O long-lived sage! You should tell us at once in easy terms, and thoroughly, the highest object for mankind that you have discerned in all the scriptures.

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TRANSLATION

The Supreme Lord becomes immediately captured in the heart of the accomplished devotees by hearing Bhāgavatam and even by those who have suddenly developed a desire to hear it. This does not happened with other works. In the Bhāgavatam alone, created by the Lord himself, is presented the real, permanent object which can be understood by those without selfish intentions, and which bestows auspiciousness and release from the material world of miseries. In the Bhāgavatam alone is presented the process for attaining that highest object, devoid of all material goals and liberation.

COMMENTARY

Bhāgavatam, being the essence of the scriptures and thus showing which aspects of the scriptures are beneficial and unbeneficial for the jīvas, laments for people’s strong attachments to what they think is beneficial and unbeneficial to them. Bhāgavatam thus gives bliss to all the listeners and allows everyone to achieve the highest object completely. That is made clear in this verse.

Through the hearing process, the Bhāgavatam (atra) which is most auspicious (ṣrīmat), the Lord (īśvaraḥ), the shelter of all else, Śrī-kṛṣṇa, is immediately brought under control and captured (avarudhyate) in the heart by the accomplished persons (kṛtibhiḥ), the persons devoid of selfishness (nirmatsarāṇām), who are mentioned in the verse as being qualified for this scripture. This indicates that prema arises in the devotees, since the Lord is brought under control only by prema: praṇaya-raśanayā dhṛtāṅghri-padmaḥ: the Lord’s lotus feet are tied by ropes to the devotee. (SB 11.2.55)

na rodhayati māṁ yogo na sāṅkhyaṁ dharma eva ca

na svādhyāyas tapas tyāgo neṣṭā-pūrtaṁ na dakṣiṇā

vratāni yajñaś chandāṁsi tīrthāni niyamā yamāḥ

yathāvarundhe sat-saṅgaḥ sarva-saṅgāpaho hi mām

My dear Uddhava, by associating with My pure devotees one can destroy one’s attachment for all objects of material sense gratification. Such purifying association brings Me under the control of My devotee. One may perform the aṣṭāṅga-yoga system, engage in philosophical analysis of the elements of material nature, practice nonviolence and other ordinary principles of piety, chant the Vedas, perform penances, take to the renounced order of life, execute sacrificial performances and dig wells, plant trees and perform other public welfare activities, give in charity, carry out severe vows, worship the demigods, chant confidential mantras, visit holy places or accept major and minor disciplinary injunctions, but even by performing such activities one does not bring Me under his control.  SB 11.12.1-2

Kṛṣṇa enters the hearts of even those who have suddenly developed the desire to hear from the moment they begin listening. Since they develop the desire to hear from that moment, even before having faith, it means that they develop prema simply by hearing Bhāgavatam. Then how much more quickly they would develop prema if they begin hearing with faith!

madhura-madhuram etan maṅgalaṁ maṅgalānāṁ

sakala-nigama-vallī-sat-phalaṁ cit-svarūpam

sakṛd api parigītaṁ śraddhayā helayā vā

bhṛguvara nara-mātraṁ tārayet kṛṣṇa-nāma

The name of Kṛṣṇa is sweeter than the sweetest, the most auspicious of all things auspicious, the highest fruit in the tree of all the Vedas, and is composed entirely of pure consciousness. O best of Bhṛgu’s dynasty! Heard once with faith or in negligence, it can deliver any human being. Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa, Padma Purāṇa

This verse indicates the inconceivable power in the extraordinary words denoting Kṛṣṇa.

durūhādbhuta-vīrye ’smin śraddhā dūre ’stu pañcake |

yatra svalpo ’pi sambandhaḥ sad-dhiyāṁ bhāva-janmane ||

The last five items have inconceivable and astonishing power. What to speak of faith, where there is just a little relationship with these items, persons who are devoid of offenses attain the level of bhāva. BRS 1.2.238

The verse from Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu shows that the mind becomes fixed in the Lord. This is called the highest attainment for the human being. And the Lord, becoming captured by the mind, cannot leave. That imprisonment occurs immediately — this means without even faith. Somehow this has the power to attract Kṛṣṇa completely. Bhāgavatam thus should be understood to be a great science. And if the two words sadhyaḥ and krṭibhiḥ are taken together, then it means Kṛṣṇa is brought under control immediately for those who are accomplished or qualified (kṛtibhiḥ); whereas it happens after a slight delay for those who are not so qualified. Both types of persons, — the accomplished and unaccomplished — are qualified for Bhāgavatam. Thus it is said:

pibata bhāgavataṁ rasam ālayaṁ muhur aho rasikā bhuvi bhāvukāḥ

O expert and thoughtful men, relish Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the mature fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literatures. SB 1.1.3

yaḥ svānubhāvam akhila-śruti-sāram ekam

adhyātma-dīpam atititīrṣatāṁ tamo ’ndham

saṁsāriṇāṁ karuṇayāha purāṇa-guhyaṁ

taṁ vyāsa-sūnum upayāmi munīnām

Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto him [Śuka], the spiritual master of all sages, and the son of Vyāsadeva, who, out of his great compassion for those gross materialists who struggle to cross over the darkest regions of material existence, spoke this most confidential supplement to the cream of Vedic knowledge, after having personally assimilated it by experience. SB 1.2.3

Tat-kṣaṇāt can also mean because of Kṛṣṇa’s (tat) merriment or festival (kṣaṇāt) he becomes caught in the devotee’s heart. Since Kṛṣṇa because supremely blissful by being trapped in the heart filled with prema, this also indicates that Kṛṣṇa is happy and filled with prema when the devotees hear Bhāgavatam. This result is not achieved by any other scripture or other practices (kiṁ vā paraiḥ).

Having described the excellent results of this scripture, the verse describes the excellence of the maker. Mahāmuni indicates that the Lord himself became the sage and planned the work, for this is explained in the scriptures. The Bhāgavatam was first revealed in abbreviated form by the Lord himself in four verses.

kasmai yena vibhāsito ’yam atulo jñāna-pradīpaḥ purā

tad-rūpeṇa ca nāradāya munaye kṛṣṇāya tad-rūpiṇā

yogīndrāya tad-ātmanātha bhagavad-rātāya kāruṇyatas

tac chuddhaṁ vimalaṁ viśokam amṛtaṁ satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi

I meditate upon that pure and spotless Supreme Absolute Truth, who is free from suffering and death and who in the beginning personally revealed this incomparable torchlight of knowledge to Brahmā. Brahmā then spoke it to the sage Nārada, who narrated it to Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa. Śrīla Vyāsa revealed this Bhāgavatam to the greatest of sages, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and Śukadeva mercifully spoke it to Mahārāja Parīkṣit. SB 12.13.19

Having then been revealed in full by Vyāsa, what is to be understood in this work through hearing it? That object which is substantial, which is fixed in the beginning middle and end of time (vāstavam) can be understood (vedyam) by those without selfishness. And even those who are selfish, by hearing this work, lose their selfishness. Even the selfish will have enthusiasm for hearing it, for even such persons can understand the work. This permanent object (vāstavam vastu) includes the name, form, qualities of the Lord, his abodes such as Vaikuṇṭha, his devotees and bhakti. Because other real objects (vastu), the things of this world, are not permanent, it should be understood that though both Vaikuṇṭha and the material world are real, Vaikuṇṭha is really substantial (vāstavam) and the material world is not. Unreal objects such as a flower in the sky are called avastu. What will happen with gaining this knowledge of the permanently real? It gives auspiciousness (śivadam) in the form of becoming an associate of the Lord with prema as the desired result. It gives release from the three miseries or liberation (tāpa-trayonmūlanam) as the unsought result.

In this work what is recommend to be undertaken as action? It vehemently rejects (projjhita) that path which cheats, which deceives a person from the real goal. In other words sakāma-karma is rejected. The prefix pra (completely) indicates that path promising liberation is also rejected. Niṣkāma-karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga with its limbs of sense and mind control, and aṣṭāṅga-yoga are also rejected. But parama-dharma, pure bhakti-yoga is to be performed. It is called parama or supreme, because bhakti is the best process, because it gives all types of happiness (material happiness, liberation and prema) and because even though it bestows the lesser benedictions, it remains uncontaminated. Thus, this verse shows the action to be performed (abhidheya-tattva). It will be shown later that anyone who is a human being can perform bhakti:

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje

ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati

The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self. SB 1.2.6

Repetition of atra (in this work) is employed for emphasis. In this scripture and not in any other work, the Lord becomes controlled by the devotees. In this scripture and not in any other work, the substantial object is presented. In this work and no other work, the highest dharma which rejects all cheating is presented. All other yogas are excluded in this work alone. And it should be understood that in describing what is presented only in the Bhāgavatam, all things which are not yoga at all are also rejected. revised

|| 1.1.3||

nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ

śuka-mukhād amṛta-drava-saṁyutam

pibata bhāgavataṁ rasam ālayaṁ

muhur aho rasikā bhuvi bhāvukāḥ

TRANSLATION

O knowers of rasa! O fortunate souls! Constantly drink from the mouth of Śukadeva the Bhāgavatam, the fruit of the tree of the Vedas, which has dropped from the tree to this earth, which is immortal, liquid, the essence of sweetness and includesS all types of liberation.

COMMENTARY

In the previous verse (1.1.2) of the Bhāgavatam, the powers of Bhāgavatam to capture the Lord in the heart were described. In this verse, the sweetness of Bhāgavatam is described. Nigama refers to the Veda. The Veda is a desire tree because it naturally gives fruit in the form of various puruṣārthas (human goals — artha, dharma, kāma and mokṣa) which are desired by those who resort to it. However, because of its nature as a tree (being magnanimous, fulfilling everyone’s desires), it also gives the fruit known as the Bhāgavatam (since some people desire that). Bhāgavatam also means that which belongs to Bhagavān as the proprietor. This implies that He alone gives the scripture to His devotees, and thus persons other than them do not have rights to it. Galitam means that it falls down of its own accord when ripened on the tree, not by force. Thus, it is completely full of sweetness. Even after falling from a high position in the tree, it does not break, nor does it lose its sweetness. That is because it comes down from the highest position, from Nārāyaṇa, to the branch of Brahmā, then to the lower branch of Nārada, then to Vyāsa, and finally to the mouth of Śuka. Thus without being damaged, it is endowed with liquid sweetness like honey. The parrot, Śuka, has even made an opening in the fruit with his beak for bringing out the sweetness. Moreover, having been tasted by him, that fruit becomes even sweeter. Moreover, it remains unbroken, coming down step-by-step from the branch of Sūta and others. What is implied here is that without the guru-paramparā, one cannot drink Bhāgavatam in its unbroken form just by trying to taste it through use of one’s limited intelligence.

How should the fruit be consumed? That is explained. One should drink it, for this fruit is the essence of taste (rasam), devoid of skin, seed and other objectionable parts. Laya means liberation (sāyujya) or attaining the conditions of sālokya, sārṣṭi, sāmīpya and sārūpya. Ālayam means that the fruit extends beyond these types of liberation, because Bhāgavatam is famous for glorifying the Lord’s pastimes. Or laya can refer to the eighth sāttvika-bhāva called pralaya, fainting. One should drink until one develops the eight symptoms up to the final one, fainting. Though one will not be able to drink the nectar when one has fainted, when the fainting wears off, one again awakens to consciousness and begins drinking until one faints again. One cannot give up drinking. Thus the word muhur (continuously) is used. Or muhur can have another meaning. Though one has drunk it, by again drinking it, one develops more relish for it. This is surprising (aho). O knowers of rasa (rasikāḥ)! This refers only to the devotees, for they develop rati (bhāva) which becomes the sthāyi-bhāva. In that position they can taste the rasa of Bhāgavatam. Jñāna-yogīs and karma-yogīs cannot claim this position. O auspicious persons (bhāvukāḥ)! You are most auspicious and all others are inauspicious!

There is another reading of bhāvukāḥ. This would mean “persons who perform actions for tasting the beautiful.” Bhaṭtanāyaka says that a permanent emotion is established by actions relating to tasting the beautiful. Taking this meaning, bhāvukāḥ indicates persons who appreciate the Lord — who is rasa personified.

Starting with brahmavid āpnoti param, the Taittirīya Upaniṣad describes the creation of the annamaya-puruṣa after listing elements starting with ākāśa coming from brahman. Different forms internal to the previous one are then successively described: the annamaya-puruṣa, prāṇamaya-puruṣa, manomaya-puruṣa, vijñānamaya-puruṣa and finally the ānandamaya-puruṣa which is considered to be brahman. Brahma-sūtra (1.1.13) describes this. ānandamayo ’bhyāsāt: from the repetition of the words, ānandamaya refers to the Supreme Lord. But it also says Ānanda ātmā brahma-puccham pratiṣṭhā: impersonal brahman is only the tail of that ānandamaya-puruṣa. (Taittitrīya Upaniṣad 2.5) The Lord is the basis of that brahman. After that, the Upaniṣad says raso vai saḥ rasaṁ hy evāyaṁ labdhānandī bhavati: The Lord is rasa; realizing the Lord one attains bliss. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.7) But does saḥ refer to the ānandamaya-puruṣa (the Lord) under discussion or to the brahma-puccham (impersonal brahman)? This doubt cannot be considered, for after discussion of the different puruṣas to have saḥ refer to the brahma- puccha would break the structure of the progression expressed in the text. The Lord of course is well known to be rasa, since he is filled with bliss. The Lord is superior to the brahman, being its support. Gītā says brahmaṇo hi pratiṣtḥā ’ham: I am the basis of the brahman. (BG 14.27) This statement as well shows that Kṛṣṇa is superior to the brahman.

mallānām aśanir nṛṇāṁ nara-varaḥ strīṇāṁ smaro mūrtimān

gopānāṁ sva-jano ’satāṁ kṣiti-bhujāṁ śāstā sva-pitroḥ śiśuḥ

mṛtyur bhoja-pater virāḍ aviduṣāṁ tattvaṁ paraṁ yogināṁ

vṛṣṇīnāṁ para-devateti vidito raṅgaṁ gataḥ sāgrajaḥ

The various groups of people in the arena regarded Kṛṣṇa in different ways when He entered it with His elder brother. The wrestlers saw Kṛṣṇa as a lightning bolt, the men of Mathurā as the best of males, the women as Cupid in person, the cowherd men as their relative, the impious rulers as a chastiser, His parents as their child, the King of the Bhojas as death, the unintelligent as the Supreme Lord’s universal form, the yogīs as the Absolute Truth and the Vṛṣṇis as their supreme worshipable Deity. SB 10.43.17

Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that this verse illustrates that Kṛṣṇa, bhagavān, is the form of all rasas combined, starting with madhura-rasa, because the verse describes that different types of persons realized different rasas in Kṛṣṇa just on seeing him. In other words, Kṛṣṇa is the form of all rasas. Thus, both Gītā and Bhāgavatam proclaim Kṛṣṇa to be rasa. The jīva, attaining the Lord who is rasa, attains the highest level of bliss, for, after this, the discussion of bliss is concluded with the words ānandasya mīmāṁsā bhavati: this concludes the examination of bliss. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 8.2) Or the meaning can be that other forms of the Lord, on seeing Kṛṣṇa, become filled with bliss. This is evident in the following verses.

dvijātmajā me yuvayor didṛkṣuṇā mayopanītā bhuvi dharma-guptaye

kalāvatīrṇāv avaner bharāsurān hatveha bhūyas tvarayetam anti me

[Lord Mahā-Viṣṇu said:] I brought the brāhmaṇa’s sons here because I wanted to see the two of you, My expansions, who have descended to the earth to save the principles of religion. As soon as you finish killing the demons, who burden the earth, quickly come back here to Me. SB 10.89.58

yan martya-līlaupayikaṁ sva-yoga-māyā-balaṁ darśayatā gṛhītam

vismāpanaṁ svasya ca saubhagarddheḥ paraṁ padaṁ bhūṣaṇa-bhūṣaṇāṅgam

The Lord appeared in the mortal world by His internal potency, yoga-māyā. He came in His eternal form, which is just suitable for His pastimes. These pastimes were wonderful for everyone, even for those proud of their own opulence, including the Lord Himself in His form as the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha. Thus His [Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s] transcendental body is the ornament of all ornaments. SB 3.2.12

In any case Kṛṣṇa is rasa, the fruit, but this fruit is not directly situated on the tree of the Vedas. It has fallen down (galitam) nearby. This object, rasa, is not on the tree itself. It is not to be searched out in the Vedas, but rather it is found in the mouth of Śukadeva. One can say that Vyāsa, knowing that this fruit was very tasty, took it and put it in the mouth of his son out of affection. Śukha-mukhāt can also indicate a cause: the rasa is sweeter because of coming from the mouth of Śukadeva. This sweetness of rasa is shown in Śukadeva’s statements such as the following:

yeṣām ahaṁ priya ātmā sutaś ca sakhā guruḥ suhṛdo daivam iṣṭam

Because the devotees accept Me as their friend, their relative, their son, preceptor, benefactor and Supreme Deity, they cannot be deprived of their possessions at any time. SB 3.25.38

Bhuvi then indicates Vraja-bhumi. Bhāvukāḥ and rasikāḥ indicate the dear gopīs. O dear relishers of Kṛṣṇa’s rasa, drink the sweetness of the rasa arising from his form (bhāgavatam). Or pibata bhāgavatam rasam ālayam can mean “relish rasa up to the point of embracing (ālayam) Kṛṣṇa.

Kṛṣṇa’s rasa is indestructible (amṛta) and flows away quickly from the mind and eye (drava). Therefore drink that indestructible, nectar in the form of his lips. In that case, nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam means “rāgānuga-bhakti which is fully ripened fruit (galitam) on the tree of the Vedas.” This fully ripened fruit is rāgānuga-bhakti following after the sentiments of the gopīs (which is the highest type of love). This is an acceptable meaning because, as mentioned in the Bṛhad-vāmana Purāṇa, the Vedas, taking up that type of bhakti, accepted the forms of hundreds of thousands of gopīs, and drank the sweet rasa of his lips. This very secret meaning can be seen in the “The Prayers of the Personified Vedas (SB 10.87).”

Some persons explain the phrase brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham in another way. Certainly they do, but such explanations should be regarded as incorrect since they are out of context and fanciful. The explanation given is correct.

māṁ ca yo ’vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham amṛtasyāvyayasya ca

śāśvatasya ca dharmasya sukhasyaikāntikasya ca

The meaning of these verses is as follows. Though a person may question how one can attain brahman by bhakti; how one can attain realization of the one brahman without qualities by worship of the Lord. You can attain realization of brahman by worshipping me because (hi) I am the shelter (pratiṣṭhā) of even the brahman famous in the śrutis as the shelter of everything. Pratiṣṭhā means that in which something is standing. Pratiṣṭhā means shelter as well in many śruti texts such as Taittirīya Upaniṣad. I am the shelter of liberation (amṛtasya). This meaning is made clear by the word avyayasa (indestructible), since this will exclude the amṛta of the heavenly planets. I am also the shelter of bhakti (dharmasya) which is continuous (śāśvatasya), being present as sādhana and as the result of sādhana (prema). I am the shelter of prema (aikāntikasya sukhasya), the goal of sādhana-bhakti. Because everything is dependent on me, by worshipping me with a desire for merging into impersonal brahman, one can merge into the brahman and attain the quality of brahman. In support of this, Viṣṇu Purāṇa (6.7.76) says śubhāśrayasya cittasya sarvagasyācalātmanaḥ: Viṣṇu is the shelter of all auspiciousness and the brahman.

According to Śrīdhara Svāmī sarvagasyātmanah means that Viṣṇu is the shelter of even the impersonal brahman (sarvagasya). This confirms what the Lord himself says: brahmaṇo hi pratiṣthāham. Viṣṇu-dharma in describing Naraka-dvādaśī says;

prakṛtau puruṣe caiva brahmaṇy api ca sa prabhuḥ

yathaika eva sarvātmā vāsudevo vyavasthitaḥ

Vāsudeva is situated as the soul of all things, in prakṛti, the puruṣa, and the brahman.

Also Viṣṇu-dharma in describing māsarkṣa worship says:

yathācyutas tvam parataḥ parasmāt sa brahmabhūtāt parataḥ parātmā

tathācyuta tvaṁ kuru vāñchitaṁ tam mamāpadaṁ cāpaharāprameya

Just as Acyuta, Paramātmā is superior to all others, he is superior to Brahman. Therefore unlimited Acyuta, you should fulfill my wish and remove me from all dangers. Viṣṇu Dharma 26.13

In Hari-vaṁśa, the Lord says to Arjuna in the story where Mahaviṣṇu steals the sons of the brāhmaṇa:

tat param paramaṁ brahma sarvaṁ vibhajate jagat

mamaiva tad ghanaṁ tejo jñātum arhasi bhārata

This supreme brahman spreads throughout the whole universe. O Bhārata, understand that brahman is my condensed effulgence.

Brahma-saṁhitā says:

yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-

koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi vibhūti-bhinnam |

tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi ||

I worship the supreme lord Govinda, whose powerful form radiates an effulgence known as the undfferentiated, unlimited, all-encompassing brahman, which is completely distinct from its powers displayed in unlimited planets throughout billions of universes. Brahma-saṁhitā 5.40

The śruti text Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad says:

yo ’sau jāgrata svapna-suṣuptim atītya tūryātīto gopālas tasmai vai namo namaḥ

I offer repeated respects to Kṛṣṇa who is beyond the states of waking, dreaming, deep sleep and the brahman.

|| 1.1.4||

naimiṣe ’nimiṣa-kṣetre

ṛṣayaḥ śaunakādayaḥ

satraṁ svargāya lokāya

sahasra-samam āsata

TRANSLATION

At the place called Naimiśāraṇya, the place of Viṣṇu, the sages headed by Śaunaka applied themselves to a sacrifice lasting a thousand years for attaining the planet of the Supreme Lord (or for going to the heavenly planets).

COMMENTARY

Offering my respects to my guru and to the ocean of mercy, Kṛṣṇa, I take shelter of Śrī Śuka, the eye of the universe and master of the world.

My eyes are covered by ignorance, but Śrīdhara Svāmī, who wrote Bhāvārtha-dīpikā being very merciful to me in producing this commentary, is my means to success.

This commentary belonging to the Lord, called “Giving bliss to the hearts of the devotees” has arisen by the mercy of the ācāryas and my guru.

Facing the listeners, the speaker invokes auspiciousness at the beginning of the recital of Bhāgavatam by uttering oṁ. It is said:

omkāraś cātha-śabdaś ca dvāv etau brahmaṇaḥ purā

kaṇṭhaṁ bhittvā vinirjātau tena māṅgalikāv ubhau

In ancient times the words oṁ and atha were uttered by Brahmā. Thus, both words produce auspiciousness.

By oṁ the speaker indicates that Bhāgavatam is an expansion of the meaning of oṁ. Brahmā created a wheel in his mind. The rim of a wheel is called a nemi. That place where the rim (nemi) fell off (śīryate) is called nemiśa or naimiśa. Vāyu Purāṇa describes this:

etan manomayaṁ cakraṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ visṛjyate

yatrāsya śīryate nemiḥ sa desas tapasaḥ śubhaḥ

ity utkvā sūrya-saṅkāśaṁ cakram sṛṣtvā manomayam

praṇipatya mahādeva visasarja pitāmahaḥ

te ’pi hrṣṭatarā viprāḥ praṇamya jagatāṁ prabhum

prayayus tasya cakrasya yatra nemir vyaśīryata

tadvaṁ tena vikhyātaṁ naimiśaṁ muni-pūjitam

“This mental wheel created by me will be released. The place where the rim comes off will be favorable for performing austerities.” Having said this, and having created the wheel brilliant like the sun in his mind and offering his respects to it, Brahmā released that great deity, the wheel. The rejoicing brāhmaṇas, offering respects to the lord of the universe, then journeyed to the place where the rim of wheel fell off. That forest became known as Naimiśa and is worshipped by the sages.

Various devotees have personal desires to fulfill through various types of bhakti. All the desires of all these persons upon which their minds, free of distraction, have become fixed, can be fulfilled by immersion in the topics of Bhāgavatam. The Bhāgavatam has been arranged to bring out this point clearly at the very beginning, with the description of the sages at Naimiśāraṇya.

Naimiśa can also be spelled Naimiṣa. The meaning of Naimiṣa with a cerebral ṣ is found in the Varāha Purāṇa. The Lord spoke to the sage Gauramukha.

evaṁ kṛtvā tato devo muniṁ gaurmukhaṁ tadā

uvāca nimiṣeṇedaṁ nihataṁ dānavaṁ balam

araṇye ’smiṁs tatas tv etan naimiṣāraṇya-saṁjñitam

bhaviṣyati yathārthaṁ vai brāhmaṇānāṁ viśeṣakam

Having done that, the Lord then spoke to Gauramukha. The powerful demon was killed in that forest (araṇya) quickly in a moment (nimiṣa). Thus this place is called the Naimiṣāraṇya. It will be very suitable for brāhmaṇas in the future. By using this word with this meaning, it is suggested that one should reside in this place for quickly killing the enemies such as material desire.

In the beginning Śaunaka and the other sages were attached to sakāma-karma. Thus the verse indicates they performed sacrifice for attaining Svarga. It is well known however that by hearing and contemplating various Purāṇas and other scriptures from Romaharṣaṇa, they became inquisitive about spiritual life. By association with Sūta Gosvāmī (Ugraśravas) they developed a small taste for bhakti. (Showing their inquisitiveness) it is said:

karmaṇy asminn anāśvāse dhūma-dhūmrātmanāṁ bhavān

āpāyayati govinda-pāda-padmāsavaṁ madhu

We have just begun the performance of this fruitive activity, a sacrificial fire, without certainty of its result due to the many imperfections in our action. Our bodies have become black from the smoke, but we are factually pleased by the nectar of the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead, Govinda, which you are distributing. SB 1.18.12

When they took up bhakti, then their inquisitiveness became weakened, and performance of sacrifice for attaining Svarga became false. That is indicated in the following:

kalim āgatam ājñāya kṣetre ’smin vaiṣṇave vayam

āsīnā dīrgha-satreṇa kathāyāṁ sakṣaṇā hareḥ

Knowing well that the age of Kali has already begun, we are assembled here in this holy place to hear at great length the transcendental message of Godhead and in this way perform sacrifice for the Lord. SB 1.1.21

The power of bhakti is indicated by the cessation of attachment to prescribed duties which arose in them from hearing Bhāgavatam. The power of bhakti is also indicated by the appearance of complete disinterest in impersonal liberation within Śukadeva.

pariniṣṭhito ’pi nairguṇya uttama-śloka-līlayā

gṛhīta-cetā rājarṣe ākhyānaṁ yad adhītavān

O saintly King, I was certainly situated perfectly in transcendence, yet I was still attracted by the delineation of the pastimes of the Lord, who is described by enlightened verses. SB 2.1.9

There is another meaning to Svarga however. Svarga means “glorified (gīyate=ga) in Svarga (svar).” Svargāya (who is praised in Svarga), like the name Urugāya (who is greatly praised), indicates the Lord. His loka is Vaikuṇṭha. Therefore svargāya lokāya means for “going to Vaikuṇṭha of the Lord.” Animiṣa (not blinking) in this verse refers to Viṣṇu, because in SB 1.1.21 quoted above, the sages themselves identify the place as kṣetre ’smin vaiṣṇave, a place of Viṣṇu. They applied themselves (āsata) to performing karma, pious prescribed actions (satram) which were to last for a thousand years (samāḥ). Or the sentence can mean “They performed (āsata) a sacrifice of killing animals such as the agniṣṭoma (generally performed for going to Svarga).” This use of the verb is similar to expressions such as “He performs (nirvapati, he sprinkles) śrāddha rites to the Pitṛs on the dark moon or “they perform (upayānti- they approach) the marriage of a eight-year-old girl.” Thus the meaning of ās (to sit) can here mean “perform” with suppression of the meaning of the original root.

|| 1.1.5 ||

ta ekadā tu munayaḥ prātar huta‑hutāgnayaḥ |

sat‑kṛtaṁ sūtam āsīnaṁ papracchur idam ādarāt||

TRANSLATION

Once, the sages, having offered oblations into the sacrificial fire in the morning, with great respect inquired from Suta who had been received properly and was seated.

COMMENTARY

Huta‑hutāgnayaḥ munayaḥ means “the sages who had offered oblations (huta) into the sacrificial fires (hutāgnayaḥ).

|| 1.1.6 ||

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ—

tvayā khalu purāṇāni setihāsāni cānagha |

ākhyātāny apy adhītāni dharma‑śāstrāṇi yāny uta ||

TRANSLATION

The sages said:

O sinless Suta! Certainly you have not only studied but also explained the Purāṇas and the dharma-śāstras along with histories such as Mahābhārata.

COMMENTARY

Itihāsāni refers to works such as Mahābhārata.

|| 1.1.7-8 ||

yāni veda‑vidāṁ śreṣṭho bhagavān bādarāyaṇaḥ |

anye ca munayaḥ sūta parāvara‑vido viduḥ ||

vettha tvaṁ saumya tat sarvaṁ tattvatas tad‑anugrahāt |

brūyuḥ snigdhasya śiṣyasya guravo guhyam apy uta ||

TRANSLATION

O Sūta Gosvāmī! The Supreme Lord Vyāsa, best among all the Vedic knowers, and other sages who know both brahman with qualities and without qualities, understand these scriptures. Because you are submissive, by the mercy of the gurus, you know all matters in truth. The gurus should speak the secret to the disciple who has affection for the gurus.

COMMENTARY

Vidām refers to persons who know both the brahman with qualities and without qualities (parāvara-vidaḥ). Gurus should speak the secret to the disciple who has affection (snigdhasya) for the guru. This is in the potential, and thus expresses the following idea. Since you were a disciple having affection for your gurus, they must certainly have revealed the secret to you and you must have understood all those confidential subjects. While rejecting sages who extract their own ideas from all these confidential topics and then speak, we are asking you, the speaker of all authorized doctrines, about these subjects.

|| 1.1.9 ||

tatra tatrāñjasāyuṣman bhavatā yad viniścitam |

puṁsām ekāntataḥ śreyas tan naḥ śaṁsitum arhasi||

TRANSLATION

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