relation between God and His devotees. It is the bridge between the Lord and devotees. Four requisites are absolutely essential to understand and practice the message of the Bhagavatam. (SSB 1995, pp. 28-29)