|| 12.13.

1 ||
Enumeration of the Puräëas

süta uväca
yaà brahmä varuëendra-rudra-marutaù stunvanti divyaiù
stavair
vedaiù säìga-pada-kramopaniñadair gäyanti yaà säma-gäù
dhyänävasthita-tad-gatena manasä paçyanti yaà yogino
yasyäntaà na viduù suräsura-gaëä deväya tasmai namaù

Süta Gosvämé said: Unto that personality whom Brahmä,

Varuëa, Indra, Rudra and the Maruts praise by chanting
transcendental hymns of the Vedas with all their corollaries,
pada-kramas and Upaniñads, whom the chanters of the
Säma Veda glorify, whom the perfected yogés see within
their minds after fixing themselves in meditation, and whom
neither the devatäs or demons can fathom—unto that
Supreme Lord I offer my respects.

The Thirteenth Chapter offers respects, prayer of auspiciousness

concerning the Lord, enumerates the Puräëas and glorifies gifting
them. In the final chapter again respects are offered to the Lord.
Stunvanti should be stuvanti. Upaniñadaiù should be upaniñadbhiù.
By reciting this Puräëa I have to some degree praised, meditated on
and chanted about the Supreme Lord, but have not completely
understood everything.

|| 12.13.2 ||
påñöhe bhrämyad amanda-mandara-giri-grävägra-
kaëòüyanän
nidräloù kamaöhäkåter bhagavataù çväsäniläù päntu vaù
yat-saàskära-kalänuvartana-vaçäd velä-nibhenämbhasäà
yätäyätam atandritaà jala-nidher nädyäpi viçrämyati

When the Supreme Lord appeared as Kürma, a tortoise, he

became sleepy when his back was scratched by the edges of
the stones on heavy, rotating Mount Mandara. May you all
be protected by the winds caused by the Lord's breathing at
that time! Even up to the present day, the ocean tides
follow the Lord's inhalation and exhalation by coming in and
going out, which appear to be the tides.

Actually the Lord in the form of Kürma churned the Milk Ocean.
Devatäs were cause in name only. Similarly the churning of the
ocean of the Vedas to produce the Bhägavatam was done by the
Lord alone. Vyäsadeva only repeated it. That is expressed in this
verse. By the scratching caused by the edges of stone of the very
heavy Mandara Mountain being rotating, Kürma became sleepy.
May the breathing of that sleepy Lord protect you. The Lord, taking
the nectar obtained from the churning in the form of Mohiné,
cheated the demons and gave it to the devatäs, his devotees.
Similarly the Lord has churned the Vedas and produced the
Bhägavatam containing the nectar of bhakti. Cheating the demons,
may he give the nectar to you! This is in the form of a benediction
to the devotees. Because of following a few moments of the traces
of the breathing of Kürma, the oceans continually ebb and flow. “But
the oceans move because of the tides, not because of the Lord’s
breathing.” The tides are only a pretext. Actually it is the Lord
doing this.

|| 12.13.3 ||
puräëa-saìkhyä-sambhütim
asya väcya-prayojane
dänaà dänasya mähätmyaà
päöhädeç ca nibodhata

Now please hear a summation of the length of each Puräëa

according to number of verses, and as well hear the subject
and purpose of this Bhägavata Puräëa, the proper method of
giving it as a gift, the glories of giving it, and finally the
glories of hearing and chanting this literature.

Just as the various rulers who come before the emperor of the world
to praise him should be counted, so the various Mahä-puräëas
should be counted in the presence of the emperor among Mahä-
puräëas. Sambhütim means manifestation. Please hear the
manifested number of Puräëas and also Bhägavatam’s subject and
purpose.

|| 12.13.4-9 ||
brähmaà daça sahasräëi
pädmaà païcona-ñañöi ca
çré-vaiñëavaà trayo-viàçac
catur-viàçati çaivakam

daçäñöau çré-bhägavataà
näradaà païca-viàçati
märkaëòaà nava vähnaà ca
daça-païca catuù-çatam

catur-daça bhaviñyaà syät

tathä païca-çatäni ca
daçäñöau brahma-vaivartaà
laiìgam ekädaçaiva tu

catur-viàçati väräham
ekäçéti-sahasrakam
skändaà çataà tathä caikaà
 vämanaà daça kértitam

kaurmaà sapta-daçäkhyätaà
mätsyaà tat tu catur-daça
ekona-viàçat sauparëaà
brahmäëòaà dvädaçaiva tu

evaà puräëa-sandohaç
catur-lakña udähåtaù
taträñöadaça-sähasraà
çré-bhägavataà iñyate

The Brahmä Puräëa consists of ten thousand verses, the

Padma Puräëa of fifty-five thousand, Viñëu Puräëa of
twenty-three thousand, the Çiva Puräëa of twenty-four
thousand and Çrémad-Bhägavatam of eighteen thousand.
The Närada Puräëa has twenty-five thousand verses, the
Märkaëòeya Puräëa nine thousand, the Agni Puräëa fifteen
thousand four hundred, the Bhaviñya Puräëa fourteen
thousand five hundred, the Brahma-vaivarta Puräëa
eighteen thousand and the Liìga Puräëa eleven thousand.
The Varäha Puräëa contains twenty-four thousand verses,
the Skanda Puräëa eighty-one thousand one hundred, the
Vämana Puräëa ten thousand, the Kürma Puräëa seventeen
thousand, the Matsya Puräëa fourteen thousand, the Garuòa
Puräëa nineteen thousand and the Brahmäëòa Puräëa
twelve thousand. Thus the total number of verses in all the
Puräëas is four hundred thousand. Eighteen thousand of
these belong to the Bhägavatam.

Trayoviàçat means twenty-three. Çaivakam means Çiva Puräëa.

Vähnam means Agni Puräëa. It has fifteen thousand four hundred
verses. Skanda Puräëa has eighty-one thousand verses. Just as
Kåñëa is included in the listing of avatäras since he appears in this
world as an avatära, and yet is distinguished by the words kåñëas
tu bhagavän svavyam, so Bhägavatam is included in the list of
Puräëas since it is also a Puräëa, but it again mentioned at the end
as having eighteen thousand verses, to indicate its role as the
emperor among the Puräëas. Just as the svayam indicates the
supreme position of Kåñëa in the First Canto verse, the word çré
with Bhägavatam indicates that it is the most complete among all
Puräëas.

|| 12.13.10 ||
idaà bhagavatä pürvaà
brahmaëe näbhi-paìkaje
sthitäya bhava-bhétäya
käruëyät samprakäçitam
The Supreme Lord first revealed the Çrémad-Bhägavatam to
Lord Brahmä. At the time, Brahmä, frightened by material
existence, was sitting on the lotus flower that had grown
from the Lord's navel.

|| 12.13.11-12 ||
ädi-madhyävasäneñu
vairägyäkhyäna-saàyutam
hari-lélä-kathä-vrätä-
måtänandita-sat-suram

sarva-vedänta-säraà yad
brahmätmaikatva-lakñaëam
vastv advitéyaà tan-niñöhaà
kaivalyaika-prayojanam

From beginning to end, the Çrémad-Bhägavatam is full of

the Lord’s pastimes which give bliss to devotees endowed
with a sense of renunciation. This Bhägavatam is the
essence of all Vedänta philosophy because its subject
matter is one Brahman, a substance with no duality. The
main goal of the work is merging.

This verse speaks of the subject matter and goal. The host (vräta)
of topics concerning the pastimes of the Lord is sweet. The
devotees who are called devatäs become blissful because of these
topics. The subject of these topics is bhakti, and bhakti is sweet
nectar. The goal is prema, because by prema one can taste the
sweetness of bhakti-rasa. The phrase “it gives bliss to the
devotees” means that the devotee’s experience of prema. By the
use of the words nectar and devatäs, the Bhägavatam giving nectar
to the devotees is indicated. By this, the scripture’s nature as
Mohiné is indicated, since she is famous for giving nectar to the
devatäs. With a movement of her brow to the devotees who know
her identity, unseen by others, she says “Appearing in this way, I
must be favorable to you. Cheating the demons, I will give you
nectar.”

By moving her eyebrows at the demons who do not know her

identity, she says clearly, “By my appearance you should gain
victory. Giving you nectar is a secondary affair. The main thing is
that I will constantly give you astonishing bliss while you remain
householders. I will serve a little nectar first to the lowly devatäs. ”
Similarly the Bhägavatam in half a verse, speaking of the giving the
devotees nectar of his pastimes, indicates the goal of the
Bhägavatam. But the Lord has also said parokña-vädä åñayaù
parokñaà mama ca priyam: the Vedic seers and mantras deal in
esoteric terms, and I also am pleased by such confidential
descriptions. (SB 11.21.35) Thus having said what is unnoticed by
most people, he speaks another subject and goal for the person who
does not know the Lord, but thinks he knows scriptures. It is the
essence of all Vedäntas, which is oneness with Brahman, an object
with no duality. The work has Brahman as its subject (niñöham) and
merging in Brahman as its main goal.

Some people explain the verse as follows. Because this scripture

speaks of both bhakti and jïäna, after speaking of the subject and
goal of bhakti and prema, the work then speaks of jïäna and
merging as the subject and goal. Brahman is the subject. This work
has as its goal merging (kaivalyam) as its one goal.

Others explain as follows. At the beginning of this work it is

understood from the second verse that bhakti is the subject with the
words (dharmaù projjhita-kaitavo ‘tra) and from the same verse with
the words sadyo hådy avarudhyate atra kåtibhiù it is understood the
prema is the goal. Thus by the predominance of bhakti over jïäna
and liberation, its goal, in the whole work, bhakti is indicated as the
main subject and prema is the goal.

It is also necessary to give an esoteric meaning to the verse so it

becomes suitable for devotees, in the manner of Mohiné’s
appearance to both parties. The meaning tan-niñöham is as follows.
This work remains (stham), having given up (nisåtya) Brahman and
merging. The work has as its goal only the mood of exclusive
devotion (kaivalyam), devoid of jïäna, karma and Svarga.

|| 12.13.13 ||
prauñöhapadyäà paurëamäsyäà
hema-siàha-samanvitam
dadäti yo bhägavataà
sa yäti paramäà gatim

If on the full moon day of the month of Bhädra one places

Çrémad-Bhägavatam on a golden throne and gives it as a
gift, he will attain the supreme destination.

Prauñöhapadyäm means related to Bhädra month. In that month

Çukadeva completed the Bhägavatam. One should see the Uttara-
khaëòa of Padma Puräëa. The king of all scriptures, the sun among
the Puräëas should be seated on a throne and treated royally. The
king of all planets, the sun, enters into Siàha or Leo zodiac sign
during Bhädra month. Thus it is like a king seated on his throne
(simhäsana). This is the metaphor.

|| 12.13.14 ||
räjante tävad anyäni
puräëäni satäà gaëe
yävad bhägavataà naiva
 çrüyate 'måta-sägaram

All other Puranic scriptures shine forth in the assembly of

saintly devotees only as long as that great ocean of nectar,
Çrémad-Bhägavatam, is not heard.

This is the king of all scriptures. That is indicated by the verb

räjante. The other Puräëas reign as kings until Bhägavatam appears,
since Bhägavatam is like an emperor among kings. Or the verb
räjante indicates “shining.” The other Puräëas shine like stars in the
night, until Bhägavatam rises like the sun.

|| 12.13.15 ||
sarva-vedänta-säraà hi
çré-bhägavatam iñyate
tad-rasämåta-tåptasya
nänyatra syäd ratiù kvacit

Çrémad-Bhägavatam is declared to be the essence of all

Vedänta philosophy. One who has felt satisfaction from its
sweet rasa will never be attracted to any other literature.

|| 12.13.16 ||
nimna-gänäà yathä gaìgä
devänäm acyuto yathä
vaiñëavänäà yathä çambhuù
puräëänäm idam tathä

Just as the Gaìgä is the greatest of all rivers, Acyuta is the

supreme among deities and Lord Çiva is the greatest of
Vaiñëavas, so Çrémad-Bhägavatam is the greatest of all
Puräëas.

|| 12.13.17 ||
kñeträëäà caiva sarveñäà
yathä käçé hy anuttamä
tathä puräëa-vrätänäà
çrémad-bhägavataà dvijäù

O brähmaëas, in the same way that the city of Käçé is

unexcelled among holy places, Çrémad-Bhägavatam is
supreme among all the Puräëas.

|| 12.13.18 ||
çrémad-bhägavataà puräëam amalaà yad vaiñëavänäà
priyaà
yasmin päramahaàsyam ekam amalaà jïänaà paraà géyate
tatra jïäna-viräga-bhakti-sahitaà naiñkarmyam äviskåtaà
 tac chåëvan su-paöhan vicäraëa-paro bhaktyä vimucyen
naraù

This glorious Bhägavatam is the spotless Puräëa, and

therefore dear to the Vaiñëavas. It as well describes pure
jïäna beneficial even for paramahaàsas. This Bhägavatam
rejects the process of karma and is endowed with the
processes of jïäna, vairägya and bhakti. Anyone who
contemplates Çrémad-Bhägavatam and who properly hears
and chants it with devotion becomes completely liberated.

This verse explains Bhägavatam’s supreme position. This Puräëa

alone is endowed with all glory (çrémat), since it does not have
contamination arising from the three guëas (amalam). Because of
this it is dear to the devotees. This shows the excellence of its
bhakti. Even those who are greedy to attain jïäna arising from
bhakti, those who have attained jïäna and those who are
ätmärämas should take shelter of this work. Päramahaàsyam
means “beneficial for paramahaàsas. In this Bhägavatam,
knowledge beneficial for paramahaàsas, the best (param)
knowledge, since arises from bhakti, is explained. Those who are
practicing jïäna should hear this work. It is completely without
karma (naiñkarmyam).

|| 12.13.19 ||
kasmai yena vibhäsito 'yam atulo jïäna-pradépaù purä
tad-rüpeëa ca näradäya munaye kåñëäya tad-rüpiëä
yogéndräya tad-ätmanätha bhagavad-rätäya käruëyatas
tac chuddhaà vimalaà viçokam amåtaà satyaà paraà
dhémahi

I meditate upon that pure, spotless Näräyaëa, who is free

from suffering and death and who previously revealed this
incomparable lamp of knowledge to Brahmä. Brahmä then
spoke it to the sage Närada, who narrated it to Kåñëa-
dvaipäyana Vyäsa. Çréla Vyäsa revealed this Bhägavatam to
the greatest of sages, Çukadeva Gosvämé, and Çukadeva
mercifully spoke it to Mahäräja Parékñit.

He invokes auspiciousness, with meditation on the Lord who started

the sampradaya of Bhägavatam knowledge. Kasmai means Brahmä.
It is inflexed like a pronoun as poetic license. The twelve volumes of
Bhägavatam previously, at the beginning of the kalpa, was given by
Brahmä to Närada. By Närada it was given to Vyäsadeva.
Vyäsadeva gave it to Çukadeva. Çukadeva gave it to King Parékñit
(bhagavat-rätäya). I meditate on the form of Näräyaëa (tat param
satyam). Just as the work began with gäyatré it concludes with
gäyatré. Gäyatré is equated with knowledge of the Vedas. Thus
this work is equated with knowledge of the Vedas.

|| 12.13.20 ||
namas tasmai bhagavate
väsudeväya säkñiëe
ya idam kåpayä kasmai
vyäcacakñe mumukñave

I offer respects to the Supreme Lord, Väsudeva, the witness

of my task, who mercifully explained this to Brahmä when
he desired liberation.

Having ended the scripture, he offers respects to his personal deity.

I offer respects to the son of Vasudeva, the witness: he directly sees
whether I am a devotee or devoid of bhakti, whether I am righteous
or sinful, whether I know or do not know how to explain the intended
meaning of Bhägavatam. I take shelter of his mercy. I am such a
rascal. Even Brahmä, without his mercy, does not know the meaning
of Bhägavatam. Väsudeva mercifully explained it to him, who
desired liberation. Previous to his request for the knowledge,
Brahmä desired liberation. After the instructions however, he
desired prema and became indifferent to liberation.

|| 12.13.21 ||
yogéndräya namas tasmai
çukäya brahma-rüpiëe
saàsära-sarpa-dañöaà yo
viñëu-rätam amümucat

I offer my humble obeisances to Çukadeva Gosvämé, the

best of yogés, and the very form of para-brahman, who
saved Mahäräja Parékñit, bitten by the snake of material
existence.

He offers respects to Çukadeva. He is addressed as king of the

yogés because he is the chief master of bhakti-yoga, jïäna-yoga,
karma-yoga and açöäìga-yoga. He is the very form of parabrahman
(brahma-rüpine). He delivered Parékñit who was bitten by the
snake of saàsära. Just as the Lord removed Arjuna’s illusion by
teaching the Gétä, and he removed Uddhava’s illusion by
instructions in the Eleventh Canto, Çukadeva removed Parékñit
saàsära by the Bhägavatam. This is a statement made for common
people. Actually, since all three are eternal associates of the Lord,
they have no trace of saàsära. It is seen that the system for the
continuation of beneficial teachings takes support of a single, great
devotee among many merciful devotees who expertly bears the
task of making the jévas receive benefit. In this case the word
viñëu-räta is used to describe Parékñit. Viñëu-räta means Parékñit
who was given (räta) to Yudhiñöhira by the mercy of Viñëu, or who
was received by the Lord himself. What foolish person could think
he was affected by saàsära? Moreover, just as in this world a
mantra to remove poison does not depend are material knowledge,
so whether one knows or does not know material subjects, the
sounds of the Bhägavatam completely uproot the poison of saàsära.
This is the intention of the speaker in choosing his words.

|| 12.13.22 ||
bhave bhave yathä bhaktiù
pädayos tava jäyate
tathä kuruñva deveça
näthas tvaà no yataù prabho

O Lord of lords! O master! Please grant us pure devotional

service at your lotus feet, life after life.

|| 12.13.23 ||
näma-saìkértanaà yasya
sarva-päpa praëäçanam
praëämo duùkha-çamanas
taà namämi harià param

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord,

whose names when chanted, destroy all sins. Offering of
obeisances to him destroys all suffering.

I offer respects to guru and Kåñëa, and to the ocean of mercy,

Lokanatha.1 O Kåñëa Caitanya! O Gauraìga along with your
associates! O unconditional ocean of mercy! Please fill me with
prema. Glory to the couple expert in pastimes of rasa in
Våëdävana! Please lead me to your gopé associates! Be merciful to
this commentary! Though I am ignorant, you have made me write
this commentary. O Kåñëa! O Bhägavatam! Be pleased with this
commentary! O protector of the cows! Though I am not intelligent,
please accept and protect this work! Drink its milk and, if you are
pleased, give it to your devotees. This commentary has been
completed on the sixth lunar day of the waxing moon, in Mägha
month, 1626 Çaka era.

May the devotees of the Lord relish this commentary! Since the
most learned among the learned have no taste for the Bhägavatam
whose sole function is to play in the waves of sweetness--a mood
incomprehensible to the six philosophies, let it remain an
unfortunate creation, defective in every word for them, though it is

1
Viñvanäthas déksä line is as follows: Lokanätha, Narottama, Gaìgänäräyaëa
Cakravarté, Kåñëacaraëa Cakravarté, Rädhärämana Cakravarté, Viçvanätha
Cakravarté.
actually endowed with all good qualities and dances with divine
wisdom.

There is no harm if the Bhägavatam contains ärambha-väda (asat-

kärya-väda) of the Vaiçeñikas and Nyäyikas,2 pariëäma-väda (sat-
kärya-väda) of the Säìkhya philosophers or vivarta-väda of the
Advaitins. The final conclusion of bhakti, the jewel of human
endeavors, will be seen by devotion, by the mercy of guru.
Therefore I offer repeated respects to my guru. O devotees! This
foolish person with fickle mind is crying at your door. Like a dog
without a master, may he receive a little mercy!

I offer respects to Govardhana, the best of the Lord’s servants. I

offer repeated respects to Rädhä-kuëòa and Kåñëa-kuëòa.

Thus ends the commentary on Thirteenth Chapter of the Twelfth

Canto of the Bhägavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in
accordance with the previous äcäryas.

2
This is also called paramäëu-vada.