Read Bhagavata Purana Part 1 of 5 – Srimad Bhagavatam in English

Bhagavata Purana Part 1 – Mahapurana Bhāgavata Purāṇa in English – Read Srimad Bhagavatam Part 1 of 4

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is a voluminous 5th mahāpurāṇa consisting of 18,000 ślokas divided into 335 chapters and 12 skandhas, that describe 10 topics.

These topics are sarga (primary creation of the universe by the Lord), visarga (secondary creation by Brahmā and his sons), sthānam (universal cosmology), poṣaṇam (protection by the Lord), ūti (inclination to act)

Manvantara (reign of the fathers of mankind), īśānukatha  (the stories of the Lord and His devotees), nirodha (destruction of the universe), mukti (liberation) and āśraya (the supreme shelter of Lord Kṛṣṇa)

These skandhas present essential guidelines for the spiritual well-being of humanity.

Despite having written rich pieces of literature such as the Vedas, the Purāṇas and so on, Vyāsa felt an incompleteness at heart.

It was then that his guru Nārada Muni came to him and suggested that he write Śrīmad Bhāgavatam in a way that bhakti yoga is repeatedly emphasized and Lord Kṛṣṇa’s qualities and activities are vividly described.

After writing the Bhāgavatam, Vyāsadeva taught it to his son Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who later narrated it to King Parīkṣit in seven days.

The Translation of Srimad Bhagavatam in English was published in five parts by Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited, Delhi during 1950-1955.

As you read, you will find The Srimad Bhagavata Purana is a chronicle of the various avatars of Lord Vishnu. There are ten avatars of Lord Vishnu.

Every Avatara aims to save the world from some great danger, destroy the wicked, and protect the virtuous.

The ten avatars of Lord Vishnu are

1. Matsya (The Fish) – The objective of the Matsya Avatara was to save Vaivasvata Manu from destruction by a deluge.
2. Kurma (The Tortoise) – The objective of Kurma Avatara was to enable the world to recover some precious things which were lost in the deluge. The Kurma gave its back for keeping the churning rod when the Gods and the Asuras churned the ocean of milk.
3. Varaha (The Boar) – The purpose of Varaha Avatara was to rescue, from the waters, the earth which had been dragged down by a demon named Hiranyaksha.
4. Narasimha (The Man-Lion) – The purpose of Narasimha Avatara, half-lion, and half-man, was to free the world from the oppression of Hiranyakasipu, a demon, the father of Bhakta Prahlada.
5. Vamana (The Dwarf) – The objective of Vamana Avatara was to restore the power of the gods, which had been eclipsed by the penance and devotion of King Bali.
6. Parasurama (Rama with the axe, the destroyer of the Kshatriya race) – The objective of Parasurama Avatara was to deliver the world from the oppression of the Kshatriya rulers who follow the adharmic path. Parasurama destroyed the Kshatriya race twenty-one times.
7. Ramachandra (The hero of Ramayana—the son of Dasaratha), who destroyed Ravana, the objective of Rama was to destroy the wicked Ravana.
8. Sri Krishna, The teacher of the Gita – The objective of Sri Krishna Avatara was to destroy Kamsa and other demons, to deliver His wonderful message of the Gita in the Mahabharata war, and to become the centre of the Bhakti schools of India.
9. Buddha (The prince-ascetic, founder of Buddhism) – The objective of Buddha Avatara was to prohibit animal sacrifices and teach piety.
10. Kalki (The hero riding on a white horse, which is to come at the end of the Kali Yuga) – The objective of the Kalki Avatar is the destruction of the wicked and the re-establishment of virtue.

The present Srimad Bhagavatam volume contains the Bhagvata Purana Part 1. It covers three (3) Skandha in English Translation.

• • Skandha 1 – Chapeters 1-11
  • Skandha 2 – Chapters 1-10
  • Skandha 3 – Chapters 1-33

What is a Skandha?

Skandha is a Sanskrit word with a multitude of meanings. It is typically translated as “aggregate,” “heap” or “multitude,” but it also means the upper part of the back, typically the shoulder.

It can also mean “king,” “sage” or “teacher.”

In Hinduism, it refers to chapters in literature; for example, the Bhagavata Purana has 12 skandhas or main chapters.

The First Skandha of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam describes the supremacy of bhakti and categorically presents Lord Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Through the conversation between Suta Gosvāmī and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages, sūta Gosvāmī describes the birth and activities of King Parikshit who chastised even Kali personified.

When King Parikshit was cursed by Sringi to die in seven days, he heard the Bhagavatam from Śukadeva Gosvāmī.

This skandha vividly describes the exclusive dependence of the devotee on Krishna and Kṛṣṇa’s nature as bhakta-vatsala.

In the Second Skandha, Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes the supremacy of bhakti yoga, while presenting various other processes on the Vedic landscape.

These contain devatā worship, meditation on virāṭ rūpa and paramātma as a part of Aṣṭānga yoga. He also describes the catuh-sloki bhāgavatam and defines the ten topics of Bhāgavatam.

This Skandha establishes the supremacy of devotional service unto Kṛṣṇa as the topmost spiritual path for the entire humanity.

In the Third and Fourth Skandha, Śukadeva describes the creation of the universe done by the Lord.

It also focuses on the sub-creation done by Brahmā and his sons, Varāhadeva’s pastimes, the teachings of Lord Kapila and the episodes of Dakṣa, Dhruva, Anga, Vena, Pṛthu, Prācinabarhi and the Pracetās.

These are described as a part of the conversation between Maitreya and Vidura.

The Third Skandha elaborately describes how the Supreme Lord is the source and sustenance of the entire cosmos.

Through the various prayers of pure devotees, the Fourth Skandha establishes the superiority of bhakti over karma and jnana, and specifically the glory of the process of sravaṇam.