SECTION SIXTY ONE

            While proclaiming the characteristics of the Çrémad Bhägavatam as a Mahä Puräëa, in a different manner, Çré Süta Gosvämé affirms the Lord to be the Äçraya in the following two verses (SB. 12.7.8,9):

            Knowers of the Puräëas ascribe the following ten characteristics to a Puräëa - 1. Sarga, or primary creation 2. Visarga, or secondary creation  3. Våtti, or maintenance 4. Rakñä, or protection  5. Antara, or reign of manus  6. Vaàça, or geneologies 7. Vamçänucarita, or activities of kings  8. Saàsthä, or annihilation 9. Hetu, or motivation 10. Apäçraya, or the ultimate shelter.  But some, O Brähmaëa, consider the characteristics to be only five, based on the difference between a Mahä Puräëa and a minor Puräëa.

            The word antaräëi refers to manvantaras. According to some, a Puräëa has five characteristics:

            The five characteristics of a Puräëa are 1. Sarga, or creation 2. Pratisarga, or annihilation 3. Vaàça, or geneologies 4. Manvantara, or the reign of Manus 5. Vaàçänucarita, or the activities of the kings and saints.

            This distinction between the major and minor Puräëas is based on their topics. All ten topics are also indicated in other Puräëas, such as the Viñëu Puräëa, but only five are chiefly discussed, therefore they are considered minor.

            In the Çrémad Bhägavatam, it is not intended that the ten topics be found one after the other in each canto consecutively, because the Çrémad Bhägavatam has twelve cantos. Nor should one construe that because the ten characteristics are listed in the Second Canto, they can be found one after another from Canto Three to Twelve, because the  three topics of nirodha, mukti, and äçraya can be found in the Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Cantos, but not in the Eighth Canto. The other characteristics are also not in order in the other cantos. Çrédhara Svämé also affirms:

            The nirodha, or killing of unrighteous rulers, due to their deviation from religion, is enumerated in the Tenth Canto, in order to spread the glory of Kåñëa...The four types of nirodha, such as präkåta, was described earlier.

The intention of Çrédhara Svämé is to indicate that Çré Kåñëa has been established as the chief Açraya in this canto (the tenth). Thus he asserts, "The Tenth Canto aims at describing the tenth item, äçraya, as Kåñëa, who is the äçraya, or shelter, of His devotees."

     A similar conclusion can be drawn about the other cantos. Thus in the opinion of Çrédhara Svämé, generally every canto touches on all ten topics either directly or indirectly. Indeed the Bhägavatam (2.10.2) statement, çrutena arthena ca anjasa "these topics are described in the Çrémad Bhägavatam either with the çruti, directly or indirectly" is only fulfilled with this conclusion. These characteristics can be found in all the cantos of the Çrémad Bhägavatam, therefore, the First and Second Cantos are also parts of this Mahä Puräëa. We do not entertain the idea that these topics are explained successively.
 

ÇRÉ JÉVA TOÑAËÉ COMMENTARY
 

            Previously it was shown that Süta Gosvämé, Çukadeva Gosvämé, and Çréla Vyäsadeva had the same conviction about what is the essence of the Çrémad Bhägavatam. Here Çréla Jéva Gosvämé again substantiates that idea by quoting the statements of Süta Gosvämé regarding  the characteristics of a Mahä Puräëa. Although the ten categories Çré Süta gave seem to differ from those of Çukadeva Gosvämé, Çréla Jéva Gosvämé shows that in essence they are the same. In Bhävärtha-dépikä, while commenting on verse 12.7.9 of the Çrémad Bhägavatam, Çrédhara Svämé offers the following reconciliation between the ten topics given by Çukadeva and the ten by Süta Gosvämé: Sarga and visarga are common in both. Sthänam is called våtti and poñaëa is called rakñä, manvantara is indicated by antara and éçänukathä by vaàça and vaàçänucaritam. Nirodha is called saàsthä, which also refers to mukti. (Mukti is counted as one of the four types of annihilation mentioned in Section number 63). Üti is reffered to by to by hetu. For easy comprehension the comparative list of ten topics is given below:

ENUMERATION OF THE SUBJECTS IN THE BHÄGAVATAM

By Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé

By Çré Süta Gosvämé

1. Sarga (primary creation)

Sarga

2. Visarga (secondary creation)

Visarga

3. Sthänam (maintenance)

Våtti

4. Poñaëa (nourishment)

Rakñä

5. Üti (material desires)

Hetu

6. Manvantara (reign of a Manu)

Antara

7. Éçänukathä (activities of Lord and His devotees)

Vaàça Vaàçänucarita

8. Nirodha (annihilation)

Saàsthä

9. Mukti (liberation)

Saàsthä

10. Äçraya (Supreme shelter)

Apäçraya

             These ten characteristics are found in a Mahä Puräëa but a Puräëa has only five characteristics--sarga, or creation; pratisarga, or dissolution; vaàça, or the geneologies of kings or sages; manvantaras, a duration of a reign of a Manu; vaàçänucarita, the description of various sages, kings, and incarnations.  These five include the ten characteristics of a Mahä Puräëa, but in a Puräëa more stress is laid on these five topics and this gives the distinction between a Puräëa and a Mahä Puräëa. How the ten characteristics of a Mahä Puräëa is included in the five found in a lesser Puräëa is as follows: 

1. Sarga

Sarga, Visarga, Äçraya

2. Pratisarga

Nirodha, Mukti

3. Vamça

Éçänukathä

4. Manvantara           

Manvantara, Sthänam

5. Vamçänucaritam

Éçänukathä, Poñaëa, Üti, Äçraya

      The Çrémad Bhägavatam is in twelve cantos, but the list of the characteristics of a Mahä-Puräëa are in the Second Canto. Some scholars conclude therefore that these ten topics are explained successively in each canto from the Third Canto onwards. Çréla Jéva Gosvämé has complete disregard for such an explanation. If a Mahä Puräëa has ten characteristics and if the first two cantos of Bhägavatam had none of these, then the Bhägavatam proper would have ten cantos. Analysis shows, however, that the First and Second Cantos discuss sarga, visarga, and rakñä. Earlier, Çréla Jéva Gosvämé established the characteristics of the Çrémad Bhägavatam as having eighteen thousand verses, twelve cantos, and that it begins with the Gäyatré Mantra. If the first two cantos are not part of the Bhägavatam, then this description does not hold. Some other scholars reject the First Canto as part of the Bhägavatam, because Çukadeva speaks only from the Second Canto on, but their opinion is countered by the same reply as above.

            Additionally, Çréla Jéva Gosvämé argues that the ten items are not described individually, one per canto, because there are twelve cantos and only ten topics. If we exclude two cantos that will reduce the Çrémad Bhägavatam to less than the required number of eighteen thousand verses.  He further says that although nirodha is the eighth item, it is profusely found in the Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Cantos.           

            This conclusion is also confirmed by Çrédhara Svämé, one of the greatest and most respected authorities on Çrémad Bhägavatam.  According to the believers in a successive description of the ten topics beginning from the Second Canto, the Tenth Canto should describe the eighth item, nirodha, and the Twelfth Canto the tenth item, Äçraya. Undoubtedly nirodha is explained in the Tenth Canto, but nonetheless the principal topic discussed therein is äçraya, who is established as Kåñëa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

            In Çréla Jéva Gosvämé's opinion, which has support from the writings of Çrédhara Svämé, all the ten topics of the Bhägavatam are described in all twelve cantos. In some cantos certain topics are described more prominently and directly, while others are explained indirectly. In Sarvasaàvädiné Çréla Jéva Gosvämé gives the following breakdown of the topics covered in each canto: 

     Topic

Cantos Primarily Discussed

     1. Sarga

Secondand, Third

     2. Visarga

Second, Third, Fourth

     3. Våtti

Third, Seventh, Eleventh

     4. Rakñä

Throughout

     5. Manvantara

Eighth

     6. Vaàça

Fourth, Nineth

     7. Vaàçänucarita

Fourth, Nineth

     8. Saàsthä

 Eleventh, Twelfth

     9. Hetu

Third, Eleventh

     10. Apäçraya

Tenth

                       As mentioned before, the ultimate purpose of the Çrémad Bhägavatam is to explain the tenth item, äçraya, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, it is illogical to expect that the other nine subjects will be dealt with in a successive manner like a mathematical equation. Rather they are the tools used to clarify and establish the position of the Supreme Lord. One should not insist on a consecutive order to the ten topics, nor try to minimize the importance of the first two cantos. Çréla Jéva Gosvämé's claim from the start was that the Çrémad Bhägavatam revolves around Çré Kåñëa, who is the Supreme Shelter for all existence. We understand then that it speaks about Çré Kåñëa in the beginning, the middle, and the end, and not just in the Twelfth Canto. A detailed explanation of this is in Çré Kåñëa Sandarbha.

     In the next section, Çréla Jéva Gosvämé gives the definition of the first seven of the ten items as listed by Süta Gosvämé in the Twelfth Canto.