Srimad BhAgavtam:Commentaries-1

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Wed, 1 Sep 1999 07:21:33 +0100 (BST)

Bharat Asur <asurbharat

Sri BH

kbharat

 

Dear BhAgavatottama-

While we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Sri Krishna

this year,Mani suggested I should give a short write-up

about the various commentaries on Srimad Bhagavatham

which has been the source book for so many Vaishnava

Sampradayas in the past.In summarising the

facts available,my main sources are Pandit Baldev

Upadhyay's series of volumes on Bhagavata Darsan,

and Sri N.Raghunathan's superb translation and

notes on Srimad Bhagavatham.

 

There is a saying in Sanskrit <vidyAvatAm BhAgavatE

parIksha> -it is the touchstone of one's learning.

Hence it has attracted a host of commentators

through the centuries,belonging to all schools

of Krishna worshippers.

 

1.SrIdhara swamI - "BhAvArtha-dIpikA"

 

This is the oldest and most influential commentary

available today,though he himself refers to an earlier

commentary by ChitsukhAchArya.He was a Nrisimha upAsaka

and advaitin.He also wrote commentaries on Sri VishNu

PurANam and GItA.His philosophical leanings haven't

prevented AchAryAs of other schools from praising his

commentary.In fact excepting where they differ,most of

them have simply repeated his words.Sri Chaitanya had

great regard for him .It is narrated by Sri NAbhAdAs

in his BhaktamAl,that SrIdhara wrote the commentary at

the command of his guru ParamAnanda at KASI,and as a

test it was placed before Lord BindumAdhava with other

books,and after a 'prahara' the curtain was removed

to find SrIdhara's work right on top of the other

works.

SrIdhara's period is considered to be 1300-1350 AD

 

(VISISHTADVAITA COMMENTARIES)

2.SudarSana SUrI - "Suka-pakshIyam"

 

This is a short commentary by Sri Sruta-prakASikAcharya.

It was later elaborated by -

 

3.VIrarAghava - "BhAgavata-ChandrikA"

 

He was the son of SrISailaguru belonging to SrIvatsa gotra

and belonged to the 14th cent.This is a very detailed commentary

where every single word of the original text is explained.

 

(DVAITA COMMENTARY)

 

4.Vijayadhvaja - "Pada-RatnAvalI"

 

The founder of Dvaita schoolSri Ananda TIrtha has written

a work called "BhAgavatha-tAtparya-nirNaya" which is not

a regular commentary.Hence his follower Vijayadhvaja wrote

a full commentary in which he has acknowledged his debt to

the works of Sri AnandatIrtha and another AchArya Vijaya-

Tirtha(whose work is not extant).The text is conspicuous

for its substantial additions,as well as variant readings.

 

(VALLABHA SAMPRADAYA )

 

5.VallabhAchArya - "SubodhinI"

 

Sri Vallabha belongs to the SuddhAdvaita school.His

commentary,excepting touching upon a few earlier

Skandhas,is almost totally on the DaSama Skandha.The

commentary is simple and totally devotional.Another

AchArya of this school Giridhar MaharAj has also

written a commentary which goes much deeper into

the individual sectors and elaborates and

supplements the earlier book.

 

(NIMBARKA or HAMSA SAMPRADAYA)

 

6.SukadEvAchArya - "SiddhAnta-pradIpa"

 

He was a follower of SrI NimbArka,the founder of the

school,and his commentary is comprehensive,while

others of the school have written commentaries on

specific sections like RAsa-LIlA.

 

(CHAITANYA SAMPRADAYA or GAUDIYA VAISHNAVISM)

 

7.SanAtana GOswAmI - "Brhad-vaishNava-tOshiNI"

 

While sri Chaitanya considered SrIdhara's commentary

as adequate,some of his followers wrote various

commentaries,of which this is the oldest and

considered the most authoritative.It however

deals with the DaSama Skandha only.

 

8.JIva GOswAmI - "Krama-Sandarbha"

 

He was the son of Roopa and nephew of SanAtana

GoswAmI- who were the immediate disciples of

Sri Chaitanya.He was a geat scholar and

he wrote the commentary in seven sections,each

called a "sandarbha",of which this was the

seventh.

 

9.ViSvanAtha ChakravarthI - "SArArtha-DarSinI"

 

He has written a simple commentary in which he

has put together the gist of the commentaries

of SrIdhara SwAmI,Prabhu Chaitanya and his guru.

while he is generally in sympathy with the school

sometimes he takes an independent stand.

 

 

Out of the above main works,with the exception of

Brhad-VaishNava-tOshiNI,the other eight were

published together from VrndAvan in 1958.I have

seen a copy in Madras Sanskrit college library.

But it is not generally available.

 

There were many other commentaries on SrImad BhAgavatham

which are referred to here and there.For example

JIva GOswAmI mentions works like,Hanumad-BhAshya,

VAsanA-BhAshya,SambandhOkti,Vidvat-kAmadhEnu,Tattva-

DipikA,BhAvArtha-DIpikA,Paramahamsa-PriyA and

Suka-Hrdayam.

 

There was a great devotional poet called SrIHari

who was a brahmin belonging to KASyapa gOtra,and

who lived on the banks of GOdAvarI.He wrote a

poem of 5000 SlOkas as a commentary on the first

half of DaSama Skandha.Called "Hari-bhakti-rasAyanam"

its date is taken to be 1759 AD.While being a

commentary it is also an independent imaginative

work.

To show that both these could be possible

simultaneously let us see this example:

As is well-known,while VasudEva carried the baby

Krishna to Gokula on his head,the deep and roaring

Yamuna suddenly became shallow to allow his passage.

While narrating this incident the poet reasons

within himself:why did she suddenly come down to

the level of Vasudeva's throat or waist or knee

at various places? Because she knew that the baby

Krishna had already started wondering how He would

be able have water-sports with the Gopis in the

future if the river was so deep;and so in order

to set His mind at rest she gave a preview of her

ability to adapt herself to circumstances!-

 

<AgAdhE jalE-syAh katham vAmbu-kElir

mamA-grE vidhEyE-ti SankAm pramArshtum

kvachi-jjAnu-daghnA kvachi-nnAbhi-daghnA

kvachit-kanTha-daghnA cha sA kim tadAnIm ?>

 

 

EmberumAnAr TiruvaDigaLE SaraNam!

[Guest guest]

Dear Sriman Bharat :

 

What a beautiful ,scholarly and comprehensive

summary that you have provided us on

the various commentaries on Srimath BhAgavatham .

It is so wonderful to have this avathArikA to

the significant commentaries of sampradhAyAs

that celebrate this source grantham.

 

In and around PalakkAdu and GuruvAyUr , there

were some commentators on Srimath Bhaagavatham ,

which I wrote about few years ago in TattvAlOkam

Journal.I have lost track of that article.

It will be wonderful , if you have acess to

information on these devout KrishNa BhakthAs

from KeraLA , who wrote commentaries

like Sri Vaasudeva Bhattadhiri, KunjuNNI nambhudhti et al.

 

Besides the anubhavam of commentators (likitha

and Vaachika Kaimkaryams ) , the whole set of anubhavams of

the KaayikA ( bodily kaimkaryam ) to offer devotional

service to Sri KrishNA clebrated in the dasama skhandham

is a tradition we want to remember on this

Sri Jayanthi time . Many original literary works

(AzhwAr's anubhavam of Sri KrishNa Leelais)

and derivative works from Srimadh BhAgavatham

have provided the grist for the mills of Sri KrishNa

Bhakthaas and classical and folk dancers from the many

corners of India . The dance drama of BhaamA Kalaapam

performed by Kuchipudi dancers from KusElapuram of

KRISHNAA District of Andhra pradEsh, the Odissi dances

influenced by Sri Jaya DevA's Geetha Govindham ,

The influences of great MalayALI poets Ezhuthacchan

( 17th century)on Bhaagavatham , Cherussery NambhUdhri's

KrishNa gathA ,( 15th century) , Aatta kathA literature

for KathakaLI are expressions of Kaayika KrishNa Bhakthi.

The devotional , highly stylized and sophisticated

Bharatha Naatyam has been deeply involved in

the spreading of Sri KrishNa Bhakthi for a long

time against the backdrop of our Temples along

with the divine service of Arayars .

 

Thanks and thanks again for such a lovely

and informative posting for the archives

on Srimath BhAgavatham on this day dear to

Sri KrishNA .

 

Sarvam KrishNArpaNam asthu,

V.Sadagopan