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sah—that; aham—I; nrnam—of the human being; ksulla—very little; sukhaya—for happiness; duhkham—distress; mahat—great; gatanam—entered into; viramaya—for mitigation; tasya—his; pravartaye—in beginning; bhagavatam—Srimad-Bhagavatam; puranam—Vedic supplement; yat—which; aha—said; saksat—directly; bhagavan—the Personality of Godhead; rsibhyah—unto the sages.

Let me now begin speaking on the Bhagavata Purana, which was directly spoken to the great sages by the Personality of Godhead for the benefit of those who are entangled in extreme miseries for the sake of very little pleasure.

The sage Maitreya proposed to speak on Srimad-Bhagavatam because it was especially compiled, and traditionally comes down in the disciplic succession, for the solution of all the problems of human society. Only one who is fortunate can have the opportunity to hear Srimad-Bhagavatam in the association of pure devotees of the Lord. Under the spell of material energy, the living entities are entrapped in the bondage of many difficulties simply for the sake of a little bit of material happiness. They engage in fruitive activities, not knowing the implications. Under the false impression that the body is the self, the living entities foolishly relate to so many false attachments. They think that they can engage with materialistic paraphernalia forever. This gross misconception of life is so strong that a person suffers continually, life after life, under the external energy of the Lord. If one comes in contact with the book Bhagavatam as well as with the devotee bhagavata, who knows what the Bhagavatam is, then such a fortunate man gets out of the material entanglement. Therefore Sri Maitreya Muni, out of compassion for the suffering men in the world, proposes to speak on the Srimad-Bhagavatam first and last.

SB3.8.3

TEXT 3

asinam urvyam bhagavantam adyam

sankarsanam devam akuntha-sattvam

vivitsavas tattvam atah parasya

kumara-mukhya munayo ’nvaprcchan

asinam—seated; urvyam—in the bottom of the universe; bhagavantam—unto the Lord; adyam—the original; sankarsanam—Sankarsana; devam—the Personality of Godhead; akuntha-sattvam—undeterred knowledge; vivitsavah—being inquisitive to know; tattvam atah—truth like this; parasya—regarding the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kumara—the boy-saint; mukhyah—headed by; munayah—great sages; anvaprcchan—inquired like this.

Some time ago, being inquisitive to know, Sanat-kumara, the chief of the boy-saints, accompanied by other great sages, inquired exactly like you about the truths regarding Vasudeva, the Supreme, from Lord Sankarsana, who is seated at the bottom of the universe.

This is in clarification of the statement that the Lord spoke directly on the Srimad-Bhagavatam. When and unto whom the Bhagavatam was spoken is explained herewith. Questions similar to those put forward by Vidura were asked by great sages like Sanat-kumara, and Lord Sankarsana, the plenary expansion of the Supreme Lord Vasudeva, answered them.

SB3.8.4

TEXT 4

svam eva dhisnyam bahu manayantam

yad vasudevabhidham amananti

pratyag-dhrtaksambuja-kosam isad

unmilayantam vibudhodayaya

svam—Himself; eva—thus; dhisnyam—situated; bahu—greatly; manayantam—esteemed; yat—that which; vasudeva—Lord Vasudeva; abhidham—by the name; amananti—acknowledge; pratyak-dhrta-aksa—eyes settled for introspection; ambuja-kosam—lotuslike eye; isat—slightly; unmilayantam—opened; vibudha—of the greatly learned sages; udayaya—for the sake of advancement.

At that time Lord Sankarsana was meditating upon His Supreme Lord, whom the learned esteem as Lord Vasudeva, but for the sake of the advancement of the great learned sages He slightly opened His lotus like eyes and began to speak.

SB3.8.5

TEXT 5

svardhuny-udardraih sva-jata-kalapair

upasprsantas caranopadhanam

padmam yad arcanty ahi-raja-kanyah

sa-prema nana-balibhir vararthah

SYNONYMS

svardhuni-uda—by the water of the Ganges; ardraih—being moistened; sva-jata—bunch of hairs; kalapaih—situated on the head; upasprsantah—by so touching; carana-upadhanam—the shelter of His feet; padmam—the lotus shelter; yat—that which; arcanti—worships; ahi-raja—the serpent-king; kanyah—daughters; sa-prema—with great devotion; nana—various; balibhih—paraphernalia; vara-arthah—being desirous of husbands.

TRANSLATION

The sages came from the highest planets down to the lower region through the water of the Ganges, and therefore the hair on their heads was wet. They touched the lotus feet of the Lord, which are worshiped with various paraphernalia by the daughters of the serpent-king when they desire good husbands.

PURPORT

The Ganges water flows directly from the lotus feet of Visnu, and its course runs from the highest planet of the universe down to the lowest. The sages came down from Satyaloka by taking advantage of the flowing water, a process of transportation made possible by the power of mystic yoga. If a river flows thousands and thousands of miles, a perfect yogi can at once transport himself from one place to another simply by dipping in its water. The Ganges is the only celestial river which flows throughout the universe, and great sages travel all over the universe via this sacred river. The statement that their hair was wet indicates that it was directly moistened by the water originating from the lotus feet of Visnu (the Ganges). Whoever touches the water of the Ganges to his head surely touches the lotus feet of the Lord directly and can become free from all effects of sinful acts. If after taking a bath in the Ganges or being washed of all sins, a man guards himself against committing further sinful acts, then certainly he is delivered. But if he again takes up sinful activities, his bath in the Ganges is as good as that of the elephant, who nicely takes his bath in a river but later spoils the whole thing by covering himself with dust on the land.

SB3.8.6

TEXT 6

muhur grnanto vacasanuraga-

skhalat-padenasya krtani taj-jnah

kirita-sahasra-mani-praveka-

pradyotitoddama-phana-sahasram

muhuh—again and again; grnantah—glorifying; vacasa—by words; anuraga—with great affection; skhalat-padena—with symmetrical rhythm; asya—of the Lord; krtani—activities; tat-jnah—those who know the pastimes; kirita—helmets; sahasra—thousands; mani-praveka—glowing effulgence of the valuable stones; pradyotita—emanating from; uddama—raised; phana—hoods; sahasram—thousands.

The four Kumaras, headed by Sanat-kumara, who all knew the transcendental pastimes of the Lord, glorified the Lord in rhythmic accents with selected words full of affection and love. At that time Lord Sankarsana, with His thousands of raised hoods, began to radiate an effulgence from the glowing stones on His head.

The Lord is sometimes addressed as uttamasloka, which means “one who is worshiped with selected words by devotees.” A profusion of such selected words comes from a devotee who is fully absorbed in affection and love for the devotional service of the Lord. There are many instances in which even a small boy who was a great devotee of the Lord could offer excellent prayers in the choicest words for glorification of the pastimes of the Lord. In other words, without the development of fine affection and love, one cannot offer prayers to the Lord very suitably.

SB3.8.7

TEXT 7

proktam kilaitad bhagavattamena

nivrtti-dharmabhirataya tena

sanat-kumaraya sa caha prstah

sankhyayanayanga dhrta-vrataya

proktam—was said; kila—certainly; etat—this; bhagavattamena—by Lord Sankarsana; nivrtti—renunciation; dharma-abhirataya—unto one who has taken this religious vow; tena—by Him; sanat-kumaraya—unto Sanat-kumara; sah—he; ca—also; aha—said; prstah—when inquired of; sankhyayanaya—unto the great sage Sankhyayana; anga—my dear Vidura; dhrta-vrataya—unto one who has taken such a vow.

Lord Sankarsana thus spoke the purport of Srimad-Bhagavatam to the great sage Sanat-kumara, who had already taken the vow of renunciation. Sanat-kumara also, in his turn, when inquired of by Sankhyayana Muni, explained Srimad-Bhagavatam as he had heard it from Sankarsana.

This is the way of the parampara system. Although Sanat-kumara, the well-known great saintly Kumara, was in the perfect stage of life, still he heard the message of Srimad-Bhagavatam from Lord Sankarsana. Similarly, when he was questioned by Sankhyayana Rsi, he spoke to him the same message he had heard from Lord Sankarsana. In other words, unless one hears from the proper authority one cannot become a preacher. In devotional service, therefore, two items out of the nine, namely hearing and chanting, are most important. Without hearing nicely, one cannot preach the message of Vedic knowledge.

SB3.8.8

TEXT 8

sankhyayanah paramahamsya-mukhyo

vivaksamano bhagavad-vibhutih

jagada so ’smad-gurave ’nvitaya

parasarayatha brhaspates ca

sankhyayanah—the great sage Sankhyayana; paramahamsya-mukhyah—the chief of all transcendentalists; vivaksamanah—while reciting; bhagavat-vibhutih—the glories of the Lord; jagada—explained; sah—he; asmat—of me; gurave—unto the spiritual master; anvitaya—followed; parasaraya—unto the sage Parasara; atha brhaspateh ca—also to Brhaspati.

The great sage Sankhyayana was the chief amongst the transcendentalists, and when he was describing the glories of the Lord in terms of Srimad-Bhagavatam, it so happened that my spiritual master, Parasara, and Brhaspati both heard him.

SB3.8.9

TEXT 9

provaca mahyam sa dayalur ukto

munih pulastyena puranam adyam

so ’ham tavaitat kathayami vatsa

sraddhalave nityam anuvrataya

SYNONYMS

provaca—said; mahyam—unto me; sah—he; dayaluh—kindhearted; uktah—aforementioned; munih—sage; pulastyena—by the sage Pulastya; puranam adyam—the foremost of all the Puranas; sah aham—that also I; tava—unto you; etat—this; kathayami—shall speak; vatsa—my dear son; sraddhalave—unto one who is faithful; nityam—always; anuvrataya—unto one who is a follower.

TRANSLATION

The great sage Parasara, as aforementioned, being so advised by the great sage Pulastya, spoke unto me the foremost of the Puranas [Bhagavatam]. I shall also describe this before you, my dear son, in terms of my hearing, because you are always my faithful follower.

PURPORT

The great sage of the name Pulastya is the father of all demoniac descendants. Once upon a time Parasara began a sacrifice in which all the demons were to be burnt to death because his father had been killed and devoured by one of them. The great sage Vasistha Muni arrived at the sacrifice and requested Parasara to stop the deadly action, and because of Vasistha’s position and respect in the community of sages, Parasara could not deny the request. Parasara having stopped the sacrifice, Pulastya, the father of the demons, appreciated his brahminical temperament and gave the blessing that in the future he would be a great speaker on the Vedic literatures called the Puranas, the supplements of the Vedas. Parasara’s action was appreciated by Pulastya because Parasara had forgiven the demons out of his brahminical power of forgiveness. Parasara was able to demolish all the demons in the sacrifice, but he considered, “Demons are so made that they devour living creatures, men and animals, but why on that account should I withdraw my brahminical qualification of forgiveness?” As the great speaker of the Puranas, Parasara first of all spoke on the Srimad-Bhagavata Purana because it is the foremost of all the Puranas. Maitreya Muni desired to narrate the same Bhagavatam be had heard from Parasara, and Vidura was qualified to hear it because of his faithfulness and his following the instructions received from superiors. So Srimad-Bhagavatam was being narrated from time immemorial by the disciplic succession, even before the time of Vyasadeva. The so-called historians calculate the Puranas to be only a few hundred years old, but factually the Puranas existed from time immemorial, before all historical calculations by the mundaners and speculative philosophers.

SB3.8.10

TEXT 10

udaplutam visvam idam tadasid

yan nidrayamilita-drn nyamilayat

ahindra-talpe ’dhisayana ekah

krta-ksanah svatma-ratau nirihah

uda—water; aplutam—submerged in; visvam—the three worlds; idam—this; tada—at that time; asit—it so remained; yat—in which; nidraya—in slumber; amilita—closed; drk—eyes; nyamilayat—not completely closed; ahi-indra—the great snake Ananta; talpe—on the bed of; adhisayanah—lying on; ekah—alone; krta-ksanah—being engaged; sva-atma-ratau—enjoying in His internal potency; nirihah—without any part of external energy.

At that time when the three worlds were submerged in water, Garbhodakasayi Visnu was alone, lying on His bedstead, the great snake Ananta, and although He appeared to be in slumber in His own internal potency, free from the action of the external energy, His eyes were not completely closed.

The Lord is eternally enjoying transcendental bliss by His internal potency, whereas the external potency is suspended during the time of the dissolution of the cosmic manifestation.

SB3.8.11

TEXT 11

so ’ntah sarire ’rpita-bhuta-suksmah

kalatmikam saktim udirayanah

uvasa tasmin salile pade sve

yathanalo daruni ruddha-viryah

sah—the Supreme Lord; antah—within; sarire—in the transcendental body; arpita—kept; bhuta—material elements; suksmah—subtle; kala-atmikam—the form of time; saktim—energy; udirayanah—invigorating; uvasa—resided; tasmin—therein; salile—in the water; pade—in the place; sve—His own; yatha—as much as; analah—fire; daruni—in the fuel wood; ruddha-viryah—submerged strength.

Just like the strength of fire within fuel wood, the Lord remained within the water of dissolution, submerging all the living entities in their subtle bodies. He lay in the self-invigorated energy called kala.

After the three worlds—the upper, lower and middle planetary systems—merged into the water of dissolution, the living entities of all the three worlds remained in their subtle bodies by dint of the energy called kala. In this dissolution, the gross bodies became unmanifest, but the subtle bodies existed, just like the water of the material creation. Thus the material energy was not completely wound up, as is the case in the full dissolution of the material world.

SB3.8.12

TEXT 12

catur-yuganam ca sahasram apsu

svapan svayodiritaya sva-saktya

kalakhyayasadita-karma-tantro

lokan apitan dadrse sva-dehe

catuh—four; yuganam—of the millenniums; ca—also; sahasram—one thousand; apsu—in the water; svapan—dreaming in sleep; svaya—with His internal potency; udiritaya—for further development; sva-saktya—by His own energy; kala-akhyaya—by the name kala; asadita—being so engaged; karma-tantrah—in the matter of fruitive activities; lokan—the total living entities; apitan—bluish; dadrse—saw it so; sva-dehe—in His own body.

The Lord lay down for four thousand yuga cycles in His internal potency, and by His external energy He appeared to be sleeping within the water. When the living entities were coming out for further development of their fruitive activities, actuated by the energy called kala-sakti, He saw His transcendental body as bluish.

In the Visnu Purana, kala-sakti is mentioned as avidya. The symptom of the influence of the kala-sakti is that one has to work in the material world for fruitive results. The fruitive workers are described in Bhagavad-gita as mudhas, or foolish. Such foolish living entities are very enthusiastic to work for some temporary benefit within perpetual bondage. One thinks himself very clever throughout his life if he is able to leave behind him a great asset of wealth for his children, and to achieve this temporary benefit he takes the risk of all sinful activities, without knowledge that such activities will keep him perpetually bound by the shackles of material bondage. Due to this polluted mentality and due to material sins, the aggregate combination of living entities appeared to be bluish. Such an impetus of activity for fruitive result is made possible by the dictation of the external energy of the Lord, kala.

SB3.8.13

TEXT 13

tasyartha-suksmabhinivista-drster

antar-gato ’rtho rajasa taniyan

gunena kalanugatena viddhah

susyams tadabhidyata nabhi-desat

tasya—His; artha—subject; suksma—subtle; abhinivista-drsteh—of one whose attention was fixed; antah-gatah—internal; arthah—purpose; rajasa—by the mode of passion of material nature; taniyan—very subtle; gunena—by the qualities; kala-anugatena—in due course of time; viddhah—agitated; susyan—generating; tada—then; abhidyata—pierced through; nabhi-desat—from the abdomen.

The subtle subject matter of creation, on which the Lord’s attention was fixed, was agitated by the material mode of passion, and thus the subtle form of creation pierced through His abdomen.

SB3.8.14

TEXT 14

sa padma-kosah sahasodatisthat

kalena karma-pratibodhanena

sva-rocisa tat salilam visalam

vidyotayann arka ivatma-yonih

SYNONYMS

sah—that; padma-kosah—bud of a lotus flower; sahasa—suddenly; udatisthat—appeared; kalena—by time; karma—fruitive activities; pratibodhanena—awakening; sva-rocisa—by its own effulgence; tat—that; salilam—water of devastation; visalam—vast; vidyotayan—illuminating; arkah—the sun; iva—like; atma-yonih—generating from the Personality of Visnu.

TRANSLATION

Piercing through, this sum total form of the fruitive activity of the living entities took the shape of the bud of a lotus flower generated from the Personality of Visnu, and by His supreme will it illuminated everything, like the sun, and dried up the vast waters of devastation.

SB3.8.15

TEXT 15

tal loka-padmam sa u eva visnuh

pravivisat sarva-gunavabhasam

tasmin svayam vedamayo vidhata

svayambhuvam yam sma vadanti so ’bhut

SYNONYMS

tat—that; loka—universal; padmam—lotus flower; sah—He; u—certainly; eva—factually; visnuh—the Lord; pravivisat—entered into; sarva—all; guna-avabhasam—reservoir of all modes of nature; tasmin—in which; svayam—in person; veda-mayah—the personality of Vedic wisdom; vidhata—controller of the universe; svayam-bhuvam—self-born; yam—whom; sma—in the past; vadanti—do say; sah—he; abhut—generated.

TRANSLATION

Into that universal lotus flower Lord Visnu personally entered as the Supersoul, and when it was thus impregnated with all the modes of material nature, the personality of Vedic wisdom, whom we call the self-born, was generated.

PURPORT

This lotus flower is the universal virat form, or the gigantic form of the Lord in the material world. It becomes amalgamated in the Personality of Godhead Visnu, in His abdomen, at the time of dissolution, and it becomes manifest at the time of creation. This is due to Garbhodakasayi Visnu, who enters into each of the universes. In this form is the sum total of all the fruitive activities of the living entities conditioned by material nature, and the first of them, namely Brahma, or the controller of the universe, is generated from this lotus flower. This first-born living being, unlike all the others, has no material father, and thus he is called self-born, or svayambhu. He goes to sleep with Narayana at the time of devastation, and when there is another creation, he is born in this way. From this description we have the conception of three—the gross virat form, the subtle Hiranyagarbha and the material creative force, Brahma.

SB3.8.16

TEXT 16

tasyam sa cambho-ruha-karnikayam

avasthito lokam apasyamanah

parikraman vyomni vivrtta-netras

catvari lebhe ’nudisam mukhani

tasyam—in that; sah—Brahma; ca—and; ambhah—water; ruha-karnikayam—whorl of the lotus; avasthitah—being situated; lokam—the world; apasyamanah—without being able to see; parikraman—circumambulating; vyomni—in space; vivrtta-netrah—while moving the eyes; catvari—four; lebhe—achieved; anudisam—in terms of direction; mukhani—heads.