BY: SUN STAFF
Jan 27, CANADA (SUN) —
Tattva Sandarbha
by Srila Jiva Goswami
SECTION SIXTY-ONE
While proclaiming the characteristics of the Srimad Bhagavatam as a Maha Purana, in a different manner, Sri Suta Gosvami affirms the Lord to be the Asraya in the following two verses (SB. 12.7.8,9):
Knowers of the Puranas ascribe the following ten characteristics to a Purana - 1. Sarga, or primary creation 2. Visarga, or secondary creation 3. Vritti, or maintenance 4. Raksha, or protection 5. Antara, or reign of manus 6. Vamsa, or geneologies 7. Vamsanucarita, or activities of kings 8. Samstha, or annihilation 9. Hetu, or motivation 10. Apasraya, or the ultimate shelter. But some, O Brahmana, consider the characteristics to be only five, based on the difference between a Maha Purana and a minor Purana.
The word antarani refers to manvantaras. According to some, a Purana has five characteristics:
The five characteristics of a Purana are 1. Sarga, or creation 2. Pratisarga, or annihilation 3. Vamsa, or geneologies 4. Manvantara, or the reign of Manus 5. Vamsanucarita, or the activities of the kings and saints.
This distinction between the major and minor Puranas is based on their topics. All ten topics are also indicated in other Puranas, such as the Vishnu Purana, but only five are chiefly discussed, therefore they are considered minor.
In the Srimad Bhagavatam, it is not intended that the ten topics be found one after the other in each canto consecutively, because the Srimad Bhagavatam has twelve cantos. Nor should one construe that because the ten characteristics are listed in the Second Canto, they can be found one after another from Canto Three to Twelve, because the three topics of nirodha, mukti, and asraya can be found in the Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Cantos, but not in the Eighth Canto. The other characteristics are also not in order in the other cantos. Sridhara Svami also affirms:
The nirodha, or killing of unrighteous rulers, due to their deviation from religion, is enumerated in the Tenth Canto, in order to spread the glory of Krishna...The four types of nirodha, such as prakrita, was described earlier.
The intention of Sridhara Svami is to indicate that Sri Krishna has been established as the chief Asraya in this canto (the tenth). Thus he asserts, "The Tenth Canto aims at describing the tenth item, asraya, as Krishna, who is the asraya, or shelter, of His devotees."
A similar conclusion can be drawn about the other cantos. Thus in the opinion of Sridhara Svami, generally every canto touches on all ten topics either directly or indirectly. Indeed the Bhagavatam (2.10.2) statement, srutena arthena ca anjasa "these topics are described in the Srimad Bhagavatam either with the sruti, directly or indirectly" is only fulfilled with this conclusion. These characteristics can be found in all the cantos of the Srimad Bhagavatam, therefore, the First and Second Cantos are also parts of this Maha Purana. We do not entertain the idea that these topics are explained successively.
Sri Jiva Toshani Commentary
Previously it was shown that Suta Gosvami, Sukadeva Gosvami, and Srila Vyasadeva had the same conviction about what is the essence of the Srimad Bhagavatam. Here Srila Jiva Gosvami again substantiates that idea by quoting the statements of Suta Gosvami regarding the characteristics of a Maha Purana. Although the ten categories Sri Suta gave seem to differ from those of Sukadeva Gosvami, Srila Jiva Gosvami shows that in essence they are the same. In Bhavartha-dipika, while commenting on verse 12.7.9 of the Srimad Bhagavatam, Sridhara Svami offers the following reconciliation between the ten topics given by Sukadeva and the ten by Suta Gosvami: Sarga and visarga are common in both. Sthanam is called vritti and poshana is called raksha, manvantara is indicated by antara and isanukatha by vamsa and vamsanucaritam. Nirodha is called samstha, which also refers to mukti. (Mukti is counted as one of the four types of annihilation mentioned in Section number 63). Iti is reffered to by to by hetu. For easy comprehension the comparative list of ten topics is given below:
ENUMERATION OF THE SUBJECTS IN THE BHAGAVATAM
By Sri Sukadeva Gosvami
By Sri Suta Gosvami
1. Sarga (primary creation)
Sarga
2. Visarga (secondary creation)
Visarga
3. Sthanam (maintenance)
Vritti
4. Poshana (nourishment)
Raksha
5. Iti (material desires)
Hetu
6. Manvantara (reign of a Manu)
Antara
7. Isanukatha (activities of Lord and His devotees)
Vamsa Vamsanucarita
8. Nirodha (annihilation)
Samstha
9. Mukti (liberation)
Samstha
10. Asraya (Supreme shelter)
Apasraya
These ten characteristics are found in a Maha Purana but a Purana has only five characteristics--sarga, or creation; pratisarga, or dissolution; vamsa, or the geneologies of kings or sages; manvantaras, a duration of a reign of a Manu; vamsanucarita, the description of various sages, kings, and incarnations. These five include the ten characteristics of a Maha Purana, but in a Purana more stress is laid on these five topics and this gives the distinction between a Purana and a Maha Purana. How the ten characteristics of a Maha Purana is included in the five found in a lesser Purana is as follows:
1. Sarga
Sarga, Visarga, Asraya
2. Pratisarga
Nirodha, Mukti
3. Vamsa
Isanukatha
4. Manvantara
Manvantara, Sthanam
5. Vamsanucaritam
Isanukatha, Poshana, Iti, Asraya
The Srimad Bhagavatam is in twelve cantos, but the list of the characteristics of a Maha-Purana are in the Second Canto. Some scholars conclude therefore that these ten topics are explained successively in each canto from the Third Canto onwards. Srila Jiva Gosvami has complete disregard for such an explanation. If a Maha Purana has ten characteristics and if the first two cantos of Bhagavatam had none of these, then the Bhagavatam proper would have ten cantos. Analysis shows, however, that the First and Second Cantos discuss sarga, visarga, and raksha. Earlier, Srila Jiva Gosvami established the characteristics of the Srimad Bhagavatam as having eighteen thousand verses, twelve cantos, and that it begins with the Gayatri Mantra. If the first two cantos are not part of the Bhagavatam, then this description does not hold. Some other scholars reject the First Canto as part of the Bhagavatam, because Sukadeva speaks only from the Second Canto on, but their opinion is countered by the same reply as above.
Additionally, Srila Jiva Gosvami argues that the ten items are not described individually, one per canto, because there are twelve cantos and only ten topics. If we exclude two cantos that will reduce the Srimad Bhagavatam to less than the required number of eighteen thousand verses. He further says that although nirodha is the eighth item, it is profusely found in the Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Cantos.
This conclusion is also confirmed by Sridhara Svami, one of the greatest and most respected authorities on Srimad Bhagavatam. According to the believers in a successive description of the ten topics beginning from the Second Canto, the Tenth Canto should describe the eighth item, nirodha, and the Twelfth Canto the tenth item, Asraya. Undoubtedly nirodha is explained in the Tenth Canto, but nonetheless the principal topic discussed therein is asraya, who is established as Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
In Srila Jiva Gosvami's opinion, which has support from the writings of Sridhara Svami, all the ten topics of the Bhagavatam are described in all twelve cantos. In some cantos certain topics are described more prominently and directly, while others are explained indirectly. In Sarvasamvadini Srila Jiva Gosvami gives the following breakdown of the topics covered in each canto:
Topic - Cantos Primarily Discussed
1. Sarga
Second and, Third
2. Visarga
Second, Third, Fourth
3. Vritti
Third, Seventh, Eleventh
4. Raksha
Throughout
5. Manvantara
Eighth
6. Vamsa
Fourth, Nineth
7. Vamsanucarita
Fourth, Nineth
8. Samstha
Eleventh, Twelfth
9. Hetu
Third, Eleventh
10. Apasraya
Tenth
As mentioned before, the ultimate purpose of the Srimad Bhagavatam is to explain the tenth item, asraya, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, it is illogical to expect that the other nine subjects will be dealt with in a successive manner like a mathematical equation. Rather they are the tools used to clarify and establish the position of the Supreme Lord. One should not insist on a consecutive order to the ten topics, nor try to minimize the importance of the first two cantos. Srila Jiva Gosvami's claim from the start was that the Srimad Bhagavatam revolves around Sri Krishna, who is the Supreme Shelter for all existence. We understand then that it speaks about Sri Krishna in the beginning, the middle, and the end, and not just in the Twelfth Canto. A detailed explanation of this is in Sri Krishna Sandarbha.
In the next section, Srila Jiva Gosvami gives the definition of the first seven of the ten items as listed by Suta Gosvami in the Twelfth Canto.
Go to Section Sixty-two
Return to Section Sixty
