BY: SUN STAFF
Dec 16, CANADA (SUN) —
Tattva Sandarbha
by Srila Jiva Goswami
SECTION TWENTY
Like the Matsya Purana, the Skanda Purana, Prabhasa Khanda (7.1.2.39-42) also describes Srimad Bhagavatam: "That which gives accounts of the humans and demigods in the Sarasvata Kalpa, explains the supreme religion, basing itself on Gayatri, and narrates the slaying of Vritrasura is to be known as the Srimad Bhagavatam. It has eighteen thousand verses. Whoever makes a copy of the Bhagavatam and donates it, on a golden lion throne, on the full moon day in the month of Bhadra, will attain the supreme destination".
These verses are also found in the Agni Purana (272.6,7). In another Purana there is also a mention of Srimad Bhagavatam, "That which has eighteen thousand verses divided into twelve cantos, begins with Gayatri, has a description of the Hayagriva Brahmavidya, and narrates the slaying of Vritrasura is to be known as the Srimad Bhagavatam." (Quoted in the Bhavartha-dipika of Sridhara Svami)
Because the Hayagriva Brahmavidya is mentioned here, along with the killing of Vritrasura, it means the Narayana varmma, or armor of Lord Narayana (described in the Ninth Chapter, Sixth Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam). The word "Hayagriva" here refers to Dadhici, the sage with a horse's head. He taught the knowledge of Brahman called Narayana Varmma. His acceptance of a horse's head and getting the name Asvasiras is mentioned in Bhagavatam 6.9.52 with the phrase "having the name Asvasiras". That the words Narayana Varmma means Brahma Vidya is known from a verse Sridhara Svami cites in his commentary on 6.9.52 of Bhagavatam, "After hearing that and being respected, Dadhici, not wanting to break his promise, instructed those two (the twin Asvini Kumaras) in the knowledge of Pravargya and Brahma-vidya."
Since Srimad Bhagavatam is pleasing to the Supreme Lord, and is the most desirable book for His devotees, it is the most sattvika scripture. As stated in a question to Maharaja Ambarisha in the Padma Purana, "Gautama said: O Lord of the Earth, do you recite the Bhagavata Purana in front of the Deity of Lord Hari, especially the narration of the king of the demons, Prahlada Maharaja?" (Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda 22.115)
Again, in the Padma Purana, in the section glorifying the vow of Vyanjuli Mahadvadasi, Gautama instructs King Ambarisha, "One should stay awake (on the night of Vyanjuli Mahadvadasi) and hear the scriptures that narrate the stories of Lord Vishnu and His devotees, especially the Bhagavad-gita, the thousand names of Lord Vishnu, and the Purana narrated by Suka (Srimad Bhagavatam). These should be recited with care since they are pleasing to Lord Hari."
And in the same section of the Padma Purana: "O Ambarisha, if you desire an end to your material existence, then everyday hear Srimad Bhagavatam narrated by Suka, and also recite it yourself."
In the Prahlada Samhita of the Skanda Purana, in the section describing the glory of Dwaraka is this statement, "A person who stays up (on the night of Ekadasi) and recites the Srimad Bhagavatam with devotion in front of the Deity of Lord Hari goes to the abode of Lord Hari with all his family members."
Sri Jiva Toshani Commentary
In this section Jiva Gosvami pays particular attention to identifying the Srimad Bhagavatam. The reason is that some scholars hold that another Purana, Devi Bhagavatam, is the one glorified in the Puranas and not the Srimad Bhagavatam. The Devi Bhagavatam also has twelve cantos, 18,000 verses and a narration of the slaying of Vritrasura, although the account differs from the one in Srimad Bhagavatam. The sastras also recommend that one should donate the Devi Bhagavatam mounted on a golden lion on the full moon day in the month of Bhadra. This seems quite fitting because Devi or Durga rides on a lion.
Srila Jiva Gosvami solves the controversy by citing references that list distinctive features of the Srimad Bhagavatam: a. it begins with Gayatri; b. it has an explanation of the Hayagriva Brahmavidya; c. its narrations belong to the Sarasvata Kalpa; d. it was first spoken by Sri Suka to Parikshit Maharaja. Here Jiva Gosvami further supports his conclusion by quoting from Sridhara Svami's commentary, Bhavartha-dipika.
The Devi Bhagavatam opens with a verse that appears to be based on Gayatri: om sarva-caitanyarupam tamadyam vidyam ca dhimahi buddhim ya nah pracodayat
This verse cannot be compared to Gayatri for two reasons. First, three words from Gayatri (savituh, varenyam, and bhargas) have no corresponding words in this verse. Second, this verse is a meditation on Devi, but as will be shown in the next section the object of medition in Gayatri is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Vishnu.
The Devi Bhagavatam also narrates the killing of Vritrasura, but in that account Indra killed Vritra with ocean foam empowered by Devi. Vritrasura performed severe penances for hundreds of years to appease Lord Brahma. When Brahma appeared Vritrasura asked a boon that he would not be slain by any weapon made of iron, or wood, or one that is dry or wet. Lord Brahma agreed and Vritrasura attacked Indra and defeated him. Then Indra got the help of Lord Vishnu, who entered Indra's thunderbolt and advised him to make a truce with Vritra with the help of Devi. Indra then became friends with Vritrasura. Then at dusk one day, Indra met Vritrasura on the beach and slayed him with his thunderbolt covered with foam, which is neither a weapon nor wet nor dry.
Also, the Devi Bhagavatam has no mention of the Hayagriva Brahmavidya or the Narayana-varma and so it is clear that the Bhagavatam referred to in the verse cited from Sridhara Svami is not the Devi Bhagavatam.
Hemadri, Ballalsena, Govindananda, Raghunandana, Gopal Bhatta Gosvami, and Sanatana Gosvami have all written a number of noteworthy books and essays on religious duties, dharma-sastras, in which they give numerous references from the Srimad Bhagavatam and not a single reference to the Devi Bhagavatam. Ballalsena states in Danasagar that Srimad Bhagavatam has only a few verses recommending charities. In contrast, Chapter Thirty, Ninth Canto, in the Devi Bhagavatam is entirely on the glory of giving various charities. In addition, with the single exception of Nila-kantha Acarya, all the great saintly commentators either wrote on the Srimad Bhagavatam or used it as a standard reference in their books and teachings. Sankara, Ramanuja, Madhvacarya, Vallabha, Caitanyadeva, and other notable scholars never cite Devi Bhagavatam to uphold or prove any of their key points.
The Ninety-sixth Chapter, Purva khanda, of the Naradiya Purana lists the subject matter of all twelve cantos of the Bhagavatam in order. This list matches the Srimad Bhagavatam, but not the Devi Bhagavatam. The Padma Purana, Uttara khanda (190.3), states:
"Among all the Puranas, the Srimad Bhagavatam, in which Lord Krishna is glorified at every step by various great sages, is supreme." This leaves no doubt that the Bhagavatam mentioned in the quoted Puranic verses is the Srimad Bhagavatam.
In the Srimad Bhagavatam, as well as in other Puranas, there is mention of a demon called Hayagriva. There is also an incarnation of Lord Vishnu called Hayagriva, with a horse's head. The Hayagriva mentioned in this section, however, has been identified by Srila Jiva Gosvami as the sage Dadhici, because it is mentioned in connection with the slaying of the demon Vritra. When Vritra conquered the demigods, they approached Lord Vishnu for help. The Lord advised the chief of the demigods, Indra, to approach the sage Dadhici and request his body, made firm through vows and penances and knowledge of Brahman. The Lord told Indra to use Dadhici's bones to make a thunderbolt strong enough to kill Vritrasura.
Dadhici previously had taught the knowledge of Brahman to the twin brothers, the Asvini Kumaras, although Indra had earlier forbidden him to teach transcendental knowledge to them, who were considered unqualified because of their medical profession. Indra had threatened to cut off Dadhici's head if he disobeyed, but Dadhici had already promised to teach the twins and thus he was in a dilemma. The Asvini Kumaras solved the problem by their surgical skills. They severed Dadhici's head and grafted a horse's head in its place and Dadhici instructed them "straight from the horse's mouth", as the saying goes.
Thereafter this knowledge became famous as Hayagriva-Brahmavidya and Dadhici as Hayagriva or Asvasiras, which means who has a horse's head. Later Indra, angered by Dadhici's disobedience, severed his head, but the Asvini Kumaras replaced it with his original head. Then on the request of the demigods Dadichi offered his body to Indra and his bones were used to make a thunderbolt. Lord Indra killed the demon Vritra with this thunderbolt. Dadhici taught the same knowledge to Tvashta, who gave it to Lord Indra as the "Narayana Armor" to fight Vritrasura. Thus the Hayagriva referred to here is Dadhici and the Brahmavidya is the Narayana armor described in the Sixth Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam.
The phrase suka proktam, "recited by Sri Suka", does not mean verses not spoken by him, such as the First Canto, do not constitute the Srimad Bhagavatam. Vyasa has revealed the whole Bhagavatam inclusive of all future incidents as well as the future statements of Suta and Saunaka. Since Srimad Bhagavatam has been identified as having eighteen thousand verses and having the opening verse based on Gayatri, it must begin from the first verse janmadyasya yatah and end at vishnuratamamumucat.
Out of the eighteen Puranas, six are meant for persons in the mode of ignorance, six for those in the mode of passion, and six for those in the mode of goodness, but the Srimad Bhagavatam holds a special place even among the sattvika Puranas. It is considered non-different from Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, therefore it is param sattvika, pure goodness, without any tinge of the three material modes. Hareh santoshakaranam, it is pleasing to Lord Hari, who is transcendental; He cannot be pleased by anything material. It is relished by His devotees, who do not even desire the bliss of liberation, what to speak of deriving any delight from reading anything mundane. For this reason, the sage Gautama recommended reciting Srimad Bhagavatam on Ekadasi, which is also called Harivasara, or the day of Lord Hari. The Skanda Purana (2.6.4.3) states:
"The nature of the Srimad Bhagavatam and the Personality of Godhead is always the same--full knowledge, bliss, and eternal existence."
And the Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda(198.30) has this statement, srimadbhagavatakhyo'yam pratyakshah krishna eva hi, "Without any doubt, Srimad Bhagavatam is directly Lord Krishna."
The Srimad Bhagavatam [1.3.44.] mentions that after Lord Krishna's disappearance the Srimad Bhagavatam has appeared as the representative of Krishna. In the Padma Purana is an explanation of the various limbs of Lord Krishna's body being represented by the cantos of Bhagavatam:
The feet of Lord Krishna are the First and Second Cantos. The Third and Fourth Cantos are the thighs of the Lord. The navel of Lord is the Fifth Canto and His arms are the Sixth and Seventh cantos. His throat is the Ninth Canto and His blooming lotus face is the Tenth Canto. His forehead is the Eleventh Canto and His head is the Twelfth Canto.
I bow down to the Lord, who is an ocean of mercy having a color like the Tamala tree, and who appears in the material world for the welfare of all people. I worship the Lord who is the suitable bridge to cross this unfathomable ocean of the material world and of whom Srimad Bhagavatam is His very embodiment.
Next, Srila Jiva Gosvami explains that Srimad Bhagavatam is the natural commentary on Vedanta Sutra.
Go to Section Twenty-one
Return to Section Twenty
