Bhagavata Purana

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Not to be confused with Devi-Bhagavata Purana.

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Krishna raising a mountain on a fingertip and providing shelter to his friends, the cowherds, from a thunderstorm.
Krishna lifting Mount Govardhan to shelter his friends from a thunderstorm unleashed by Indra. (Bh. P. X.17)

The Bhāgavata Purāṇa (also known as Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, or simply Bhāgavata) is one of the "Maha" Puranic texts of Hindu literature, with its primary focus on bhakti (devotion) to the incarnations of Vishnu, particularly Krishna.[1] The Sanskrit text comprises twelve skandas (cantos or books) and 13,216 verses by one count.[2] The first nine books are about the different avatars of Vishnu, while the tenth and longest book covers the life of Krishna. It was the first Purana to be translated into a European language, with three French translations between 1840 and 1857.[1]

Assigning a date for any Purana is problematical. The Bhāgavata itself, along with Hindu tradition, give ancient origins for the story, with authorship credited to Veda Vyasa. Most modern scholars date it to the ninth or tenth century CE.[1][3]

The intense and personal bhakti described in the Bhāgavata is directed toward Krishna as God in human form. The tenth book (or canto), which is dedicated to Krishna, takes up about one quarter of the entire Bhāgavata.[1] It is the most comprehensive collection of stories about the life of Krishna, from the events leading up to his birth, to his childhood and adult life. It presents Krishna in all the stages and conditions of human life. It also includes instruction in the practice of bhakti, an analysis of bhakti, and descriptions of the different types of bhakti.[4]

The Bhāgavata takes the form of a story recounting Vyasa's work being recited for the first time by his son Sukadeva to the dying King Parikshit, who owes his life to Krishna. Longing to hear of Krishna before he dies, Sukadeva recites the Bhāgavata to Parikshit over the course of seven days.[5]

Contents

[edit] Significance

The Bhāgavata is widely recognized as the most famous of the Puranas. It is the source of the popular stories of Krishna's childhood told for centuries on the Indian subcontinent.[1] Charlotte Vaudeville refers to the Bhāgavata as "the real Bible of Krishnaism",[6] while the Bhāgavata declares itself as the essence of Vedanta:

The Sri Bhagavata is the very essence of all the Vedanta literature. One who has enjoyed the nectar of its rasa never has any desire for anything else.(12.13.15)[7]

The Bhāgavata, along with the Bhagavad Gita, are the two main sources of scriptural authority used by Vaishnavas for demonstrating the pre-eminence of Krishna over all other forms of God. An oft-quoted verse from the Bhāgavata is used as a representational statement by Krishna sects to show that Krishna is "Bhagavan Svayam", or God himself: "These [other incarnations] are amsha, or kala, partial incarnations, but krishnas tu bhagavan svayam, 'Krishna is Bhagavan, God himself.'"(1.3.28).[8]

[edit] Origin and dating

Scholars point out that Puranic texts are fluid and dynamic, often citing more ancient material and undergoing later interpolations;[9] they caution that it is meaningless to define a specific date for a purana because generations of storytellers have been involved in its transmission and adaptation.[3][1] Bhāgavata Purāṇa itself may have been based on an older prototype, and any textual dating only refers to the time when it achieved its "basic final shape".[9]

An illustration of an episode from the Bhāgavata (IV.17), in which Vishnu avatar Prithu chases Goddess Earth in the form of a cow, to end a famine in his kingdom.[10]

The text of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa as it stands dates to the later half of the 1st millennium AD, the centuries following the decline of the Gupta Empire.

It is believed that the text was completed no later than around 1000 CE, when it is mentioned by al Biruni and quoted by Abhinavagupta; the earliest suggestions of it are the composition of the Vishnu Purana and Harivamsa, and the Vaishnava Bhakti movement in South India, which limit its composition to after 500 CE.[11][12] Within this range, while some scholars like R. C. Hazra date it to the first-half of the sixth century, most others place it in the post-Alvar period around the ninth century.[11][4][3] In a manner unusual for that era, the Bhāgavata was written in an archaic Vedic style of Sanskrit.[13]

The Bhāgavata itself claims primordial origins, while accepting that it has since been edited by human and divine hands.[9] The text and Hindu tradition ascribes its authorship to Veda Vyasa, who is also credited as the scribe for the Vedas.[11]

The text of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa contains apparent references to the south Indian Alvar saints and it makes a post factum prophecy of the spread of Vishnu worshippers in Tamil country (BP XI.5.38-40);[11][12] these facts along with its emphasis on "emotional Bhakti to Krishna" combined with the "Advaita philosophy of Sankara" leads scholars to trace its origins to South India.[4] However, van Buitenen points out that 10th-11th C South Indian Vaishnava theologians Yamuna and Ramanuja do not refer to Bhāgavata Purāṇa in their writings, and this anomaly needs to be explained before the geographical origins and dating are regarded as definitive.[11][12]

[edit] Contents

[edit] Introduction

Vishnu's man-lion avatar Narasimha disembowelling Hiranyakashipu. (Folio from a 18th century Bhāgavata Purāṇa text.)

The Bhāgavata is a recounting of events by the storyteller Suta (Usgrashravas) to Saunaka and other sages assembled in the Naimisha Forest. As Suta explains, Veda Vyasa was feeling unsatisfied, even after he made divine knowledge available to humans by writing the Vedas and the Mahabharata. The sage Narada, in his role as intermediary between gods and men, visited Vyasa to inform him that his unease was because he had not yet described the highest goal of knowledge—bhakti, or devotion to God.[5][1]

Suta recounts the first recital of Vyasa's work, given by Vyasa's son Sukadeva to King Parikshit, the grandson of Arjuna. Parikshit, who owed his life to Krishna, was cursed by a rishi for being disrespectful and was given only seven days to live. Fasting by the banks of the Ganges River, and with Krishna no longer alive, Parikshit longed to hear of him. The Bhāgavata introduces the life of Parikshit as background, thus bringing Krishna into the story, and is presented as part of Sukdeva's recital over the course of seven days. It concludes with Sukdeva asking Parikshit the standard, "What more do you want?"(12.5.13) Completely satisfied with what he has heard and his purpose in life fulfilled, Parikshit dies.(12.6.12-15)[5]

[edit] Books 1-9: The incarnations of Vishnu

Main article: Avatar
A page from the Bhāgavata Purāṇa decipting Varaha—Vishnu's boar avatar.

The Bhāgavatam contains five different lists of the avatāras (incarnations) of Vishnu. The most complete describes the various līlās of twenty-five of them, in order of God's work from creation to destruction, beginning with the four sons of Brahma and concluding with the age-ending Kalki avatar. In addition, there are many more: "Incalculable indeed are the descents of Hari".(1.3.26)[14] The first nine books of the Bhāgavata cover the major incarnations leading up to Krishna, who is covered extensively in the tenth book.[1] Although it is most common to speak of Vishnu as the source of the avataras, the source is also known as Narayana, Vasudeva and Krishna.[15]

[edit] Book 10: Krishna

The tenth book, dedicated to Krishna, is responsible for the widespread popularity of the Bhāgavata Purana. Book Ten includes the most enduring images and stories of Krishna: the mischievous child who steals butter; the godlike child who holds the entire universe within himself; the boy who can slay demons and move an entire mountain with one finger; the cowherd who is the love of all the gopis, making them leave all their duties to follow him.[16]

The tenth book is by far the lengthiest, taking up almost one quarter of the entire Bhagavata. While the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita show Krishna in various roles as teacher and diplomat, Book Ten shows Krishna simply engaging in lila, or divine and intimate play with his devotees. It presents this intimate relationship with God as the highest goal of human existence.[17]

[edit] Commentaries

The oldest exegetical commentary presently known is Tantra-Bhagavata from the pancaratra school. From the modern age there is Sridhara Swami's Bhavartha-dipika written in 11th century CE, then later, Madhvacharya (c 13th century CE) wrote the Bhagavatriparya. Other commentaries are: Hanumad-Bhasya, Vasana-bhasya, Sambandhoki, Vidvat-kamadhenu, Tattva-dipika, Paramahamsa-priya, Suka-hridaya. Vopadeva wrote the Mukta-phala and the Hari-lilamrita. Vijayadhvaja composed the Pada-ratnavali. Viraraghava also edited The Bhagavata-Candrika (from Ramanuja's school). Other works are the Suvodhini by Vallabha and Bhakti-ratnavali by Visnupuri. Among the Gaudiya Vaishnava commentaries there are Jiva Goswami's Krama-sandarbha (16th century CE), the Sarartha Darsini by Vishvanatha Chakravarti (17th century), the Dipikadipani by Radharamana, Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati's Gaudiya-bhasya (20th century).

[edit] Translations

The first translation of the Bhāgavata appeared in French, by Eugene Burnouf in 1840.

  • Gita Press has a two-volume English and Hindi translation (with Sanskrit text and English translation).
  • Kamala Subramanian has written a concise version of this book in English.
  • A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has written a multi-volume edition that includes translation and commentary.
  • A Telugu version was rendered by the poet Pothana in the fifteenth century.
  • A transcreated work, known as the Bhagavat of Sankardeva, is the primary theological source for Mahapuruxiya Dharma in the Assam region.
  • A condensed Srimad Bhagavatam in Sanskrit, the Narayaneeyam, was composed by Melpathur Bhattathiri of Kerala in 1586.
  • Edwin Bryant published an English translation of Book X in 2003, through Penguin Books.
  • Another translation of Book X was published on Writers Workshop in 1997, transcreated by Nandini Nopani and P. Lal.
  • Swami Tapasyananda has written an English translation in four volumes.
  • Swami Prabhavananda wrote an English version that is part translation, part summary and paraphrase, titled The Wisdom of God: Srimat Bhagavatam.
  • Asthana Vidwan Motaganahalli Ramashesha Shastri has written a Kannada translation, "Bhagavata Maha Purana".

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Bryant 2007, pp. 111-113
  2. ^ Lalye, P.G.. Studies in Devi Bhagavata. Bombay: Popular Prakasha. , cited in Brown 1983, p. 551
  3. ^ a b c Matchett 2003, pp. 129-144
  4. ^ a b c Kumar Das 2006, pp. 172-173
  5. ^ a b c Matchett 1993, pp. 95-116
  6. ^ Matchett 2001, pp. 107
  7. ^ Haberman & Rūpagōsvāmī 2003, p. 65
  8. ^ Bryant 2007, pp. 113-114
  9. ^ a b c Brown 1983
  10. ^ Beach 1965, pp. 168-69
  11. ^ a b c d e Sheridan 1986, pp. 1-16
  12. ^ a b c van Buitenen, J. A. B (1966), "The Archaism of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa", in Milton Singer, Krishna: Myths, Rites, and Attitudes, pp. 23–40 . Reprinted in van Buitenen 1996, pp. 28–45
  13. ^ Sheridan 1986, p. 10
  14. ^ Matchett 2001, pp. 151-153
  15. ^ Matchett 2001, p. 4
  16. ^ Matchett 2001, pp. 127-137
  17. ^ Bryant 2007, pp. 113-115

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

  • Mani, Vettam. Puranic Encyclopedia. 1st English ed. New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1975.
  • Cheever Mackenzie Brown. The triumph of the goddess: the canonical models and theological visions of the Devī-Bhāgavata Purāṇa. SUNY Press, 1990. ISBN 0791403637. Excerpts

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