SECTION TWENTY-ONE     

           And the Garuòa Puräëa states: The Puräëa called the Çrémad Bhägavatam is the most complete. It explains the meaning of the Brahma sütras; it determines the meaning of the Mahäbhärata; it is the commentary on Gäyatré; it explains and expands the meaning of the Vedas; it is the Sämaveda of the Puräëas; and it emanated from the Supreme Lord Himself. It has twelve cantos, hundreds of divisions or chapters (335), and eighteen thousand verses.

            "It explains the meaning of the Brahmasütras." Brahma-süträ-ëämärthaù means it is the natural commentary on them. First it appeared in a  short  form in the heart of Çré Vyäsadeva, who then summarized it in the form of sütras. Later he expanded it into the form of Çrémad Bhägavatam itself. Since it represents the natural commentary on the Vedänta Sütras, only those commentaries that agree with Çrémad Bhägavatam are to be respected.

            "It determines the meaning of Mahäbhärata": "The Mahäbhärata is glorified as containing the conclusion of all the scriptures. Previously, at the command of Çréla Vyäsa, all the demigods, including Lord Brahmä, and all the great sages came together. They weighed the Mahäbhärata and the Vedas and the Mahäbhärata,because of its greatness and heaviness, weighed more than the Vedas, therefore, it is called Mahäbhärata." (Mbh. Ädi Parva 1.272-274)

            The essential meaning of the Mahäbhärata is contained in the Çrémad Bhägavatam. The meaning of the Mahäbhärata also culminates in the Supreme Lord alone. Thus in the Näräyaëéya section of the Mokñadharma portion of Mahäbhärata, Janamejaya says to Çréla Vyäsadeva: "O Brahman, O abode of austerities, just as butter is churned from yogurt, as sandalwood is extracted from the Malaya mountains, as the Upaniñads from the Vedas, and as nectar from herbs, similarly you have churned the ocean of the highest knowledge with the rod of intelligence and extracted this (the Näräyaëéya) from the hundred thousand verses of the Mahäbhärata. It is related to Lord Näräyaëa and sweet like nectar, (Mahäbhärata, Mokñadharma 170: 11-14).

 

ÇRÉ JÉVA TOÑAËÉ COMMENTARY

             The Çrémad Bhägavatam is one of the eighteen Puräëas, but Çréla Vyäsadeva wrote it after composing the Vedänta Sütra, which was composed as the essence of the Vedas, Mahäbhärata, and the eighteen Puräëas. So all the eighteen Puräëas were already compiled. Does this mean that the Çrémad Bhägavatam is the nineteenth Puräëa? 

            Çréla Jéva Goswami says no. First Çrémad Bhägavatam appeared in a concise form, as one of the eighteen Puräëas. Based on this initial edition, Çréla Vyäsa composed Vedänta Sütra. Later on, when He sat in trance after the order of Närada Muni, the expanded form of the Çrémad Bhägavatam was revealed to Him as the natural commentary on Vedänta Sutra. They both have the same subject, the Absolute Truth and they express the same sambandha (relationship), abhideya (process), and prayojana (goal). Later on many äcäryas and scholars wrote commentaries on Vedänta Sutra, but only those explanations that agree with the Çrémad Bhägavatam, such as given by Rämänujäcärya, Madhväcärya, and Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa are bonafide.

            The hint that Veda Vyäsa composed two editions of the Çrémad Bhägavatam has been given by Veda Vyäsa, ( SB.1.7.8):

"The great sage, Vyäsadeva, after compiling the Çrémad Bhägavatam and revising it, taught it to his own son, Çré Çukadeva Goswami, who was already absorbed  in self-realization." Commenting on this verse, Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura writes, atastadaiva pürva-nirmitasyaiva çrébhägavatasyänu-kramaëam "The word "anukramya" in this verse means that Veda Vyäsa compiled the new edition of the already existing Çrémad Bhägavatam."

            The Mahäbhärata has been shown to be physically heavier than the Vedas. This is because in Mahäbhärata the cryptic subject matter of the Vedas has been expanded and lucidly explained using simple narrations. Vyäsadeva makes this point in the Mahäbhärata (Ädi Parva 1.62):

Çréla Vyäsadeva said, "O Lord Brahmä! I have included the secret essence of all the Vedas and all other scriptures in this great work. It includes a detailed explanation of the meanings of the six limbs of the Vedas and the Upaniñads."

            Originally the Mahäbhärata had six million verses, but at present only one hundred thousand are available on this Earth. The rest is on the higher planetary systems, where people have suitable life spans and memories to absorb it. This is stated in the Ädi Parva of the Mahäbhärata(1.106,107)

            "After that Çréla Vyäsadeva compiled another Saàhitä (Mahäbhärata) containing six million verses. Out of this three million exist in the heavenly planets 1.5 million in the planet of the manes and 1.4 million on the planet of the Gandharvas. The remaining one hundred thousand verses are available among the human beings."

            Though abridged, the version on this planet is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest epic ever. So due to the weightiness of the subject matter (maha-ttva) and its physical weight (bhära-ttva) it is known as Mahäbhärata.

            The Mahäbhärata is more versatile than the Vedas because it does not have the restrictions that apply to the Vedas. All interested parties regardless of gender or social position may read and relish Mahäbhärata, but only the Mokñadharma portion is directly related to Lord Näräyaëa. Other sections are mixed with topics such as kamya karma, polity, charity, and so on. By contrast, in Çrémad Bhägavatam, all topics tangential to the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are left out. The entire Bhägavatam speaks only and directly about the glories of the Supreme Lord, therefore it is superior to the Mahäbhärata. Hence the statement "The Çrémad Bhägavatam determines the meaning of the Mahäbhärata" (bhäratärthavinirëaya).

            In the next section, Çréla Jéva Goswami gives further proof of the Bhägavatam being the essence of all Vedic literatures and the topmost pramäëa.