Bhagavatam Question

[Guest guest]

Dear devotees,

 

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada the

founder acarya of ISKCON.

 

1. Some time back I had given this exercise to my 2 sons, bhakta Anurag (10

years), bhakta Caitanya (8 years), to count the number of chapters and

number of Verses/Shlokas in each canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam. I had

hinted them there are 18000 verses in total and their final numbers must

tally with this total.

 

They have completed the exercise and discovered that there are only 14094

verses in the BBT published version of Srimad Bhagavatam. The total

chapters are 335 which are correct but the number of verses is not counting

to 18000. Is it that there are still about 3906 verses unpublished or there

is a discrepancy in the way BBT have numbered the verses, or there is a

mistake in our counting? I hope some one has the correct information on

this.

 

This may be one reason for us completing the SB faster than 7 days, as that

is roughly 22% missing shlokas, if they are really missing.

 

2. There is difference in speed of silent reading and loud reading (speaking

out). At Dravida Prabhu's "super speed" of chanting shlokas definitely it

will be completed in less than 1/3 the time of 7 days. Sukadeva Goswami

roughly takes 2 shlokas per minute with minor breaks in between. I

calculated 18000/10080 minutes for 7 days. Dravida Prabhu may take minimum 6

shlokas per minute. I timed his cassette. My speed is 3 shlokas per

minute. (I timed myself with a watch by reading Sanskrit shlokas, those

which I have not memorised loudly.).

 

3. Like Lilananda Prabhu said, there may be some breaks in between for other

dina nitya krtyas, like taking bath etc,.as there was a very large audience.

 

But the point 1 above is very important among the above. Does any one have

any answer for that point. I had asked this a couple of months back, but so

far no answer recieved.

 

Your humble servant,

Bhadra Govinda Dasa.