The glories of  Shrimad-Bhagavatam.

 

 

     Suta Gosvami said, “Unto that personality Who all of the demigods, headed by Brahma, praise- Who the perfected yogis see within their minds, after fixing themselves in trance- unto that Supreme Personality of Godhead, I offer my humble obeisances.”

     “When Lord Kurma’s back was being scratched by the sharp stones on Mount Mandara, which was whirling about, it made Him sleepy. Winds were then created by the Lord’s breathing, in this sleepy condition, and ever since that time, the ocean has imitated His inhalation and exhalation by coming in and going out as tides.”

       The number of verses of each of the eighteen maha-puranas is herein listed. Shrila Jiva Gosvami quotes from the Matsya Purana that Shrila Vyasadeva compiled these Puranas first, and then later, Mahabharata, which contains the essence of the Puranas.

     Shrimad-Bhagavatam was first imparted by the Supreme Lord to Brahma, when he was bewildered, while seated upon the lotus flower that had grown from the navel of Garbodakashayi Vishnu. From this, we should understand that Shrimad-Bhagavatam is eternal and nondifferent from the Absolute Truth.

     If, on the full moon day of the month of Bhadra, one places Shrimad-Bhagavatam on a golden throne and gives it as a gift, he will attain the supreme transcendental destination. All other scriptures shine forth in the assembly of saintly devotees, only so long as that great ocean of nectar, Shrimad-Bhagavatam, is not heard. Shrimad-Bhagavatam is the essence of all Vedanta philosophy. One who has felt satisfaction from its nectarean mellow will never be attracted to any other literature.

 

                                namna-ganam yatha ganga

                                      devanam achyuto yatha

                                 vaishnavanam yatha sambhuh

                                       purananam idam tatha

 

     “Just as the Ganga is the greatest of all rivers- Lord Achyuta, the supreme among all deities- and Lord Shiva, the greatest of Vaishnavas- so, Shrimad-bhagavatam is the greatest of all Puranas.

 

                                  shrimad-bhagavatam puranam amalam yad vaishnavanam priyam…..

 

     “Shrimad-Bhagavatam is the spotless Purana and it is most dear to the Vaishnavas. Anyone who seriously tries to understand Shrimad-Bhagavatam, who properly hears and chants it with devotion, becomes completely liberated.”

 

     Just as Arjuna was put into confusion so that Bhagavad-Gita might be spoken, Maharaja Parikshit was cursed to die, so that Shukadeva Gosvami could speak Shrimad-Bhagavatam.

      

The final verse of Shrimad-Bhagavatam:

 

 

                              nama-sankirtana yasya

                                      sarva-papa-pranashanam

                               pranamo duhkha-samanas

                                       tam namami harim param

 

     “I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Hari, the congregational chanting of Whose holy names destroys all sinful reactions, and the offering of obeisances unto Whom relieves all material suffering.”

 

                               Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

                                Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

                                Hare Rama Hare Rama

                                 Rama Rama Hare Hare