Guest guest Posted June 24, 2003 Report Share Posted June 24, 2003 Hare Krishna! I had a question. As per my knowledge, Srimad Bhagavatam is the natural commentary on Vedanta-sutras and was compiled by Srila Vyasadeva after he compiled all the Vedic literature that includes all the Puranas. In Bhagavat it is explained that Srila Vyasadeva was feeling dissatisfied after compilation of Vedic literature. That is when Srila Narada advised him that he should glorify the Supreme Lord. So Srila Vyasa documented Bhagavata. But Bhagavata is one of the eighteen Puranas that he wrote, so how can we say that it was written by Srila Vyasadeva at the end as advised by Srila Narada? This would be a contradiction. So how can we address this contradiction to establish the quintessence of Srimad Bhagavatam? *********************************************************************** Vidyadhar M. Karmarkar Graduate Research Assistant Molecular Plant Breeding 419, Crop Science Building Department of Crop and Soil Science Oregon State University Corvallis, OR 97331. Phone: 541-737-5844 *********************************************************************** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 24, 2003 Report Share Posted June 24, 2003 achintya, "Karmarkar, Vidyadhar" <vidyadhar.karmarkar@o...> wrote: > I had a question. As per my knowledge, Srimad Bhagavatam is the natural > commentary on Vedanta-sutras and was compiled by Srila Vyasadeva after > he compiled all the Vedic literature that includes all the Puranas. In > Bhagavat it is explained that Srila Vyasadeva was feeling dissatisfied > after compilation of Vedic literature. That is when Srila Narada advised > him that he should glorify the Supreme Lord. So Srila Vyasa documented > Bhagavata. But Bhagavata is one of the eighteen Puranas that he wrote, > so how can we say that it was written by Srila Vyasadeva at the end as > advised by Srila Narada? This would be a contradiction. So how can we > address this contradiction to establish the quintessence of Srimad > Bhagavatam? > This is a very good question. It is correct that Srimad Bhagavatam was already compiled as one of the 18 Puranas. When Srila Vyasa felt despondent at not having emphasized the pure devotional service to the Lord, he then took the existing Bhagavata Purana and expanded upon it. Thus, it is said that he "wrote" or again compiled the Bhagavatam even though it was already existing in a more concise form (as one of the already existing 18 Puranas). This point is covered in Jiva Gosvami's Tattva-Sandarbha 48: atha tasyaiva prayojanasya brahmaanandaanubhavaadapi paramatvamanubhuutavaan | yatastaadR^isha.m shukamapi tadaanandavaishiShTyalambhanaaya taamadhyaapayaamaasetyaaha, sa sa.mhitaamiti | kR^itvaanukramya cheti prathamataH svaya.m sa.nkShepeNa kR^itvaa, pashchaattu shriinaaradopadeshaadanukrameNavivR^ityetyarthaH | ateva shriimadbhaagavata.m bhaarataanantara.m kR^itam yadatra shruuyate, yachchaanyatraShTaadashpuraaNaanantara.m bhaaratamiti, taddvayamapi samaahita.m syaat | brahmaanandaanubhavanimagnatvaat nivR^ittinirata.m sarvato nivR^ittau nirata.m tatravyabhichaaraNamapiityarthaH || 48 || Srila Vyasadeva experienced that this final goal [the bliss of pure love of God] is superior to even brahmaananda, the happiness derived from realizing the impersonal aspect of the Supreme. This we know because Vyaasadeva taught Shukadeva Gosvaamii Shriimad-Bhaagavatam so he could taste the special bliss derived from love of Godhead, even though Shukadeva was already absorbed in brahmaananda. Suta Gosvaamii states this in the verse beginning sa-sa.mhitaam (bhaag 1.7.8). In this verse the phrase kR^itvaanukramya (after compiling and revising) indicates that Vyaasadeva first wrote Shriimad-Bhaagavatam in an abbreviated form and that later on, after being instructed by Shrii Naarada Muni, he expanded and rearranged it. Thus two apparently contradictory statements are reconciled - one found here (in the Bhaagavatam) saying that the Bhaagavatam was composed after the Mahaabhaarata, and the other found elsewhere (in the Skanda Puraana, Prabhaasa-khanda 2.94), saying that the Mahaabhaarata was compiled after the eighteen Puraanas. The word nivR^itti-nirata (attached to renunciation) implies that because of his absorption in the bliss of Brahman, Shrii Shukadeva was living a life of complete renunciation, from which he never deviated. (Tattva-Sandarbha Anuchchheda 48) (Satyanarayana's translation) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 25, 2003 Report Share Posted June 25, 2003 Hare Krishna! Thank you very much. Vidyadhar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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