srimadbhagavtham-skandha1-chapter1

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Jai Srimannarayana!

Introduction to srimadbhagavatham

 

Ithihasas and Puranas are composed for the purpose of explaining the

messages in the vedas in such a way that even common people can

understand. That is why they are known as suhrdsamhitha, counselling

like a friend,suhrd, while vedas are called prabhu samhitha, command of the

master as they contain injunctions and prohibitions.Hence Puranas are not fairy

tales.

 

 

Leelasuka in his krishna karnamrtha advises those who are tired of

trying to learn the difficult meanings of upanishads to go to Gokula and see the

essence of the upanishads tied to the mortar. This shows the lucidity of the

puranas in teaching the obtruse truths thst are

contained in the upanishads.

 

Pura:nam means pura: api navam, it is ever new. This explains the

popularity of the ithihasas and puranas even now. Of all the puranas

Bhagavathapurana is most important as it is the only one prefixed with

'sri' as Srimadbhagavatha puranam.

 

Bhagavatha purana was composed by Vyasa advised by the sage Narada to

cure him of his mental depression and he taught this to his son Suka who told it

to Parikshit. Sootha pouranika who belonged to the clan of story tellers of

yore retold it to the sages in Naimisaranya and thus it was spread in the world.

 

The Bhagavathapurana is extolled as the essence of the vedas,is of

supreme merit and is called adhyAthmadeepa, the light of the self,it is loved by

good men free from blemishes of character. It is beneficial to the whole

humanity,and removes the three kinds of duhkha, namely, Adhidaivika, calamities

due to karma or fate, Adhibouthika,obstacles due to other beings, and

adhyAthma, troubles that come from one's own nature.It is said that when one

wishes to read or hear Bhagavatha the Lord appears in his heart.

 

Bhagavathapuranam is an incomparable work on bhakthi. It is related by

Suka who is a brahmajnani. Bhakthi is extolled as being even greater

than mukthi.

 

Bhagavathapurana was told to Parikshit in seven days. On the first day, it was

till varahavathara, on second day till jatabharatha episode, on the third till

amrthamathanam,on the fourth till krishnavathara, on the fifth till

Rukminikalyanam, on the sixth day it was till uddhavasamva:dha and the last day

the purana was finished. It has been the practice to read Bhagavatham in the

same order for seven days which is known as Bhagavathasaptha:ham. We shall now

enjoy the nector of srimadbha:gavatham in detail.

 

 

 

Skandha1

chapter1-The preamble

 

The first four slokas of srimadbhagvatham are very important and they

will be dealt with in detail. The first sloka of the purana is,

 

to be continued ... Follow the digest everyday and let us all get educated ...

 

 

Jai Srimannarayana!