CHAPTER TWO
The Rising Sun of Shrimad-Bhagavatam (bhagavatarkodayah)
shri-krishna-chaitanya-candraya namah
gauranga-kripaya yasya tattvam bhagavatoditam
sampraptam hridaye vande sarvabhauma mahashayam
1.1.2
dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsaranam satam
vedyam vastavam atra vastu shivadam tapa-trayonmulanam
shrimad-bhagavate maha-muni-krite kim va parair ishvarah
sadyo hridy avarudhyate 'tra kritibhih shushrushubhis tat-kshanat
dharmah—religiosity; projjhita—completely rejected; kaitavah—covered by fruitive intention; atra—herein; paramah—the highest; nirmatsaranam—of the one-hundred-percent pure in heart; satam—devotees; vedyam—understandable; vastavam—factual; atra—herein; vastu—substance; shivadam—well-being; tapa-traya—threefold miseries; unmulanam—causing uprooting of; shrimat—beautiful; bhagavate—the Bhagavata Purana; maha-muni—the great sage (Vyasadeva); krite—having compiled; kim—what is; va—the need; paraih—others; ishvarah—the Supreme Lord; sadyah—at once; hridi—within the heart; avarudhyate—become compact; atra—herein; kritibhih—by the pious men; shushrushubhih—by culture; tat-kshanat—without delay.
Completely rejecting all religious activities which are materially motivated, this Bhagavata Purana propounds the highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees who are fully pure in heart. The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold miseries. This beautiful Bhagavatam, compiled by the great sage Vyasadeva [in his maturity], is sufficient in itself for God realization. What is the need of any other scripture? As soon as one attentively and submissively hears the message of Bhagavatam, by this culture of knowledge the Supreme Lord is established within his heart.
1.4.14-16 Suta Gosvami to Shaunaka Rishi
suta uvaca
dvapare samanuprapte
tritiye yuga-paryaye
jatah parasharad yogi
vasavyam kalaya hareh
sutah—Suta Gosvami; uvaca—said; dvapare—in the second millennium; samanuprapte—on the advent of; tritiye—third; yuga—millennium; paryaye—in the place of; jatah—was begotten; parasharat—by Parashara; yogi—the great sage; vasavyam—in the womb of the daughter of Vasu; kalaya—in the plenary portion; hareh—of the Personality of Godhead.
Suta Gosvami said: When the second millennium overlapped the third, the great sage [Vyasadeva] was born to Parasara in the womb of Satyavati, the daughter of Vasu. (14)
sa kadacit sarasvatya
upasprishya jalam shucih
vivikta eka asina
udite ravi-mandale
sah—he; kadacit—once; sarasvatyah—on the bank of the Sarasvati; upasprishya—after finishing morning ablutions; jalam—water; shucih—being purified; vivikte—concentration; ekah—alone; asinah—being thus seated; udite—on the rise; ravi-mandale—of the sun disc.
Once upon a time he [Vyasadeva], as the sun rose, took his morning ablution in the waters of the Sarasvati and sat alone to concentrate. (15)
paravara-jnah sa rishih
kalenavyakta-ramhasa
yuga-dharma-vyatikaram
praptam bhuvi yuge yuge
para-avara—past and future; jnah—one who knows; sah—he; rishih—Vyasadeva; kalena—in the course of time; avyakta—unmanifested; ramhasa—by great force; yuga-dharma—acts in terms of the millennium; vyatikaram—anomalies; praptam—having accrued; bhuvi—on the earth; yuge yuge—different ages.
The great sage Vyasadeva saw anomalies in the duties of the millennium. This happens on the earth in different ages, due to unseen forces in the course of time. (16)
1.4.17-22 Suta Gosvami to Shaunaka Rishi
bhautikanam ca bhavanam
shakti-hrasam ca tat-kritam
ashraddadhanan nihsattvan
durmedhan hrasitayushah
durbhagamsh ca janan vikshya
munir divyena cakshusha
sarva-varnashramanam yad
dadhyau hitam amogha-drik
bhautikanam ca—also of everything that is made of matter; bhavanam—actions; shakti-hrasam ca—and deterioration of natural power; tat-kritam—rendered by that; ashraddadhanan—of the faithless; nihsattvan—impatient due to want of the mode of goodness; durmedhan—dull-witted; hrasita—reduced; ayushah—of duration of life; durbhagan ca—also the unlucky; janan—people in general; vikshya—by seeing; munih—the muni; divyena—by transcendental; cakshusha—vision; sarva—all; varna-asramanam—of all the statuses and orders of life; yat—what; dadhyau—contemplated; hitam—welfare; amogha-drik—one who is fully equipped in knowledge.
The great sage, who was fully equipped in knowledge, could see, through his transcendental vision, the deterioration of everything material, due to the influence of the age. He could also see that the faithless people in general would be reduced in duration of life and would be impatient due to lack of goodness. Thus he contemplated for the welfare of men in all statuses and orders of life. (17-18)
catur-hotram karma shuddham
prajanam vikshya vaidikam
vyadadhad yajna-santatyai
vedam ekam catur-vidham
catuh—four; hotram—sacrificial fires; karma shuddham—purification of work; prajanam—of the people in general; vikshya—after seeing; vaidikam—according to Vedic rites; vyadadhat—made into; yajna—sacrifice; santatyai—to expand; vedam ekam—only one Veda; catuh-vidham—in four divisions.
He saw that the sacrifices mentioned in the Vedas were means by which the people's occupations could be purified. And to simplify the process he divided the one Veda into four, in order to expand them among men. (19)
rig-yajuh-samatharvakhya
vedash catvara uddhritah
itihasa-puranam ca
pancamo veda ucyate
rig-yajuh-sama-atharva-akhyah—the names of the four Vedas; vedah—the Vedas; catvarah—four; uddhritah—made into separate parts; itihasa—historical records (Mahabharata); puranam ca—and the Puranas; pancamah—the fifth; vedah—the original source of knowledge; ucyate—is said to be.
The four divisions of the original sources of knowledge [the Vedas] were made separately. But the historical facts and authentic stories mentioned in the Puranas are called the fifth Veda. (20)
tatrarg-veda-dharah pailah
samago jaiminih kavih
vaishampayana evaiko
nishnato yajusham uta
tatra—thereupon; rig-veda-dharah—the professor of the Rig Veda;pailah—the rishi named Paila; sama-gaa—that of the Sama Veda; jaiminih—the rishi named Jaimini; kavih—highly qualified; vaishampayanah—the rishi named Vaishampayana; eva—only; ekah—alone; nishnatah—well versed; yajusham—of the Yajur Veda; uta—glorified.
After the Vedas were divided into four divisions, Paila Rishi became the professor of the Rg Veda, Jaimini the professor of the Sama Veda, and Vaisampayana alone became glorified by the Yajur Veda. (21)
atharvangirasam asit
sumantur daruno munih
itihasa-purananam
pita me romaharshanah
atharva—the Atharva Veda; angirasam—unto the risi Angira; asit—was entrusted; sumantuh—also known as Sumantu Muni; darunah—seriously devoted to the Atharva Veda; munih—the sage; itihasa-purananam—of the historical records and the Puranas; pita—father; me—mine; romaharshanah—the risi Romaharshana.
The Sumantu Muni Angira, who was very devotedly engaged, was entrusted with the Atharva Veda. And my father, Romaharsana, was entrusted with the Puranas and historical records. (22)
1.4.25,27 Suta Gosvami to Shaunaka Rishi
stri-shudra-dvijabandhunam
trayi na shruti-gocara
karma-shreyasi mudhanam
shreya evam bhaved iha
iti bharatam akhyanam
kripaya munina kritam
stri—the woman class; shudra—the laboring class; dvija-bandhunam—of the friends of the twice-born; trayi—three; na—not; shruti-gocara—for understanding; karma—in activities; shreyasi—in welfare; udhanam—of the fools; shreyah—supreme benefit; evam—thus; bhavet—achieved; iha—by this; iti—thus thinking; bharatam—the great Mahabharata; akhyanam—historical facts; kripaya—out of great mercy; munina—by the muni; kritam—is completed.
Out of compassion, the great sage thought it wise that this would enable men to achieve the ultimate goal of life. Thus he compiled the great historical narration called the Mahabharata for women, laborers and friends of the twice-born. (25)
natiprasidad dhridayah
sarasvatyas tate shucau
vitarkayan vivikta-stha
idam covaca dharma-vit
na—not; atiprasidat—very much satisfied; hridayah—at heart; sarasvatyah—of the River Sarasvati; tate—on the bank of; shucau—being purified; vitarkayan—having considered; vivikta-sthah—situated in a lonely place; idam ca—also this; uvaca—said; dharma-vit—one who knows what religion is.
Thus the sage, being dissatisfied at heart, at once began to reflect, because he knew the essence of religion, and he said within himself: (27)
1.4.30 Vyasadeva to Himself
thatapi bata me daihyo
hy atma caivatmana vibhuh
asampanna ivabhati
brahma-varcasya sattamah
thatapi—although; bata—defect; me—mine; daihyah—situated in the body; hi—certainly; atma—living being; ca—and; eva—even; atmana—myself; vibhuh—sufficient; asampannah—wanting in; iva abhati—it appears to be; brahma-varcasya—of the Vedantists; sattamah—the supreme.
I am feeling incomplete, though I myself am fully equipped with everything required by the Vedas.
1.4.32 Suta Gosvami to Shaunaka Rishi
tasyaivam khilam atmanam
manyamanasya khidyatah
krishnasya narado 'bhyagad
ashramam prag udahritam
tasya—his; evam—thus; khilam—inferior; atmanam—soul; manyamanasya—thinking within the mind; khidyatah—regretting; krishnasya—of Krishna-dvaipayana Vyasa; naradah abhyagat—Narada came there; ashramam—the cottage; prak—before; udahritam—said.
As mentioned before, Narada reached the cottage of Krishna-dvaipayana Vyasa on the banks of the Sarasvati just as Vyasadeva was regretting his defects.
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