Kṛṣṇa · Sanskrit §51 · English §55
Source[५१] तथा, येन येनावतारेण इत्य् आदि यत् शृण्वतोऽपैत्य् अरतिः [भ्प् १०.७.१-२] इत्य् आदि च । टीका च - कृष्णार्भक-सुधा-सिन्धु-सम्प्लवानन्द-निर्भरः । भूयस् तद् एव सम्प्रष्टुं राजान्यद् अभिनन्दति ॥ येन येन मत्स्याद्यवतारेणापि यानि कर्माणि करोति तानि नः कर्ण- सुखावहानि मनः प्रीति-कराणि च भवन्त्य् एव । तथापि यच् छृण्वतः पुंसः पुं-मात्रस्यारतिर् मनो-ग्लानिस् तन्-मूल-भूता विविधा तृष्णा चापगच्छति, तथा सत्त्व-शुद्धि-हरि-भक्ति-हरि-दास्य-सख्यानि च भवन्त्य् अचिरेणैव तद् एवं हारं हरेश् चरितं मनोहरं वा वद अनुग्रहं यदि करोषि इत्य् एषा । ॥ १०.७ ॥ राजा ॥ ५१ ॥
[51] tathā, yena yenāvatāreṇa ity ādi yat śṛṇvato'paity aratiḥ [BhP 10.7.1-2] ity ādi ca | ṭīkā ca - kṛṣṇārbhaka-sudhā-sindhu-samplavānanda-nirbharaḥ | bhūyas tad eva sampraṣṭuṃ rājānyad abhinandati || yena yena matsyādyavatāreṇāpi yāni karmāṇi karoti tāni naḥ karṇa- sukhāvahāni manaḥ prīti-karāṇi ca bhavanty eva | tathāpi yac chṛṇvataḥ puṃsaḥ puṃ-mātrasyāratir mano-glānis tan-mūla-bhūtā vividhā tṛṣṇā cāpagacchati, tathā sattva-śuddhi-hari-bhakti-hari-dāsya-sakhyāni ca bhavanty acireṇaiva tad evaṃ hāraṃ hareś caritaṃ manoharaṃ vā vada anugrahaṃ yadi karoṣi ity eṣā | || 10.7 || rājā || 51 ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 55
Anuccheda 55
Text 1
Maharaja Pariksit and Sukadeva Gosvami were both great devotees of the Lord. They are described in the following verses (Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.15-16):
"Maharaja Pariksit, the grandson of the Pandavas, was fropm his very childhood a great devotee of the Lord. Even while playing with dolls he used to worship Lord Krsna by imitating the worship of the family Deity."
"Sukadeva Gosvami, the son of Vyasadeva, was also full in transcendental knowledge amd was great devotee of Lord Krsna, son of Vasudeva. So there must have been discussion of Lord Krsna, who is glorified by great philosophers and in the company of great devotees."*
The word "ca" (also) in this verse refers the reader to the description of Maharaja Pariksit and Sukadeva Gosvami are both equally exalted devotees of the Lord. We may also note that the word "vasudeva" used in this verse means "Sri Krsna, the son of the Maharaja Vasudeva". The words "satam samagame" and "urugayasya gunodarah" indicate that although great devotees are generally engaged in glorifyung the various forms of the Supreme Lord, Maharaja Pariksit and Sukadeva Gosvami will converse specifically about the transcendental pastimes of Lord Krsna.
Kṛṣṇa · Sanskrit §52 · English §56
Source[५२] अथ श्री-शुकदेवस्य अपि मे भगवान् प्रीतः कृष्णः पाण्डु-सुत-प्रियः [भ्प् १.१९.३५] इत्य् आदिना श्री-कृष्ण एव स्व-रतिं व्यज्य म्रियमाणानां श्रोतव्यादि- प्रश्नेनैवान्त-काले श्री-कृष्ण एव मय्य् उपदिश्यताम् इति राजाभिप्रायानन्तरं - वरीयान् एष ते प्रश्नः कृतो लोक-हितं नृप । आत्मवित् सम्मतः पुंसां श्रोतव्यादिषु यः परः ॥ [भ्प् २.१.१] ते त्वया पुंसां श्रोतव्यादिषु मध्ये यः परः श्री-कृष्ण- श्रवणाभिप्रायेण परमः प्रश्नः कृत एष वरीयान् सर्वावतारावतारि- प्रश्नेभ्यः परम-महान् । लोक-हितं यथा स्यात् तथैव कृतः । त्वं तु तथाभूत-श्री-कृष्णैक-निबद्ध-प्रेमत्वात् कृतार्तह् एवेति भावः । तद् उक्तम् - वैयासकेर् इति वचस्-तत्त्व-निश्चयम् आत्मनः । उपधार्य मतिं कृष्णे औत्तरेयः सतीं व्यधात् ॥ [भ्प् २.४.१] सती विद्यमाना कृष्णे या मतिस् ताम् एव विशेषेण धृतवान् इत्य् अर्थः । एतद् एव व्यक्तीकरिष्यते राज्ञा - हरेर् अद्भुत-वीर्यस्य कथा लोक-सुमङ्गला । कथयस्व महाभाग यथाहम् अखिलात्मनि । कृष्णे निवेश्य निःसङ्गं मनस् त्यक्ष्ये कलेवरम् ॥ इति [भ्प् २.८.२] ॥ २.१ ॥ श्री-शुकः ॥ ५२ ॥
[52] atha śrī-śukadevasya api me bhagavān prītaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ pāṇḍu-suta-priyaḥ [BhP 1.19.35] ity ādinā śrī-kṛṣṇa eva sva-ratiṃ vyajya mriyamāṇānāṃ śrotavyādi- praśnenaivānta-kāle śrī-kṛṣṇa eva mayy upadiśyatām iti rājābhiprāyānantaraṃ - varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ kṛto loka-hitaṃ nṛpa | ātmavit sammataḥ puṃsāṃ śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ || [BhP 2.1.1] te tvayā puṃsāṃ śrotavyādiṣu madhye yaḥ paraḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa- śravaṇābhiprāyeṇa paramaḥ praśnaḥ kṛta eṣa varīyān sarvāvatārāvatāri- praśnebhyaḥ parama-mahān | loka-hitaṃ yathā syāt tathaiva kṛtaḥ | tvaṃ tu tathābhūta-śrī-kṛṣṇaika-nibaddha-prematvāt kṛtārtah eveti bhāvaḥ | tad uktam - vaiyāsaker iti vacas-tattva-niścayam ātmanaḥ | upadhārya matiṃ kṛṣṇe auttareyaḥ satīṃ vyadhāt || [BhP 2.4.1] satī vidyamānā kṛṣṇe yā matis tām eva viśeṣeṇa dhṛtavān ity arthaḥ | etad eva vyaktīkariṣyate rājñā - harer adbhuta-vīryasya kathā loka-sumaṅgalā | kathayasva mahābhāga yathāham akhilātmani | kṛṣṇe niveśya niḥsaṅgaṃ manas tyakṣye kalevaram || iti [BhP 2.8.2] || 2.1 || śrī-śukaḥ || 52 ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 56
Anuccheda 56
Text 1
What is the need to explain this point any further? Lord Krsna's pastimes are described, to theexclusion of any other topic, in the Tenth and Eleventh Cantos of Srimad-Bhagavatam, which constitute half of the entire book. Other forms of the Lord are summarily described in the first Nine Cantos,whereas the pastimes of Lord Krsna are elaborately described in the Tenth and Eleventh Cantos. We may therefore conclude that the descripiton of Lord Krsna is the principal subject matterof the Bhagavatam. We may also note that Sukadeva Gosvami begins the teaching of hte Bhagavatam by appealing for the mercy of Sri Krsna (Srimad-Bhagvatam 2.4.20) in the following words:
Text 2
"May Lord Sri Krsna, who is the worshipable Lord of all devotees, the protector and glory of all the kings like Andhaka and Vrsni of hte Yadu dynasty, the husband of all the goddesses of fortune, the director of all sacrifices and therefore the leader of all living entities, the controller of all intelligence, and the supreme incarnation on the earth (the supreme all in all), be merciful upon me."*
Kṛṣṇa · Sanskrit §53 · English §57
Source[५३] एवम् एव कथितो वंश-विस्तारम् [भ्प् १०.१.१] इत्य् आद्य्-अनन्तरं सम्यग्- व्यवसिता बुद्धिः [भ्प् १०.१.१५] इत्य् आदि । पूर्वं मया नानावतारादि-कथाभिर् अभिनन्दितस्यापि यत् श्री-वसुदेव- नन्दनस्यैव कथायां नैष्ठिकी स्थायि-रूपा रतिर् जाता एषा बुद्धिस् तु सम्यग्-व्यवसिता परम-विदग्धेत्य् अर्थः ॥ ॥ १०.१ ॥ श्री-शुकः ॥ ५३ ॥
[53] evam eva kathito vaṃśa-vistāram [BhP 10.1.1] ity ādy-anantaraṃ samyag- vyavasitā buddhiḥ [BhP 10.1.15] ity ādi | pūrvaṃ mayā nānāvatārādi-kathābhir abhinanditasyāpi yat śrī-vasudeva- nandanasyaiva kathāyāṃ naiṣṭhikī sthāyi-rūpā ratir jātā eṣā buddhis tu samyag-vyavasitā parama-vidagdhety arthaḥ || || 10.1 || śrī-śukaḥ || 53 ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 57
Anuccheda 57
Text 1
Srila Vyasadeva also says that Sri Krsna is the primary subject of Srimad-Bhagavatam (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.6-7):
"The material miseries of the living entity, which are superflous to him can be directly mitigated by the linking process of devotional service. But hte mass of people do not know this, and therefore the learned Vyasadeva compiled this Vedic literature, which is in relation to the Supreme Truth."*
Text 2
"Simply by giving aural reception to this Vedic literature, the feeling for loving devotional service to Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, sprouts up at once to extinguish the fire of lamentation, illusion and fearfulness."*
Text 3
The name "Adhoksaja" in this verse (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.6 second line) a name of Lord Krsna. The derivation of this name is given in the following words of the Vasudeva-mahatmya section of the Hari-vamsa(Visnu-parva 101.30-32):
When infant Krsna was resting in His cradle, a powerful, gigantic and terrible demonness named Putana disguised herself as a beautiful young woman and attempted to kill Krsna by offering her breast, which had been smeared with poison, for the tiny child to suck. When the cowherd men and gopis saw that the gigantic demoness had instead been killed by the tiny child Krsna, they excalimed: "Our chld is rescued! It is as if He has attained another birth(ja) unseen by us(adhoksa)! Because of this exclaimation by the cowherd men, Lord Krsna is known as 'Adhoksaja' (He who, unseen by hte cowherd men, was born again.)"
Text 4
The author of the Sri-Bhagavan-nama-kaumudi glorifies the Lord giving the following elaborate derivation of the name "Krsna" (Bhagavan-nama-kaumudi 3.6):
"The name 'Krsna' may mean: 1. He whose complexion is blackish as a tamala tree, 2. the small child who drank the breast milk of Mother Yasoda, or 3. the Supreme Brahman."
Text 5
The name Krsna is also mentioned in the Chandogya Upanisad of the Sama Veda, which says:
"I offer my respectful obeisances to Sri Krsna, the son of Devaki."
As previously mentioned (in Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.7 quoted in Anuccheda 57, text 2), simply by hearing the message of Srimad-Bhagavatam, one attains devotional service to Lord Krsna, the actual perfection of life.
Kṛṣṇa · Sanskrit §54 · English §58
Source[५४] तथा, इत्थं द्विजा यादव-देव-दत्तः श्रुत्वा स्व-रातुश् चरितं विचित्रम् [भ्प् १०.१२.४०] इत्य् अनन्तरं - इत्थं स्म पृष्टः स तु बादरायणिस् तत्-स्मारितानन्त-हृताखिलेन्द्रियः । कृच्छ्रात् पुनर् लब् ध-बहिर्-दृशिः शनैः प्रत्याह तं भागवतोत्तमोत्तम ॥ [भ्प् १०.१२.४४] अनन्तः प्रकटित-पूर्णैश्वर्यः श्री-कृष्णः । सर्वदा तेन स्मर्यमाणेऽपि तस्मिन् प्रतिक्षणं नव्यत्वेन तत्-स्मारितेत्य् उक्तम् ॥ ॥ १०.१२ ॥ श्री-सुतः ॥ ५४ ॥
[54] tathā, itthaṃ dvijā yādava-deva-dattaḥ śrutvā sva-rātuś caritaṃ vicitram [BhP 10.12.40] ity anantaraṃ - itthaṃ sma pṛṣṭaḥ sa tu bādarāyaṇis tat-smāritānanta-hṛtākhilendriyaḥ | kṛcchrāt punar lab dha-bahir-dṛśiḥ śanaiḥ pratyāha taṃ bhāgavatottamottama || [BhP 10.12.44] anantaḥ prakaṭita-pūrṇaiśvaryaḥ śrī-kṛṣṇaḥ | sarvadā tena smaryamāṇe'pi tasmin pratikṣaṇaṃ navyatvena tat-smāritety uktam || || 10.12 || śrī-sutaḥ || 54 ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 58
Anuccheda 58
Text 1
Narada Muni explains the benefit of hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam in the following words (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.26):
"O Vyasadeva, in that association and by the mercy of those great Vedantists, I could hear themdescribe the attractive activities of Lord Krsna. And thus listening attentively, my taste for hearing of hte Personality of Godhead increased at every step."*
Text 2
This benefit of hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam is described by Maharaja Pariksit in the following words (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.7.1-2, also quoted in Anuccheda 51, Text 1):
"King Pariksit said: My lord, Sukadeva Gosvami, all the various activities exhibited by the incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are certainly pleasing to the ear and to the mind. Simply by one's heairng of these activities, the dirty things in one's mind immediately vanish. generally we are reluctant to hear about the activites of the Lord, but Krsna's childhod activities are so attractive that they are automatically pleasing to the mind and ear. Thus one's attachment for hearing about material things, which is th eroot cause of material existence, vanishes, and one gradually develops devotional service to the Supreme Lord, attachment for him, and friendship with the devotees who give us the contribution of Krsna consciousness. If you think it fit, kindly speak about those activities of the Lord."*
We may also note in this connection that Maharaja Pariksit and sukadeva Gosvami were both situated on the same exalted devotional platform, for Sukadeva Gosvami was as eager to speak the glories of Lord Krsna as Maharaja Pariksit was eager to hear them.
Kṛṣṇa · Sanskrit §55 · English §59
Source[५५] अतएव स वै भागवतो राजा [भ्प् २.३.१५] इत्याद्य्-अनन्तरं राज्ञा समान- वासनात्वेनैव तम् आह - वैयासकिश् च भगवान् वासुदेव-परायणः । उरुगाय-गुणोदाराः सतां स्युर् हि समागमे ॥ [भ्प् २.३.१६] (पगे २२) च-शब्दः प्राग्-वर्णितेन समान-वासनत्वं बोधयति । तस्मात् श्री- वसुदेव-नन्दनत्वेनैवात्रापि वासुदेव-शब्दो व्याख्येयः । अन्येषाम् अपि सतां समागमे तावद् उरुगायस्य गुणोदाराः कथा भवन्ति । तयोस् तु श्री- कृष्ण-चरित-प्रधाना एव ता भवेयुर् इति भावः ॥ ॥ २.३ ॥ श्री-शुकः ॥ ५५ ॥
[55] ataeva sa vai bhāgavato rājā [BhP 2.3.15] ityādy-anantaraṃ rājñā samāna- vāsanātvenaiva tam āha - vaiyāsakiś ca bhagavān vāsudeva-parāyaṇaḥ | urugāya-guṇodārāḥ satāṃ syur hi samāgame || [BhP 2.3.16] (page 22) ca-śabdaḥ prāg-varṇitena samāna-vāsanatvaṃ bodhayati | tasmāt śrī- vasudeva-nandanatvenaivātrāpi vāsudeva-śabdo vyākhyeyaḥ | anyeṣām api satāṃ samāgame tāvad urugāyasya guṇodārāḥ kathā bhavanti | tayos tu śrī- kṛṣṇa-carita-pradhānā eva tā bhaveyur iti bhāvaḥ || || 2.3 || śrī-śukaḥ || 55 ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 59
Anuccheda 59
Text 1
By chanting the glories of Lord Krsna, Narada Muni became liberated and attained a spiritual form. This is described in the following verses (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.6.27-28):
"And so, O Brahmana Vyasadeva, in due course of time I, who was fully absorbed in thinking of Krsna and who therefore had no attachments, being completely freed from all material taints, met with death, as lightning and illumination occur simultaneously."*
"Having been awarded a transcendental; body befitting an associate of the Personality of Godhead, I quit the body made of five material elements, and thus all acquired fruitive results of work[karma] stopped."*
The transcendental benefit attained by the devotees of the Lord is further described in the following verses (Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.10.48-50) spoken by Narada Muni to Maharaja Yudhisthira:
Text 2
"Narada Muni continued: My dear Maharaja Yudhisthira, all of you [the Pandavas] are extremely fortunate, for the Supreme Personlaity of Godhead, Krsna, lives in your palace just like a human being. Great saintly persons know htis very well, and therefore they constantly visit this house."*
Text 3
"The impersonal Brahman is Krsna Himslef because Krsn ais the source of the impersonal Brahman. He is the origin of the transcendental bliss sought by great saintly persons, yet He, the Supreme Person, is your most dear friend and constant well-wisher and is ultimately related to you as the son of your maternal uncle. Indeed, He is always like your body and soul. He is worshipable,yet He acts as your servant and sometimes as your spirirtual master."*
Text 4
"Exalted persons like Lord Siva and Lord Brahma could not properly describe the truth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. May the Lord, who is always worshiped as the protector of all devotees by greta saints who observe vows of silence, meditation, devotional service and renunciation, be pleased with us."*
Text 5
Sridhara Svami explains this verse in the following way:
"Narada Muni spoke these three verses to Maharaja Yudhisthira, who had lamented 'Prahlada Maharaja is so fortunate because he directly saw the Personlaity of Godhead, and we are so unfortunate in comparison to him.'"
We may also note in this verse that even though Lord Krsna is described as "manusya-lingam", He is also "vastutaya nopavarnitam", whihc means "Even Lord Siva and Lord Brahma cannot porperly describe Him." Becaus ehte Lord's formis spiritual, it cannot be ompletely described. This is also mentioned in the Visnu-sahasra-nama-stotra, where the Lord is described as 'anirdesya-vapuh', which means "He whose form cannot be completely described." Narada Muni and King Yudhisthira were so pleased by this description of Lord Krsna, that we find these same verses (7.10.48-50) repeated again at the end (7.15.15-17) of the Seventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Kṛṣṇa · Sanskrit §56 · English §60
Source[५६] किं बहुना, श्री-शुकदेवस्य श्री-कृष्ण एव तात्-पर्ये तद्-एक-चरितमयौ ग्रन्थार्धायमानौ दशमैकादश-स्कन्धाव् एव प्रमाणम् । स्कन्धान्तरेष्व् अन्येषाम् चरितं संक्षेपेणैव समाप्य ताभ्यां तच्- चरितस्यैव विस्तारितत्वात् । अत आरभ्य एव तत्-प्रसादं प्रार्थयते श्रियः पतिः इत्य् आदौ -- पतिर् गतिश् चान्धक-वृष्णि-सात्वतां प्रसीदतां मे भगवान् सतां गतिः ॥ [भ्प् २.४.२०] ॥ स्पस्टम् ॥ २.४ ॥ श्री-शुकः ॥ ५६ ॥
[56] kiṃ bahunā, śrī-śukadevasya śrī-kṛṣṇa eva tāt-parye tad-eka-caritamayau granthārdhāyamānau daśamaikādaśa-skandhāv eva pramāṇam | skandhāntareṣv anyeṣām caritaṃ saṃkṣepeṇaiva samāpya tābhyāṃ tac- caritasyaiva vistāritatvāt | ata ārabhya eva tat-prasādaṃ prārthayate śriyaḥ patiḥ ity ādau -- patir gatiś cāndhaka-vṛṣṇi-sātvatāṃ prasīdatāṃ me bhagavān satāṃ gatiḥ || [BhP 2.4.20] || spasṭam || 2.4 || śrī-śukaḥ || 56 ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 60
Anuccheda 60
Text 1
Although the Lord cannot be completely descibed, Narad Muni glorifies Him as far as possible (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.6.33-34):
"And tuhs I travel, constantly singing the message of the glories of the Lord, vibrating this instrument called a vina, which is charged with transcendental sound and which was given to me by Lord Krsna."*
Text 2
"The Supreme Lord Sri Krsna, whose glories and activities are pleasing to hear, at once appears on th eseat of my heart, as if called for, as soon as I began to chant His holy activities."*
Text 3
We may note that the word "deva" used inthis verse refers to Sri Krsna. This same account of of Narada's acceptance of a vina from Sri Krsna is also related in the Linga Purana. Lord Krsna, who personally gave the vina to Narada, assumes the form of transcendental sound and appears in the heart of Narada, who is engaged in continually remembering the Lord's glories, and chanting them accompanied by this musical instrument.
Kṛṣṇa · Sanskrit §57 · English §61
Source[५७] अथ श्री-व्यास-देवस्य - अनर्थोपशमं साक्षाद् भक्ति-योगम् अधोक्षजे । लोकस्याजानतो विद्वांश् चक्रे सात्वत-संहिताम् ॥ यस्यां वै श्रूयमाणायां कृष्णे परम-पूरुषे । भक्तिर् उत्पद्यते पुंसः शोक-मोह-भयापहा ॥ [भ्प् १.७.६-७] अधोक्षजे श्री-कृष्णे । अधोऽनेन शयानेन शकटान्तर-चारिणा । राक्षसी निहता रौद्रा शकुनी-वेश-धारिणी ॥ पूतना नाम घोरा सा महा-काया महा-बला । विष-दिग्ध-स्तनं क्षुद्रा प्रयच्छन्ती जनार्दने ॥ ददृशुर् निहतां तत्र राक्षसीं वन-गोचराः । पुनर् जातोऽयम् इत्य् आहुर् उक्तस् तस्माद् अधोक्षजः ॥ [ह्व् २.१०१.३०-३२] इति हरिवंशे श्री-वासुदेव-माहात्म्ये तन्-नाम्नः श्री-कृष्ण-विषयताया प्रसिद्धेः । अतएवोत्तरत्र-पद्ये साक्षात् कृष्ण इत्य् एवोक्तम् । श्री-भगवन्- नाम-कौमुदी-काराश् च कृष्ण-शब्दस्य तमाल-श्यामल-त्विषि यशोदा- स्तनन्धये पर-ब्रह्मणि रूढिः इति प्रयोग-प्राचुर्यात् तत्रैव प्रथमतः प्रतीतेर् उदय इति चोक्तवन्तः । सामोपनिषदि च कृष्णाय देवकी-नन्दनाय इति । अत्र ग्रन्थ-फलत्वं तस्यैव व्यक्तम् इति चैकेनैवानेन वचनेन तत्- परिपूर्णता सिध्यति ॥ ॥ १.७ ॥ श्री-सूतः ॥ ५७ ॥
[57] atha śrī-vyāsa-devasya - anarthopaśamaṃ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje | lokasyājānato vidvāṃś cakre sātvata-saṃhitām || yasyāṃ vai śrūyamāṇāyāṃ kṛṣṇe parama-pūruṣe | bhaktir utpadyate puṃsaḥ śoka-moha-bhayāpahā || [BhP 1.7.6-7] adhokṣaje śrī-kṛṣṇe | adho'nena śayānena śakaṭāntara-cāriṇā | rākṣasī nihatā raudrā śakunī-veśa-dhāriṇī || pūtanā nāma ghorā sā mahā-kāyā mahā-balā | viṣa-digdha-stanaṃ kṣudrā prayacchantī janārdane || dadṛśur nihatāṃ tatra rākṣasīṃ vana-gocarāḥ | punar jāto'yam ity āhur uktas tasmād adhokṣajaḥ || [HV 2.101.30-32] iti harivaṃśe śrī-vāsudeva-māhātmye tan-nāmnaḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-viṣayatāyā prasiddheḥ | ataevottaratra-padye sākṣāt kṛṣṇa ity evoktam | śrī-bhagavan- nāma-kaumudī-kārāś ca kṛṣṇa-śabdasya tamāla-śyāmala-tviṣi yaśodā- stanandhaye para-brahmaṇi rūḍhiḥ iti prayoga-prācuryāt tatraiva prathamataḥ pratīter udaya iti coktavantaḥ | sāmopaniṣadi ca kṛṣṇāya devakī-nandanāya iti | atra grantha-phalatvaṃ tasyaiva vyaktam iti caikenaivānena vacanena tat- paripūrṇatā sidhyati || || 1.7 || śrī-sūtaḥ || 57 ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 61
Anuccheda 61
Text 1
Vyasa glorifies Narada in the following words (Sriamd-Bhagavatam 1.5.21):
"Your Goodness has perfect vision. You yourself can know the Superouls Personality of Godhead because you are present as the plenary portion of the Lord. Although you are birthless, you have appeared on this earth for the well-being of all all people. Please, therefore, describe the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna more vividly."*
Text 2
In this verse the word "amogha drk" means "One who has perfect vision", the word "atmana" means "by your own self", and the phrase "atmanam parasya pumsah kalam avehi" means "You yourself can know the Supersoul Personality of Godhead because you are present as the pleanary portion of the Lord." The phrase "jagatah sivaya"means "Although you are birthless you have appeared on this planet for the well-being of all people." The phrase "mahanubhavabhyudayah adhiganyatam" means "Please therefore, describe more vividly the pastimes of Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,who manifests all the powers and opulences of all the innumerable incarnations of Godhead." It is undestood from this verse that Narada Muni may be counted among the incarnations of the Supreme Lord, and for this reason Vyasadeva is praying that Narada withdraw the bewildering potency of the illusory energy maya.
Kṛṣṇa · Sanskrit §58 · English §62
Source[५८] अथ श्री-नारदस्य - तत्रान्वहं कृष्ण-कथाः प्रगायताम् अनुग्रहेणाशृणवं मनोहराः । ताः श्रद्धया मे ऽनुपदं विशृण्वतः प्रियश्रवस्य् अङ्ग ममाभवद् रुचिः ॥ [भ्प् १.५.२६] येन येनावतारेण [भ्प् १०.७.१] इत्य् एतच्-छ्री-परीक्षिद्-वचन-पद्य-द्वयम् अप्य् अत्र श्री-यशोदा-स्तनन्धयत्वे साधकं श्रुति-सामान्य-न्यायेन ॥ ॥ १.५ ॥ श्री-नारदः श्री-वेद-व्यासम् ॥ ५८ ॥
[58] atha śrī-nāradasya - tatrānvahaṃ kṛṣṇa-kathāḥ pragāyatām anugraheṇāśṛṇavaṃ manoharāḥ | tāḥ śraddhayā me 'nupadaṃ viśṛṇvataḥ priyaśravasy aṅga mamābhavad ruciḥ || [BhP 1.5.26] yena yenāvatāreṇa [BhP 10.7.1] ity etac-chrī-parīkṣid-vacana-padya-dvayam apy atra śrī-yaśodā-stanandhayatve sādhakaṃ śruti-sāmānya-nyāyena || || 1.5 || śrī-nāradaḥ śrī-veda-vyāsam || 58 ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 62
Anuccheda 62
Text 1
In order to invoke the Lord's mercy,in thebeginning of Srimad-Bhgavatam, Narada teaches Vyasa a prayer to the four primary Visnu expansions. Narada also explains the most exlated position of the devotees of the Lord(Srimad Bhagavatam 1.5.37-38):
Text 2
"Let us all chant the glories of Vasudeva along with His plenary expansions Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Sankarsana."
Text 3
"Thus he is the actual seer who worships, in the form of transcendental sound representation, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, who has no material form."*
Kṛṣṇa · Sanskrit §59 · English §63
Source[५९] तच्-छब्दस्यैवाभ्यासो दृश्यते - एवं कृष्ण-मतेः [भ्प् १.६.२८] इत्य् आदौ । अन्यत्र च -- यूयं नृ-लोके बत भूरि-भागा लोकं पुनाना मुनयो ऽभियन्ति । येषां गृहान् आवसतीति साक्षाद् गूढं परं ब्रह्म मनुष्य-लिङ्गम् ॥ स वा अयं ब्रह्म महद्-विमृग्य- कैवल्य-निर्वाण-सुखानुभूतिः । प्रियः सुहृद् वः खलु मातुलेय आत्मार्हणीयो विधि-कृद् गुरुश् च ॥ न यस्य साक्षाद् भव-पद्मजादिभी रूपं धिया वस्तुतयोपवर्णितम् । मौनेन भक्त्योपशमेन पूजितः प्रसीदताम् एष स सात्वतां पतिः ॥ [भ्प् ७.१०.४८-५०] (पगे २३) टीका च - अहो प्रह्लादस्य भाग्यं येन देवो दृष्टः । वयं तु मन्द- भाग्या इति विषीदन्तं राजानं प्रत्य् आह यूयम् इति त्रिभिर् इत्य् एषा । मनुष्यस्य दृश्यमान-मनुष्यस्येव लिङ्गं कर-चरणादि-सन्निवेशो यस्य तं रूपं श्री-विग्रहः । वस्तुतया नोपवर्णितं तद्-रूपस्यैव पर- ब्रह्मत्वेन किम् इदं वस्त्व् इति निर्देष्टुम् अशक्यत्वात् । यथोक्तं सहस्र- नाम-स्तोत्रे अनिर्देश्य-वपुर् इति । एषाम् एव पद्यानां सप्तमान्तेऽपि परमामोदकत्वात् पुनर् आवृत्तिर् दृश्यते ॥ ॥ ७.१० ॥ स श्री-युधिष्ठिरम् ॥ ५९ ॥
[59] tac-chabdasyaivābhyāso dṛśyate - evaṃ kṛṣṇa-mateḥ [BhP 1.6.28] ity ādau | anyatra ca -- yūyaṃ nṛ-loke bata bhūri-bhāgā lokaṃ punānā munayo 'bhiyanti | yeṣāṃ gṛhān āvasatīti sākṣād gūḍhaṃ paraṃ brahma manuṣya-liṅgam || sa vā ayaṃ brahma mahad-vimṛgya- kaivalya-nirvāṇa-sukhānubhūtiḥ | priyaḥ suhṛd vaḥ khalu mātuleya ātmārhaṇīyo vidhi-kṛd guruś ca || na yasya sākṣād bhava-padmajādibhī rūpaṃ dhiyā vastutayopavarṇitam | maunena bhaktyopaśamena pūjitaḥ prasīdatām eṣa sa sātvatāṃ patiḥ || [BhP 7.10.48-50] (page 23) ṭīkā ca - aho prahlādasya bhāgyaṃ yena devo dṛṣṭaḥ | vayaṃ tu manda- bhāgyā iti viṣīdantaṃ rājānaṃ praty āha yūyam iti tribhir ity eṣā | manuṣyasya dṛśyamāna-manuṣyasyeva liṅgaṃ kara-caraṇādi-sanniveśo yasya taṃ rūpaṃ śrī-vigrahaḥ | vastutayā nopavarṇitaṃ tad-rūpasyaiva para- brahmatvena kim idaṃ vastv iti nirdeṣṭum aśakyatvāt | yathoktaṃ sahasra- nāma-stotre anirdeśya-vapur iti | eṣām eva padyānāṃ saptamānte'pi paramāmodakatvāt punar āvṛttir dṛśyate || || 7.10 || sa śrī-yudhiṣṭhiram || 59 ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 63
Anuccheda 63
Text 1
Now let us consider the following statement of Lord Brahma(Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.7.26):
"When the world is overburderned by the fighting strength of kings who have no faith in God, the Lord, just to diminish the distress of the world, descends with His plenary portion. the Lord comes in His original form, with beautiful black hair. And just to expand His transcendental glories, he acts extraordinarily. No one can properly estimate how great He is."*
Text 2
In this verse Lord Brahma says: "The Supeme Personality of Godhead, who is superior to everyone, including even the all-pervading Supersoul, and who cannot be perfectly understood by me or by anyone else, will appear in this material world and perform many transcendental activities inorder to lessen the burdern of the earth." Lord Brahma also says: "The Lord, who has beautiful black hair,is accompanied by His pleanary portion." That the demigods were able to see the Lord and His plenary portion, who both have beautiful black hair is confirmed in the verses from Visnu Purana and Mahabharata previously quoted. We may also note inthis connection that the "plenary portion" mentioned in this verse refers to Lord Balarama, the Supreme Lord's constant companion.
In this connection someone may raise the following doubt: If Sri Krsna is the Original Personality of Godhead, superior even to the purusa-incarnations, then why does He descend to the material world to perform such an insignificant activity as removal of the earth's burden?
To this I reply: Lord Krsna does not appear in this material world simply to lessen the earth's burden. The earth's burden may be removed by the Lord's pleanry incarnation or simply by the Lord's wishing it. He does not have to appear in this world to lessen the earth's burden.
Sri Krsn appears inthis world in order to manifest His pastimes, with the devotees, which are full of transcendental sweetness. Lord Krsna appears to delight the devotees for whom the Lord's lotus feet are more dear than life, and to shower His own transcendental sweetness in this world.
Text 3
Some of these transcendental pastimes are described in the following verse (Srimad-Bhagvatam 2.7.27):
"There is no doubt about Lord Krsna's being the Supreme Lord, otherwise how was it possible for Him to kill a giant demon like Putana when He was just on the lap of His mother, to overturn a cart with His leg when He was only three months old, to uproot a pair of arjuna trees, so high that htey touched the sky, when he was only crawling? All these activities are impossible for anyone other the lord Himself."*
Text 4
Lord Krsna's plenary portion could have performed these actions, or the Lord could have preformed them simply by wishing them to be done. He did not have to personally perform them. The charm of these pastimes lies in the fact that although these extraordinary activities cannot be performed by any ordinary person, the Lord performed them as a tiny child. if the Lord had not wished to charm and delight His devotees, he would not have personally performed such activities as a small child. This is the actual reason the Lord performed these pastimes.
Text 5
That Lord Krsna incarnates for the devotees' benefit is confirmed by Arjuna in the following words (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.25):
"O Lord Krsna, You descend as an incarnation to remove the burden of the world and to benefit Your friends, especially those who are Your exclusive devotees and are rapt in meditation upon You."*
In commenting on this verse Sridhara Svami says:
"Lord Krsna does not need to personally appear in this world to remove the earth's burden, for He can do that simply by wishing it to be done. The actual reason for the Lord's appearance is given in this verse: 'You descend to benefit Your friends, especially those who are Your exclusive devotees and are raot in meditation upon You.'"
Text 6
The following verse (10.90.48) may also be quoted as a summary of Lord Krsna's pastimes:
"Lord Sri Krsna, is He who is known as jananivasa, the ultimate resort of all living entities, and who is also known as Devaki-nandana or Yasoda-nandana, the son of Decaki and Yasoda. He is the guide of the Yadu dynasty, and with His mighty arms He kills everyhting inauspicious as well as every man who is impious. His blissful smiling face always increases the lusty desires of the gopis of Vrndavana. May He be all glorious and happy."*
We may note in this verse that although Lord Krsna could have killed the demons simply by willing their death, He personally killed them with His own arms in the sporting spirit of His pastimes. We may also note that this verse was spoken by Lord Brahma, who was filled with devotion at hearing the narration of the Lord's astonishing pastimes.
Text 7
The following statement of Lord Brahma (Srimad-Bhagavtam 10.14.34) confirms the extraordinary nature of Lord Krsna's pastimes and intimate asscoiates:
"My dear Lord Krsna, I am therefore not interested in material opulences or liberation. I am most humbly praying at Your lotus feet for You to please give me any sort of birth within this Vrndavana forest so that I may be able to be favored by the dust of the feet of some of the devotees of Vrndavana. Even if I am given the chance to grow just as the humble grass in this land, that will be glorious for me. But if I am not so fortune to take birth within the forest of Vrndavana, I beg to be allowed to take birth outside th eimmediate area od Vrndavana so that when the devotees go out they will walk over me. I am just aspiring for a birth in which I will be smeared with the dust of the devotees feet. I can see that everyone here is simply full of Krsna consciousness; they do not know anything but Mukunda. All the Vedas are indeed searching after the lotus feet of Krsna."
Kṛṣṇa · Sanskrit §60 · English §64
Source[६०] अत्र च स्पष्टम् - देव-दत्ताम् इमां वीणां स्वर-ब्रह्म-विभूषिताम् । मूर्च्छयित्वा हरि-कथां गायमानश् चराम्य् अहम् ॥ प्रगायतः स्व-वीर्याणि तीर्थ-पादः प्रिय-श्रवाः । आहूत इव मे शीघ्रं दर्शनं याति चेतसि ॥ [भ्प् १.६.३३-३४] देवः श्री-कृष्ण एव । लिङ्ग-पुराणे उपरि-भागे तेनैव स्वयं तस्य वीणा- ग्रहणं हि प्रसिद्धम् । अत्र यद्-रूपेण वीणा ग्राहिता तद्-रूपेणैव चेतसि दर्शनं स्वारस्य-लब्धम् । देव-दत्ताम् इति कृतोपकारतायाः स्मर्यमाणत्वेन तम् अनुसन्धायैव तद्-उक्तेः । ॥ १.६ ॥ श्री-नारदः श्री-वेद-व्यासम् ॥ ६० ॥
[60] atra ca spaṣṭam - deva-dattām imāṃ vīṇāṃ svara-brahma-vibhūṣitām | mūrcchayitvā hari-kathāṃ gāyamānaś carāmy aham || pragāyataḥ sva-vīryāṇi tīrtha-pādaḥ priya-śravāḥ | āhūta iva me śīghraṃ darśanaṃ yāti cetasi || [BhP 1.6.33-34] devaḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa eva | liṅga-purāṇe upari-bhāge tenaiva svayaṃ tasya vīṇā- grahaṇaṃ hi prasiddham | atra yad-rūpeṇa vīṇā grāhitā tad-rūpeṇaiva cetasi darśanaṃ svārasya-labdham | deva-dattām iti kṛtopakāratāyāḥ smaryamāṇatvena tam anusandhāyaiva tad-ukteḥ | || 1.6 || śrī-nāradaḥ śrī-veda-vyāsam || 60 ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 64
Anuccheda 64
Text 1
Before speaking to Brahma the four essential verses of Srimad-Bhagavtam, Lord Krsna revealed Himself as the Supreme Personlaity of Godhead. This is cvonfirmed in the following verse (Srimad-Bhagvatam 2.9.15):
"Lord Brahma saw in the Vaikuntha planets Lord Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Lord of the entire devotee community, the Lord of the Yadu dynasty, the Lord of the goddess of fortune, the Lord of all sacrifices, and the Lord of the universe, and who is served by the foremost servitors like Nanda, Sunanda, Prabala and Arhana, His immediate associates in Dvaraka."*
In this verse the words "akhila-sattvatam patim" mean "the Lord of all the heroes in the Yadu dynasty."
Text 2
That Sri Krsna, the master of the Yadu dynasty, is the Supreme Pesonality of Godhead is confirmed in the following verse spoken by Sukadeva Gosvami (Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.4.20):
"May Lord Krsna, who is the worshipable Lord of all devotees, the protector and glory of all the kings like Andhaka and Vrsni of hte Yadu dynasty, the husband of the goddess of fortune, the director of all sacrifices and therefore the leader of all living entities,the contoller of all intelligence, the proprietor of all planets, spiritual and material, and the supreme incarnation on the earth (the supreme all in all)", be merciful upon me."*
Text 3
Lord Krsna personally revealed that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the following words (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.4.13):
"O Uddhava, in the lotus millennium inthe days of yore, at hte beginning of the creation, I spoke unto Brahma, who is situated on the lotus that grows out of My navel, about My transcendental glories, which the great sages describe as Srimad-Bhagavatam."*
Text 4
In the following verse from Gopala-tapani Upanisad (1.29), Lord Krsna is described as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the original teacher of Vedic knowledge:
"It was Krsna who in the beginning instructed Brahma in Vedic knowledge and who disseminated Vedic knowledge inthe past. Those who aspire tobecome liberated surrender to Him, the Supreme Perosnlaiyt of Godhead who grants transcendental knowledge to His devotees."
Text 5
At hte beginning of a certain kalpa, Lord Krsna revealed His original form as a cowherd boy, and His original abode, the best of Vaikuntha planets, to Lord Brahma. Thisis confirmed in the following verse from the Gopala-tapani Upanisad:
"Brahma replied: I continnually glorified the Lord and meditated upon Him for miilions of years, and at last I was able to understand thre transcendetal form of the Lord as Sri Krsna, who appeared before me in the dress of a cowherd boy."*
Text 6
The spiritual practices followed by Lord Brahma, which enabled him to personally meet Lord Krsna, are described in the following verses(22-26) of Brahma-samhita:
"The divine lotus which springs from the navel-pit of Visnu is in every way related by hte spiritual tie with all souls and is the origin of the four-faced Brahma versed in the four Vedas."**
Text 7
"On coming out of the lotus, Brahma, being guided by the divine potency, turned his mind to the act of creation under the impulse of previous impressions. But he could see nothing but darkness in every direction."**
Text 8
"Then the goddess of learning, Sarasvati, the divine consort of the Supreme Lord, said this to Brahma, who saw nothing but gloom in all directions: O Brahma this mantra (klim krsnaya govindaya gopijana-vallabhaya svaha) will assuredly fulfill your heart's desire."**
Text 9
"O Brahma, do thou practice spiritual association by means of this mantra; then all your desires will be fulfilled."**
Text 10
"Brahma being desirous of satisying Govinda, practiced the cultural acts for Krsna in Goloka"
Text 11
After performing austerities, Lord Brahma was able to see Krsna as He appears in the spiritual real of Dvaraka. This is described in thefollowing verse (Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.9.14):
"Lord Brahma then saw inthe Vaikuntha planets Lord Krsna, the Personality of Godhead who is the Lord of the entire devotee community, the Lord of theYadu dynasty, the Lord of the goddesses of fortune, the Lord of all sacrfices, and the Lord of the universe, and who is served by the foremost servitors like Nanda, Sunanda, Prabala, and Arhana, His immediate asscoiates in Dvaraka."*
Text 12
The associates of lord Krsna seen by Brahma at the beginning of the creation are directly mentioned in the description of the Lord's Dvaraka-lila, confirming that Brahma actually saw the Lord krsn ain Dvaraka portion of the spiritual world. The following verse (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.14.32) confirms this:
"Sunanda, Nanda, and others are constant servants of Lord Krsna ast Dvaraka."*
Text 13
What need is there to present more evidence that Sri Krsna is the Original Form of the Personality of Godhead? In hte First Canto, Third Chapter of Srimad-Bhagavatam this has been clearly explained to Saunaka Rsi and the sages assembled at Naimisaranya. In the beginning of the Bhagavatam Sri Krsn ahas been described as the essence of all Vedic literatures, and the merciful source of all spiritual happiness and benediction. Because Saunaka Rsi desired to hear about Krsna's transcendental pastimes, he asked the following question of Suta Gosvami (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.12):
Text 14
"All blessings upon you, O Suta Gosvami. You know for what purpose the Personality of Godhead appeares in the womb of Devaki as the son of Vasudeva."*
Text 15
In this verse the words "bhadram te" (all blessings upon you) indicate that the sages of Naimisaranya, who were very eager to inquire about Sri Krsna's pastimes, offered blessings to Suta Gosvami with these words. The word "bhagavan" indicates the Original Personality of Godhead, who is full of all powers and opulences, and who is the original source of all incarnations of Godhead. The phrase "satvatam patih" means "the Lord of the Yadu dynasty". The unusual grammatical form here is a use of poetic licence (arsa). The word "jatah" means "became visible to the residents of the material universe."