SECTION TWENTY

            Like the Matsya Puräëa, the Skanda Puräëa, Prabhäsa Khanda (7.1.2.39-42) also describes Çrémad Bhägavatam: "That which gives accounts of the humans and demigods in the Särasvata Kalpa, explains the supreme religion, basing itself on Gäyatré, and narrates the slaying of Våträsura is to be known as the Çrémad Bhägavatam. It has eighteen thousand verses. Whoever makes a copy of the Bhägavatam and donates it, on a golden lion throne, on the full moon day in the month of Bhadra, will attain the supreme destination".

            These verses are also found in the Agni Puräëa (272.6,7). In another Puräëa there is also a mention of Çrémad Bhägavatam, "That which has eighteen thousand verses divided into twelve cantos, begins with Gäyatré, has a description of the Hayagréva Brahmavidyä, and narrates the slaying of Våträsura is to be known as the Çrémad Bhägavatam." (Quoted in the Bhävärtha-dépikä of Çrédhara Svämé)

            Because the Hayagréva Brahmavidyä is mentioned here, along with the killing of Våträsura, it means the Näräyaëa varmma, or armor of Lord Näräyaëa (described in the Ninth Chapter, Sixth Canto of Çrémad Bhägavatam). The word "Hayagréva" here refers to Dadhéci, the sage with a horse's head. He taught the knowledge of Brahman called Näräyaëa Varmma. His acceptance of a horse's head and getting the name Açvaçiras is mentioned in Bhägavatam 6.9.52 with the phrase "having the name Açvaçiras". That the words Näräyaëa Varmma means Brahma Vidyä is known from a verse Çrédhara Svämé cites in his commentary on 6.9.52 of Bhägavatam, "After hearing that and being respected, Dadhéci, not wanting to break his promise, instructed those two (the twin Açviné Kumäras) in the knowledge of Pravargya and Brahma-vidyä."

            Since Çrémad Bhägavatam is pleasing to the Supreme Lord, and is the most desirable book for His devotees, it is the most sättvika scripture. As stated in a question to Mahäräja Ambaréña in the Padma Puräëa, "Gautama said: O Lord of the Earth, do you recite the Bhägavata Puräëa in front of the Deity of Lord Hari, especially the narration of the king of the demons, Prahläda Mahäräja?" (Padma Puräëa, Uttara Khaëòa 22.115)

            Again, in the Padma Puräëa, in the section glorifying the vow of Vyanjulé Mahädvädaçé, Gautama instructs King Ambaréña, "One should stay awake (on the night of Vyanjulé Mahädvädaçé) and hear the scriptures that narrate the stories of Lord Viñëu and His devotees, especially the Bhagavad-gétä, the thousand names of Lord Viñëu, and the Puräëa narrated by Çuka (Çrémad Bhägavatam). These should be recited with care since they are pleasing to Lord Hari."

            And in the same section of the Padma Puräëa: "O Ambaréña, if you desire an end to your material existence, then everyday hear Çrémad Bhägavatam narrated by Çuka, and also recite it yourself."

            In the Prahläda Saàhitä of the Skanda Puräëa, in the section describing the glory of Dwärakä is this statement, "A person who stays up (on the night of Ekädaçé) and recites the Çrémad Bhägavatam with devotion in front of the Deity of Lord Hari goes to the abode of Lord Hari with all his family members."

 

ÇRÉ JÉVA TOÑAËÉ COMMENTARY

             In this section Jéva Gosvämé pays particular attention to identifying the Çrémad Bhägavatam. The reason is that some scholars hold that another Puräëa,  Devé Bhägavatam, is the one glorified in the Puräëas and not the Çrémad Bhägavatam. The Devé Bhägavatam also has twelve cantos, 18,000 verses and a narration of the slaying of Våtrasura,  although the account differs from the one in Çrémad Bhägavatam. The çästras also recommend that one should donate the Devé Bhägavatam mounted on a golden lion on the full moon day in the month of Bhadra. This seems quite fitting because Devé or Durgä rides on a lion. 

            Çréla Jéva Gosvämé solves the controversy by citing references that list distinctive features of the Çrémad Bhägavatam: a. it begins with Gäyatré; b. it has an explanation of the Hayagréva Brahmavidyä; c. its narrations belong to the Särasvata Kalpa; d. it was first spoken by Çré Çuka to Parikñit Mahäräja. Here Jéva Gosvämé further supports his conclusion by quoting from Çrédhara Svämé's commentary, Bhävärtha-dépikä.

            The Devé Bhägavatam opens with a verse that appears to be based on Gäyatré:  oà sarva-caitanyarüpäà tamädyäà vidyam ca dhémahi  buddhià yä naù pracodayät

            This verse cannot be compared to Gäyatré for two reasons. First, three words from Gäyatré (savituù, vareëyam, and bhargas) have no corresponding words in this verse. Second, this verse is a meditation on Devi, but as will be shown in the next section the object of medition in Gäyatré is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viñëu.

            The Devé Bhägavatam also narrates the killing of Våträsura, but in that account Indra killed Våtra with ocean foam empowered by Devé. Våträsura performed severe penances for hundred s of years to appease Lord Brahmä. When Brahmä appeared Våträsura asked a boon that he would not be slain by any weapon made of iron, or wood, or one that is dry or wet. Lord Brahmä agreed and Våträsura attacked Indra and defeated him. Then Indra got the help of Lord Viñëu, who entered Indra's thunderbolt and advised him to make a truce with Våträ with the help of Devé. Indra then became friends with Våträsura. Then at dusk one day, Indra met Våträsura on the beach and slayed him with his thunderbolt covered with foam, which is neither a weapon nor wet nor dry.

            Also, the Devé Bhägavatam has no mention of the Hayagréva Brahmavidyä or the Näräyaëa-varma and so it is clear that the Bhägavatam referred to in the verse cited from Çrédhara Svämé is not the Devé Bhägavatam.

            Hemädré, Ballälsena, Govindänanda, Raghunandana, Gopäl Bhaööa Gosvämé, and Sanätana Gosvämé have all written a number of noteworthy books and essays on religious duties, dharma-çästras, in which they give numerous references from the Çrémad Bhägavatam and not a single reference to the Devé Bhägavatam. Ballälsena states in Dänasägar that Çrémad Bhägavatam has only a few verses recommending charities. In contrast, Chapter Thirty, Ninth Canto, in the Devé Bhägavatam is entirely on the glory of giving various charities. In addition, with the single exception of Néla-kaëöha Äcärya, all the great saintly commentators either wrote on the Çrémad Bhägavatam or used it as a standard reference in their books and teachings. Saìkara, Rämänuja, Madhväcärya, Vallabha, Caitanyadeva, and other notable scholars never cite Devé Bhägavatam to uphold or prove any of their key points.

            The Ninety-sixth Chapter, Purva khaëòa, of the Näradéya Puräëa lists the subject matter of all twelve cantos of the Bhägavatam in order. This list matches the Çrémad Bhägavatam, but not the Devé Bhägavatam. The Padma Puräëa, Uttara khaëòa (190.3), states:

            "Among all the Puräëas, the Çrémad Bhägavatam, in which Lord Kåñëa is glorified  at every step by various great sages, is supreme." This leaves no doubt that the Bhägavatam mentioned in the quoted Puräëic verses is the Çrémad Bhägavatam. 

            In the Çrémad Bhägavatam, as well as in other Puräëas, there is mention of a demon called Hayagréva. There is also an incarnation of Lord Viñëu called Hayagréva, with a horse's head. The Hayagréva mentioned in this section, however, has been identified by Çréla Jéva Gosvämé as the sage Dadhéci, because it is mentioned in connection with the slaying of the demon Våträ. When Våträ conquered the demigods, they approached Lord Viñëu for help. The Lord advised the chief of the demigods, Indra, to approach the sage Dadhéci and request his body, made firm through vows and penances and knowledge of Brahman. The Lord told Indra to use Dadhéci's bones to make a thunderbolt strong enough to kill Våträsura.

            Dadhéci previously had taught the knowledge of Brahman to the twin brothers, the Açviné Kumäras, although Indra had earlier forbidden him to teach transcendental knowledge to them, who were considered unqualified because of their medical profession. Indra had threatened to cut off Dadhéci's head if he disobeyed, but Dadhéci had already promised to teach the twins and thus he was in a dilemma. The Açviné Kumäras solved the problem by their surgical skills. They severed Dadhéci's head and grafted a horses head in its place and Dadhéci instructed them "straight from the horse's mouth", as the saying goes.

            Thereafter this knowledge became famous as Hayagréva-Brahmavidyä and Dadhéci as Hayagréva or Açvaçiras, which means  who has a horse's head. Later Indra, angered by Dadhici's disobedience,  severed his head, but the Asviné Kumaras replaced it with his original head. Then on the request of the demigods Dadichi offered his body to Indra and his bones were used to make a thunderbolt. Lord Indra killed the demon Våtra with this thunderbolt. Dadhéci taught the same knowledge to Tvañöa, who gave it to Lord Indra as the "Näräyaëa Armor" to fight Våträsura. Thus the Hayagréva referred to here is Dadhéci and the Brahmavidyä is the Näräyaëa armor described in the Sixth Canto of Çrémad Bhägavatam.

            The phrase çuka proktam, "recited by Çré Çuka", does not mean verses not spoken by him, such as the First Canto, do not constitute the Çrémad Bhägavatam. Vyäsa has revealed the whole Bhägavatam inclusive of all future incidents as well as the future statements of Süta and Çaunaka. Since Çrémad Bhägavatam has been identified as having eighteen thousand verses and having the opening verse based on Gäyatré, it must begin from the first verse janmädyasya yataù and end at viñëurätamamümucat.

            Out of the eighteen Puräëas, six are meant for persons in the mode of ignorance, six for those in the mode of passion, and six for those in the mode of goodness, but the Çrémad Bhägavatam holds a special place even among the sättvika Puräëas. It is considered non-different from Kåñëa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, therefore it is param sättvika, pure goodness, without any tinge of the three material modes. Hareù santoñakäraëam, it is pleasing to Lord Hari, who is transcendental; He cannot be pleased by anything material. It is relished by His devotees, who do not even desire the bliss of liberation, what to speak of deriving any delight from reading anything mundane. For this reason, the sage Gautama recommended reciting  Çrémad Bhägavatam on Ekädaçé, which is also called Hariväsara, or the day of Lord Hari. The Skanda Puräëa (2.6.4.3) states:

 "The nature of the Çrémad Bhägavatam and the Personality of Godhead is always the same--full knowledge, bliss, and eternal existence."

And the Padma Puräëa, Uttara Khaëòa(198.30) has this statement, çrémadbhägavatäkhyo'yam pratyakñaù kåñëa eva hi, "Without any doubt, Çrémad Bhägavatam is directly Lord Kåñëa."

            The Çrémad Bhägavatam [1.3.44.] mentions that after Lord Kåñëa's disappearance the Çrémad Bhägavatam has appeared as the representative of Kåñëa. In the Padma Puräëa is an explanation of the various limbs of  Lord Kåñëa's body being represented by the cantos of Bhägavatam:

            The feet of Lord Kåñëa are the First and Second Cantos. The Third and Fourth Cantos are the thighs of the Lord. The navel of Lord is the Fifth Canto and His arms are the Sixth and Seventh cantos. His throat is the Ninth Canto and His blooming lotus face is the Tenth Canto. His forehead is the Eleventh Canto and His head is the Twelfth Canto.

            I bow down to the Lord, who is an ocean of mercy having a color like the Tamäla tree, and who appears in the material world for the welfare of all people. I worship the Lord who is the suitable bridge to cross this unfathomable ocean of the material world and of whom Çrémad Bhägavatam is His very embodiment.

            Next, Çréla Jéva Gosvämé explains that Çrémad Bhägavatam is the natural commentary on Vedänta Sütra.