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

Bhagavata Purana Part 5 – Mahapurana Bhāgavata Purāṇa in English – Read Srimad Bhagavatam Part 5 of 5

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 Lord Rama Avatara 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 Bhagavata Purana Part 5. It covers one (1) Skandha in English Translation.

• • Skandha 11 – Chapeters 1-31
  • Skandha 12 – Chapeters 1-13

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. Find & read the Skandha 11 and 12 here.

The Eleventh skandha corresponds to the forehead of Krishna and prominently describes the topic of mukti, or liberation.

This skandha mainly deals with the disappearance of Lord Krishna and the enigmatic destruction of His Yadu dynasty by the curse of the sages.

It contains the highly philosophical conversations between King Nimi and the nava-yogendras and between Lord Krishna and Uddhava (Uddhava-Gita.)

These conversations enlighten us on the deeper truth of this universe, various spiritual paths and the supreme spiritual path of bhakti-yoga.

The Twelfth skandha corresponds to the head of Lord Krishna and describes the topic of nirodha, or destruction.

There are four types of destruction (pralaya), namely nitya pralaya, the constant deterioration of material objects that happens at every moment;

naimittika pralaya, the destruction of planets at the end of Brahma’s day;

prakritika pralaya, the destruction of the universe at the end of Brahma’s life;

and atyantika pralaya, the final destruction of the conditioned soul’s false ego, thus causing the soul’s liberation.

In comparison to these great destructions or changes, the small losses we experience in the material world, including death, are insignificant.