|| Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 22– The legend of Lord Krishna  – Introduction to Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran

Shaunakadhis speaks “ Oh! Sutha, Oh! Mahabhaga, Kindly describe the highly meritorious legend of Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran which was narrated by Maharishi Shukha Bhramam to King Pareekshith.  We have heard about that Mahayogi, Shukha Bramham was a liberated soul, came out of the mother’s womb after twelve years, and immediately left home; he used to wander without clothes on his body.   Once he passed the pond where a group of celestials were taking bath without clothes, even though they both had no clothes on their bodies, it doesn’t rouse passion in them; the celestials were least bothered to cover themselves seeing the youthful Shukha.  Maharishi Vedavyasa who followed his son was well dressed, arrived near the pond the celestial Apsaras immediately covered their bodies in extreme shyness, seeing their behavior Maharishi Vedavyas enquired the Apsaras why did they feel shame after witnessing a well dressed elderly person? Why did they uncover their bodies while his youthful son passed the pond? The celestials replied that Maharishi Vedavyasa had a deep sense of differentiation of gender but Shukha was grown far beyond that discrimination.  Oh! Sutha, why did Shukha Bhramam learn the Bhagavatha Shathra, although he was an absolute Bhramam? When and how did it was composed by Maharishi Vedavyasa? Where did it begin? Which Yuga? We have heard Shukha stays not more than a few minutes in a place, exactly the time required for milking a cow, even though he stayed seven long days out of extreme compassion with the son of Abhimanyu/King Pareekshith and elevated his soul.”

Sutha Pauranika speaks “ Oh! Shanunakadhis, this glorious scripture was composed during the end of Dwapara Yuga.  It was composed by Maharishi Vedavyasa while he was living in a hermitage Shamyaprasham located on the riverbank of Saraswathi.  Maharishi Vedavyasa with his divine power witnessed the pathetic state of people in the Kali era.  People become too dull and materialistic, living beings and material comforts will have short-living nature, people will have a weak memory and aimless, they will lack peace or serenity of the mind, weak-minded, and will have a short span of life.  Maharishi Vedavyasa became anxious about the people of all Varnna and immersed in the thought of how could reinstate peace in the people,  “ I have expanded the Veda through the four disciples Pyla, Jamini, Vaishampayana, Sumanthu and categorized them into four branches of Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva respectively.  The Ithihasa/Ramayan and Mahabharatha and seventeen Puranas were introduced through my disciple Romaharshana, and I have written Mahabharth for the people who are not qualified to learn Veda and Puranas.   After all,, why I am not getting satisfaction or contentment? Didn't I  worship my preceptor? or Didn’t perform any austerities sincerely? Why I am feeling discontented? Didn’t I write the Bhagavatha Dharma?”

|| Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 21– The legend of Lord Krishna -  21 – Introduction to Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran

Sutha Pauranika speaks “Oh! Shaunakadhis, the supreme Lord has innumerable incarnations, like Rishis, Manus, and the sons of Manu, Prajapathis, etc. There are several incarnations of Lord Hari like numerous rivers merges in the ocean, it was known as Kalavathara, Amshavathara, Poornavathara and Lord Krishna is addressed as ‘ Krishnasthu  Bhagavan Swayam’.  The twenty-one incarnations were known as Amshavathara, Rishis, Manus, Prajapathis are known as Kalavathara, and Lord Krishna as Poornnavathara.  Oh! Shanunakadhis, I shall elaborately describe all those incarnations of the Supreme Lord, listening to  the various amusements of  supreme Lord and his incarnations would relieve the Jeeva from miseries and sorrows worldly existence, the vastness of the sky is immeasurable,  ignorance like clouds in Jeeva keeps them away from the splendor of the supreme soul.  Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran was composed by Maharishi Vedavyasa to elevate the Jeeva, it is the essence of Veda and Ithihasa removed the fear of death and liberated the soul of King Pareekshith.”

The Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran is a mirror that reveals the nature of the inner self.  The cluster of redundant thoughts creates an obstacle to envision the supreme nature of the soul that has neither birth nor death, eternal and all-pervasive.  Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran describes two types of Dharma, Vyavahara Dharma/Pravriththi Marga is the path of righteousness, duties, and responsibilities to follow in the material life with the body, and the Bhagavath Dharma/Parama Dharma/Nivriththi Marga is the utilization of mind and intellect to understand the nature of supreme soul, and the performance of all those righteous deeds to elevate the soul.  The human body undergoes constant transformation and ruin ultimately merges with the Prakrithi, likewise the mind and intellect originated from the supreme soul have to merge with it.  Parama Dharma teaches to perform the Pravriththi Marga and Nivriththi Marga live like a tortoise, that has the capacity to withdraw its body under the shell in case of emergencies and open up whenever it needs to express, in this way, the practice of meditation helps the soul to have control over senses, it removes over-attachment to the body, people, wealth, and worldly affairs while living in the material world.

|| Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 20– The legend of Lord Krishna -  2o – Introduction to Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran

Idham Bhagavatham Nama Puranam Bhramasammitham | Uththama Shlokacharitham Chakara Bhagavan Rishi: || Sarva Veda Ithihasanam Saram Saram Samrudhdhritham| Sa Thu Samshravayamasa Maharajam  Pareekshitham ||

Sutha Pauranika describes the numerous incarnations of the supreme Lord and the creation of the Universe and its living beings.  The lotus born Lord Bhrama originated from the navel of supreme Lord Narayana.  All the forms are developed from Agni, therefore Agni is worshiped as supreme deity/friction causes sound and appearances, and it is an essential element for the creation, preservation, and destruction as well.  Rig Veda begins with eulogizing the immense power of ‘Agni’, all the spiritual rites begin from the veneration of ‘Agni’.  There are four types of creation began, creatures born from the physical relationship/womb, creatures born from the egg, creatures developed out of seeds, and creatures developed from perspiration/fungus and bacteria.  The creation, preservation, and destruction of living beings on the Earth is the collective effort of Agni, and Water,  mind and intellect/thoughts which is the source of the supreme soul.

The supreme Lord Adi Narayana depicted as reclining on the bed of thousand hooded serpent Ananantha on the milky ocean, the lotus born Bhrama on the navel of Lord Adi Narayana.  The serpent Anantha symbolizes the ‘Agni’, the milky ocean represents ‘Water’, which is essential for the creation as well as the existence of human lives on Earth.  The stem of lotus represents ‘Prana’/vital air, and the lotus flower represents ‘mind and intellect’, the Prana and mind are closely related to each other, hence the practice of Pranayama controls the thoughts.  Lord Bhrama with four faces represents four functions of the mind, intellect, Chith, and Ahamkara/sookshma Shreera.

Sutha Pauranika speaks “ Oh! Shaunakadhis, I shall narrate the creation of Lord Bhrama, and the incarnation of supreme Lord in order,  Lord Bhrama  began his creation 1) Sanaka, Sanantha, Sananthkumara, and Sanathana who represents  the supreme knowledge of Bhramam 2) Yajjesha as Varaha, 3)Maharishi Narada, 4)Nara and Narayana Rishi 5) Kapilavasudeva 6) Dhaththathreya/son of Maharishi Athri and Anasuya, 7) Yajjaroopa/son of Devi Ahuthi and Rishi Ruchi, 8) Rishabhadeva/son of Devi Meru & Nabhi, 9) Prithu Maharaj 10) Matsya 11) Kurma 12) Dhanvanthari 13) Mohini 14) Narasimha 15) Vamana 16) Bhargava Rama 17) Vedavyasa/son of Sathyavathi and Parashara 18) Rama 19) Balarama 20) Krishna 21) Buddha 22) and the impending incarnation as Kalki.”