The Bhagavata is the most popular of all Puranas and it is held in the
highest esteem by Vaishnavas in all parts of India. It was the most
authoritative book with such religious teachers as Shri Chaitanya.
Several commentaries have been written on this great work. It is however
strange that there has been so much discussion about the authoritative
character of the work. The readers are all familiar with that discussion
and I need not refer to it further than to say that the discussion does
not in any way affect the intrinsic merit of the book, and the verdict
of the public is so certain in this respect that the book will continue
to be the most popular of all Puranas, despite any thing that may be
said as to its authorship or the period of its appearance.
The Padma Purana devotes a chapter to the worship of this Purana and
calls it the most exalted of all the Puranas and the book is actually
worshipped in many Hindu houses. The Purana is recited all over India by
learned Pandits and Sadhus and its subject matter is familiar to every
Hindu.
PROFESSOR WILSON SAYS: -- "Bhagavata is a work of great celebrity in
India and exercises a more direct and powerful influence upon the
opinions and feelings of the people than perhaps any other of the
Puranas. It is placed fifth in all the lists but the Padma Purana ranks
it as the eighteenth, as the extracted substance of all the rest.
According to the usual specification it consists of eighteen thousand
slokas, distributed amongst three hundred and thirty-two chapters
divided into twelve Skandhas or books. It is named Bhagavata from its
being dedicated to the glorification of Bhagavat or Vishnu."
Referring to the Tenth Skandha, Professor Wilson says "The tenth book is
the characteristic part of the Purana, and the portion upon which its
popularity is founded. It has been translated into, perhaps, all the
languages in India, and is a favourite work with all descriptions of
people."
Much as the book commands the respect of the Hindus, it has brought upon
itself the ridicule and sarcasm of those that attack Hinduism. It is the
Tenth Skandha which has given the greatest handle to all adverse
criticism and it is the one Skandha in the whole book which is so little
understood by foreigners, unacquainted with the genius of the Hindu
religion, particularly with its love aspect which is the peculium of all
real devotees in every great religion. But the modern professors of
great religions, being lost in their material surroundings, have
entirely lost sight of that aspect. The songs of Solomon will stand out
in all ages as an expression of enthusiastic and rapturous love of the
human soul for the Divine Lord, whether the Christians of the modern day
understand them or not. The Divvans and Sufis bore the highest love to
their divine Lover, whether or not the Mohammedans of the present day
follow the outpourings of their heart.
Love in religion is a Science. It is the natural outcome of the human
soul, when it is freed from impurities and cured of distractions.
All religions speak of the purity of the mind, and they speak also of
devotion to God or Ishvara. But no religion other than Hinduism treats
of the gradual development of the mind as a Science, treats of its
purification and then of its natural attraction for Ishvara and the
final assimilation of human life to Isvaric life as the law of the
Universe. And no book in Hinduism deals with the subject so
systematically specially with reference to the history of the Universe,
as the Bhagavata Purana does. I have tried to understand the book myself
as an earnest student, with the light afforded by the book itself. I
have been greatly helped in the understanding of of the book by the
commentary of Sridhara Svami which is by common consent the most
authoritative of all the commentaries on the Bhagavata Purana. Once a
Pandita prided himself before Sri Chaitanya on his having put an
interpretation upon a certain sloka of the Purana different from that of
Sridhara Svami. Now "Svami" is the designation of a learned Sanyassi,
such as Sridhara Svami was and it also means a husband. Sri Chaitanya
remarked "one that does not follow the Svami is unchaste." Such was the
high opinion which the great Teacher held regarding Sridhara's
commentary.
I have purposely avoided making any reference to the commentaries made
by the followers of Sri Chaitanya as I intend to study them separately
along with the teachings of his school.
The method of treatment followed in this study will speak for itself. I
have separated the text from my own observations except in the
introductory chapter and in the reference to Sukadeva in the chapter on
Virat Purusha, and one can follow the text itself, without accepting any
of my own views. I believe I have faithfully reproduced the text in its
essential features, I have omitted unimportant details, poetical
descriptions, prayers and adorations some of them most beautiful and
sublime -- and I have also omitted the introduction by Suta and his
concluding words. Suta related the Purana to Rishi Sounaka and others as
he heard it from Sukadeva.
The proofs have passed through different hands and the transliteration
of Sanskrit words has been differently made. For instance [Sanskrit
Letter] has been rendered as s, s, _s_ and sh. Though I would prefer s,
the dash has been generally omitted, for the convenience of the printer.
There have been also several mistakes in names.
My best thanks are due to the several gentlemen, who have gone through
the proofs and specially to my friend Mr. Bertram Keightley M, A., who
has gone through nearly the whole of the manuscripts.