20220506 Bhāgavatam is the 1. Explanation of Brahma-sūtra, 2. Full Purport of Mahābhārata, 3. Purport of Brahma-gāyatrī, and the 4. Expansion of All Vedic Knowledge, Part 2

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on May 6th,2022 in Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur, India.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Dear Devotees! Today we will continue with the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book. Today's chapter is entitled as:

Bhāgavatam is the 1. Explanation of Brahma-sūtra, 2. Full Purport of Mahābhārata, 3. Purport of Brahma-gāyatrī, and the 4. Expansion of All Vedic Knowledge, Part 2

Under the section: How All the Residents of Vārāṇasī Became Vaiṣṇavas

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.142

ataeva brahmā-sūtra o brahmā-sūtra-bhāṣya bhāgavata—ekai artha pratipādaka :—

ataeva bhāgavata-sūtrera ‘artha’-rūpa
nija-kṛta sūtrera nija-’bhāṣya’-svarūpa

Translation: “Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam gives the actual meaning of the Vedānta-sūtra. Haribol! The author of the Vedānta-sūtra is Vyāsadeva, and he himself has explained those aphorisms in the form of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Jayapatākā Swami: Many ācāryas have given their commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra. Vyāsadevā gave the description of Vedānta-sutra through His writing of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This is the natural commentary by the author Himself.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.143-144

Śrīmad-Bhāgavata—

(1) brahmā-sūtra-bhāṣya, (2) bhāratārtha-tātparya,

(3) gayatri-bhāṣya o (4) vedārtha-vistāra :—

Garuḍa-Purāṇa-vākya :—

Translation: “The meaning of the Vedānta-sūtra is present in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The full purport of the Mahābhārata is also there. The commentary of the Brahma-gāyatrī is also there and fully expanded with all Vedic knowledge. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the supreme Purāṇa, and it was compiled by the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His incarnation as Vyāsadeva. There are twelve cantos, 335 chapters and eighteen thousand verses.’

Purport: This is a quotation from the Garuḍa Purāṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, each Purāṇa is mentioned by other Purāṇas of the Vedic literatures and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is described in the Garuḍa Purāṇa so Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is considered the ripened fruit of the Vedic tree. Mango the tree that produces the mango is called the mango tree so Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the ripened fruit of all the Vedas.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.145

“bhāratādi smṛtyaitihyārtha-vinirṇaya”— Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (1.3.41)—

Translation: “The essence of all Vedic literature and all histories has been collected in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.’

Purport: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was collected by the incarnation of God, Vyāsadeva, and it was later taught to his son, Śukadeva Gosvāmī. This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.3.41).

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Śukadeva Gosvāmī taught the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to Parīkṣit Mahārāja and thus Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was revealed to the whole world.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.146

“brahmā-sūtrārtha” :— Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (12.13.15)—

Translation: “Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is accepted as the essence of all Vedic literature and Vedānta philosophy. Whoever tastes the transcendental mellow of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is never attracted to any other literature.’

Purport: This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (12.13.15).

Jayapatākā Swami: So, by reading the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam one naturally develops appreciation for Lord Kṛṣṇa. So, since Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Truth, if you develop attraction for Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you will also develop attraction for Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.147

gayatri-bhāṣya-rūpa :—

gāyatrīra arthe ei grantha-ārambhana

“satyaṁ paraṁ”—sambandha, “dhīmahi”—sādhana-prayojana

Translation: “In the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is an explanation of the Brahma-gāyatrī mantra. ‘The Absolute Truth [satyaṁ param]’ indicates the relationship, and ‘we meditate [dhīmahi] on Him’ indicates the execution of devotional service and the ultimate goal of life.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Vyāsadevā has quoted these lines from the Brahma-gāyatrī and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is thus the natural explanation on the Brahma-gāyatrī.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.148

Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (1.1.1-2)—

Translation: “O my Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. I meditate upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmājī,the original living being. By Him even the great sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water. Only because of Him do the material universes, temporarily manifested by the reactions of the three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon Him, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which is forever free from the illusory representations of the material world. I meditate upon Him, for He is the Absolute Truth.

Purport: This is the opening invocation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.1.1).

Jayapatākā Swami: So, here Vyāsadevā is explaining that why is He mediating on Lord Kṛṣṇa. So, Kṛṣṇa is cause of all cause, he has no cause of Himself and therefore He is the Absolute Truth. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura spoke on this verse for three months continuously every day.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.149

Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (1.1.2)—

Translation: Completely rejecting all religious activities which are materially motivated, this Bhāgavata Purāṇa 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 Bhāgavatam, compiled by the great sage Vyāsadeva [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 Bhāgavatam, by this culture of knowledge the Supreme Lord is established within his heart.

Purport: This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.1.2). See also Ādi-līlā, chapter one, 91.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, in various parts of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrīla Prabhupāda says that one should learn Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and thus they can be spiritual master. In Gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam all the essence of the Vedas is being taught, so we doesn’t need any other Vedic literature.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.150

‘kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-svarūpa’ śrī-bhāgavata
tāte veda-śāstra haite parama mahattva

Translation: “Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam gives direct information of the mellow derived from service to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is above all other Vedic literatures.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam every one should have a full set in their house and be able to read it every day . Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the essence of all the Vedas. so, naturally if we develop the love for Kṛṣṇa, that is the highest perfection of life and that is given by the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.151

“vedārthaparibṛṃhita”—vedera prapakka phala: —

Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (1.1.3)—

Translation: “The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the essence of all Vedic literatures, and it is considered the ripened fruit of the wish-fulfilling tree of Vedic knowledge. It has been sweetened by emanating from the mouth of Śukadeva Gosvāmī. You who are thoughtful and who relish mellows should always try to taste this ripened fruit. O thoughtful devotees, as long as you are not absorbed in transcendental bliss, you should continue tasting this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and when you are fully absorbed in bliss, you should go on tasting it’s mellows forever.’

Purport: This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.1.3).

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we are supposed to develop love of Kṛṣṇa which gives us the highest ecstasy but that can be achieved by regularly reading of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So, we should read it to awaken our love for Kṛṣṇa and when we have love for Kṛṣṇa, we should still be ready to taste the ecstasy and mellows which are there in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. 

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.152

bhāgavate jaḍasulabha tṛpti nāi: —

Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (1.1.19)—

Translation: “We never tire of hearing the transcendental pastimes of the Personality of Godhead, who is glorified by hymns and prayers. Those who enjoy association with Him relish hearing His pastimes at every moment.”

Purport: This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.1.19).

Jayapatākā Swami: So,people like to read newspapers and novel, about personalities that are prominent in the material world  but actually Kṛṣṇa, He has such wonderful qualities that we will never get tired from hearing His glories. So, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is something that which should be studied again and again. so we hope that the devotees would study the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and thus achieve perfection in their life.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.153

bhāgavatei śrutitātparya nihita :—

ataeva bhāgavata karaha vicāra
ihā haite pābe sūtra-śrutira artha-sāra

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, “Study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam very scrutinizingly. Then you will understand the actual meaning of the Brahma-sūtra.”

Purport: Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura states that without studying Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam one cannot understand the purport of the Brahma-sūtra (Vedānta-sūtra) or the Upaniṣads. If one tries to understand Vedānta philosophy and the Upaniṣads without studying Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, one will be bewildered and, construing a different meaning, will gradually become an atheist or an impersonalist.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, reading the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam under the guidance of a bonafide spiritual master, one naturally develops devotion for Kṛṣṇa. but if one reads Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam without the guidance of the pure devotee then they may not understand and they can become an impersonalists or atheist. So, Devānanda Paṇḍita he was reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam but his ideas were impersonal he committed some offense to Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura and thus Lord Caitanya criticized him, but later the devotee Vakreśvara Paṇḍita properly instructed him and then he realized the position of Lord Caitanya. Then He went to Lord Caitanya asked for forgiveness, he went to Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura and asked for forgiveness. He was able to then realise how the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was about devotional service.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Bhāgavatam:- 1. Explanation of Brahma-sūtra, 2. Full purport of Mahābhārata, 3. purport of Brahma-gāyatrī, 4. Expansion of All Vedic Knowledge, part 2

Under the section: How All the Residents of Vārāṇasī Became Vaiṣṇavas

So, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was given by Parīkṣit Mahārāja sacrificing his life