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Sent: Friday, November 17, 2006 9:53
PM
Subject: [Oppiliappan]
srimadbhagavatham
Introduction to
srimadbhagavatham
Ithihasas and Puranas are composed
for the purpose of explaining the messages in the vedas in such a way that
even common people can understand. That is why they are known as
suhrdsamhitha, counselling like a friend,suhrd, while vedas are called prabhu
samhitha, command of the master as they contain injunctions and
prohibitions.Hence Puranas are not fairy tales.
Leelasuka in his krishna karnamrtha
advises those who are tired of trying to learn the difficult meanings of
upanishads to go to Gokula and see the essence of the upanishads tied to the
mortar. This shows the lucidity of the puranas in teaching the obtruse truths
thst are contained in the upanishads.
PurAnam means purA api navam, it is
ever new. This explains the popularity of the ithihasas and puranas even
now.Of all the puranas Bhagavathapurana is most important
as it is the only one prefixed with 'sri' as Srimadbhagavatha
puranam.
Bhagavatha purana was composed by
Vyasa advised by the sage Narada to cure him of his mental
depression and he taught this to his son Suka who told it to Parikshit. Sootha
pouranika who belonged to the clan of story tellers of yore
retold it to the sages in Naimisaranya and thus it was spread in the
world.
The Bhagavathapurana is extolled as
the essence of the vedas,is of supreme merit and is called adhyAthmadeepa, the
light of the self,it is loved by good men free from blemishes of character. It
is beneficial to the whole humanity,and removes the three kinds of duhkha,
namely, Adhidaivika, calamities due to karma or fate,
Adhibouthika,obstacles due to other beings, and
adhyAthma, troubles that come from one's own nature.It is said that
when one wishes to read or hear Bhagavatha the Lord appears in his
heart.
Bhagavathapuranam is an incomparable
work on bhakthi. It is related by Suka who is a brahmajnani. Bhakthi is
extolled as being even greater than mukthi.
Bhagavathapurana was told to
Parikshit in seven days. On the first day, it was till varahavathara, on
second day till jatabharatha episode, on the third till amrthamathanam,on the
fourth till krishnavathara, on the fifth till Rukminikalyanam, on the sixth
day it was till uddhavasamvAdha and the last day the purana was finished. It
has been the practice to read Bhagavatham in the same order for seven days
which is known as BhagavathasapthAham. We shall now enjoy the nector of
srimadbhAgavatham in detail.