Vyasadeva may or may not know

[Guest guest]

> How is it that Vyasadeva, the literary incarnation of Sri Krishna,

> "may know or *may not* know the Srimad-Bhagavatam" ?

 

The following is an excerpt from a lecture given by Srila Gour Govinda

Swami:

 

"The Srimad-Bhagavatam was first spoken in Bhubaneswar, which is also known

as Ekamra-kanana. Sivaji was speaking it to Parvati Devi. Sivaji said:

 

aham vedmi suko vetti vyaso vetti na vetti va

bhaktya bhagavatam grahyam na buddhya na ca tikaya

 

"I know Bhagavata, Sukadeva knows it, but I do not know if Vyasadeva knows

it or not. The Bhagavata can only be understood by bhakti." Not just by dint

of one's intelligence, scholarship or by taking help from the commentaries."

- Cc.Madhya 24.313

 

Thus Lord Siva spoke the Bhagavata to the goddess Parvati here in this

Ekamra-kanana, Bhubaneswar Dham. At that time a parrot was also listening.

'Suka' literally means 'parrot.' First Parvati-devi was listening and

saying; 'Hmm, hmm, hmm.' But when Parvati fell asleep then only that parrot

- suka was listening. The parrot was then saying; 'hmm, hmm, hmm.' When

Sivaji finally noticed that Parvati had fallen asleep he thought: "Who is

saying 'hmm, hmm, hmm?' Then he saw the parrot and Sivaji ran after it but

the parrot flew away. That suka then entered into the womb of Vyasadeva's

wife and later came out as Sukadeva Gosvami. Therefore Sukadeva knows the

Bhagavatam." <end of quote>

 

On other occasions Maharaja explained that Sivaji said, "vyaso vetti na

vetti va" because Lord Siva was aware that Sukadeva knew Srimad Bhagavatam

because he had heard from him (Lord Siva). But whether Vyasa knows or not he

could not say.

 

Das anudas, Madhavananda Das