Purana2

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All these Puranas describe five subjects. The Amarkhasa describes the Puranas

as follows:

 

sargas ca pratisarga ca

vamsa manvantarani ca

vamsanu caritam capi

puranam panca laksanam

 

A Purana describes;

 

1) SARGA (Creation)

 

2) PRATISARGA (Recreation)

 

3) VAMSA (History of the sages)

 

4) MANVANTARA (Periods of Manu)

 

5) VAMSANUCARITA (Geneology of Kings)

 

 

Ref. Chapter 12, Puranic Literatures.

 

 

THE GREATNESS OF SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM.

 

After compiling the Vedic Literatures, Puranas, etc., Vyasadeva was still

feeling unsatisfied. While thinking in this way Narada Muni reached the cottage

of Vyasadeva and was asked about the cause of dissatisfaction. Narada Muni

explained that because he (Vyasadeva) did not directly describe Krsna's

pastimes, and instead gave a license to enjoy sense gratification under

religious principles, he was remaining unsatisfied. Narada then instructed

Vyasadeva in the (Catur Sloka), S.B. 2:9:33-36; the essence of the Veda.

Vyasadeva took these four verses and expanded them to compile the Srimad

Bhagavatam, which is known as the ripened fruit of Vedic literature because it

directly describes Krsna's transcendental pastimes.

 

Ref. S.B. Canto 1, chapter 5.

 

 

Krsna instructed------------------Catur sloka to

| |

| |

Brahma Brahma

| |

| |

Veda Narada

| |

| |

Samhitas - Verses Vyasa

| |

Brahmanas - City life Expanded the four verses

| and compiled Srimad

Aranyakas - Forest life Bhagavatam which is the

| ripened fruit of Vedic

| knowledge.

Upanisads - Philosophy |

| Sukadeva

Essence

|

__________|__________

| |

Bhagavad-gita Upanisad

 

Also Bhagavatam was originally spoken by (SB 3.8.10):

 

Lord Sankarsana

|

Sanat-kumaras------------Narada (after 230 yrs of Krsna' disapp)

|

Sankhyayana rsi

|

Parasara rsi

|

Maitreya rsi

|

Vidura

 

>From Bhagavata Mahatmya, Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda:

 

30 years after Krsna

disappeared from the planet : Sukadeva Goswami speaks

Bhadra Navami Bhagavatam to Maharaj Parikshit

 

200 years later : Gokarna recited Bhagavatam to Dhundhukari

Asadha Navami

 

30 years later : Kumaras recited to Narada Muni

Kartik Navami

 

Many years later : Suta Goswami to Saunaka & Naimisaranya sages

 

 

padau yadiyau prathama dvitiyau

tritiyaturyau kathitau yaduru

nabhistatha pancama eva sasto

bhujantaram doryugalam yathanyau

mukharavindam dasamam praphullam

ekadasau yasya lalatha pathakam

siro pi yad dvadasa eva bati

tamadidevam karuna nidhanam

tamala varnam suhitavataram

aparasamsara samudra setum

bhajamehe bhagavata svarupam

 

Translation:

 

I meditate on the most merciful Sri Krsna. Whose bodily hue is like a tamala

tree. He has appeared for everyone's benefit in the form of Srimad Bhagavatam.

The Srimad-Bhagavatam is like a bridge for crossing over the unending ocean of

birth and death.

The first and second cantos are His lotus feet.

The third and fourth cantos are His two thighs.

The fifth canto is His navel (waist).

The seventh and eighth are His mighty shoulders.

The ninth canto is His throat (neck).

The tenth canto is His face, which is like a fully bloomed lotus flower.

The eleventh canto is His forehead.

The twelth canto is His head.

(Padma Purana).

 

krsna sva-dhamopagate

dharma-jnanadibhih saha

kalau nasta-drsam esa

puranarko 'dhunoditah

 

This Bhagavata Purana is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just after

the departure of Lord Krsna to His own abode, accompanied by religion,

knowledge, etc. Persons who have loost their vision due to the dense darkness

of ignorance in the age of Kali shall get light from this Purana.

(S.B. 1.3.43)

 

The Srimad Bhagavatam describes 10 subjects:

 

1) Creation of the universe

2) Subcreation

3) The planetary systems

4) Protection by Krsna

5) The creative impetus

6) The change of Manus

7) The science of God

8) Returning back to Godhead

9) Liberation

10) Summum bonum

(S.B. 2:10:1)

 

KRSNA'S THREE ENERGIES

 

visnu saktih para prokta

ksetre-jnakhya titha para

avidya-karma samjnaya

tritiya saktir isyate

 

The Supreme Lord has diverse and innumerable energies which are beyond our

conception; however, great learned sages or liberated souls have studied these

energies and have analyzed them into three parts. All of the energies are of

visnu-sakti, that is to say they are different potencies of Lord Visnu. The

first energy is para, transcendental. Living entities also belong to the

superior energy. The other energies, or material energies, are in the mode of

ignorance.

 

(Visnu Purana 6.7.61 quoted in Bg. page 26).

 

 

1) ANTARANGA SAKTI - Internal Potency (Yoga-maya)

 

sat - samvit - external potency

cit - sandhini - knowledge potency

ananda - hladini - pleasure potency

 

2) BAHIRANGA SAKTI - External Energy (Maha-maya)

 

a) bhumih - earth

b) apah - water

c) analah - fire

d) vayuh - air

e) kham - ether

f) manah - mind

g) buddhih - intelligence

h) ahankara - false ego

(Bg. 7.4)

 

3) TATASTHA SAKTI - Marginal Potency (Living Entities)

(Bg. 7.5; 15.7)

 

Krsna is the saktimana or the source of all energy.

(Bg. 7.6)

 

a) The spiritual energy is eternal, full of knowledge and

bliss. It is transcendental and beyond all changes of

material nature.

 

b) The external energy is the exact opposite and is therefore

temporary, full of ignorance and misery. It is mundane and

always changing.

 

c) The marginal energy (jiva) also belongs to the spiritual

energy, but because he has the independence to be either in the

spiritual world or the material world, he is called marginal.

 

The whole manifestation is the Lord himself by diffusion of His different

energies only, namely the internal, external and marginal. Such energy is

siultaneously one with and different from the Lord

(acintya-bheda-abheda-tattva).

(S.B. 2.9.27)

 

The material world is also called Durga or jail. Just as the jail is for those

people who break the laws of the government, this material world is created for

those souls who do not like to accept Krsna's supremacy. Just as the pupose of

the jail is to reform criminals, in the same way the purpose of creation is to

reform the conditioned soul or to get rid of his criminal desire to use Krsna's

property without Krsna.

(S.B. 2.10.46) (S.B. 2.9.19 purport)

 

Next Purana3: The first subject of the Puranas: SARGA - CREATION