Assignment 

With respect to SB 1.1.1, briefly explain how the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam establishes Lord Sri
Kṛiṣhṇa as the Absolute Truth. Then show how this understanding:
a) refutes common misconceptions about God.
b) reflects the mood and mission of Śrīla Prabhupāda.
c) helps your faith in Kṛiṣhṇa consciousness and your practices of devotional service. 
(Understanding / Personal Application)
Title 
Purusah
By
Ananta Daya Nitai Dasa
Introduction:
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is the cream of all the Vedic literature which was compiled by the great
sage vyasadeva in his maturity. Śrīmad Bhāgavatam presents the absolute truth as the supreme
person by systematically unveiling the cover of Brahma sutras and giving authentic references
from various sruthi’s, smriti, and Puranas to substantiate Lord Sri Krishna is the Supreme
Personality of God Head.

Authentic references from scriptures:

oṁ namo bhagavata vāsudevāya: This is the Beeja mantra which denotes the all-pervading
feature of the Lord Vasudev. There are other Beeja mantras like the Narayana Beeja mantra and
Vishnu Beeja mantra but the author of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam specifically mentions Vasudeva who
is the son of Devaki and Vasudeva.

Janmādy asya yato:Śrīmad Bhāgavatam establishes Lord Krishna as the origin of all spiritual
and material worlds. Srimad Bhagavad Gita further strongly establishes without any doubt that
Lord Sri Krishna as the original supreme personality of Godhead

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (B.g 10.8)

Acceptance of great sages in disciplic succession:

Lord Brahma in Brahma Samhita 5.1 states isvara parama Krishna asserts Lord Krishna
as parama isvara or supreme controller, there is also a similar statement in Sri Krishna
sandarbha written by Srila Jiva Goswami Volume1 Anuccheda 1 Text 6 translation isvarah-the
Supreme Controller. Various Upanishads and Padma Purana also affirms Lord Krishna as the
original personality of Godhead. Further in Srimad Bhagavad Gita Arjuna also confirms
emphatically by stating
 
paraṁ Brahma paraṁdhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavan (B.G 10. 12-13).

Srimad Bhagavatam lifts all the misconceptions about God.

Refutes mayavati’s argument of impersonalism:
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam presents God as abhijñaḥ svarāṭ who is fully cognizant and fully
independent. Directly and indirectly cognizant of the entire creation. Cognizance implies
intelligence attributed to a personal feature of God. The Vedic knowledge is imparted within the
heart of Brahma which shows other personal features that God has a brain and he has a supreme
intelligence than Brahma and he is a supreme person.  
Refutes the materialist conception of no creator:
Materialistic people due to a poor fund of knowledge and defective senses say there is no other
creator other than themselves. This has been refuted by vyasadeva by using the words janmādy
asya yato as the Lord is the source of all creations. 

Whatever happens to the body quickly becomes known to the embodied, Similarly the creation is
the body of the absolute whole (S.B 1.1.1 purport)
Refutation of Mayavati scholar's unacceptance of the authority of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 
Mayavati's argues that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was not compiled by vyasadeva this was refuted
by Sridhar Swamy Maharaj by referring to other old Puranas about the mention of Śrīmad
Bhāgavatam. The gayatri mantra dhimahi was mentioned in the matsya purana. 

There are many narrations of spiritual instructions beginning with the Gāyatrī mantra. In a

conversation between Gautama and Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. The king was advised therein to read
regularly Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (S.B 1.1.1 purport) 

Mood and mission of Srila Prabhupada:

Srila Prabhupada explains the qualification of a person to understand and accept Śrīmad
Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is the topmost knowledge as it is the essence of all Vedic
literature so a philosophical mind who has the seeking appetite is the 1st qualification to study
ŚrīmadBhāgavatam.

Naturally, a philosophical mind wants to know about the origin of the creation (Śrīmad
Bhāgavatam1.1.1 purport). 

Srila Prabhupada explains that no human brain can understand the origins of creations just by
mere inquiries one should accept undisputed great authorities like Vayasadeva who states Lord
Krishna has the origins of all creations. One can only understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by
accepting spiritual knowledge from bonafide disciplic succession.  

The author of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam gives a direct answer to such inquiries. He says that the Lord
Śrī Kṛiṣhṇa is the origin of all creations (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam1.1.1 purport).            

Srila Prabhupada states that one should gradually qualify ourself in spiritual knowledge before
touching the most confidential part of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam which is the rasa dance section
of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. One should not jump directly to the most confidential part of this
literature unless one is elevated to the level of the Paramahamsa stage. 

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the most confidential part of this great literature. Unless one is
thoroughly accomplished in the transcendental knowledge of the Lord, one is sure to
misunderstand the Lord’s worshipable transcendental pastimes called rāsa dance and His love
affairs with the gopīs (Srimad Bhagavatam1.1.1 purport).     
Srila Prabhupada emphasizes that one should become a qualified Brahmin by chanting the
Gayatri mantra before realizing the Lord. 

He purposely invokes a Gāyatrī mantra, dhīmahi. This Gāyatrī mantra is meant for spiritually
advanced people (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.1.1 purport).

Srila Prabhupada states that one should surrender to Lord Sri Krishna to understand Śrīmad
Bhāgavatam. This approach in a humble state of mind is very important to realize and
relish Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. 

no one is independent in material creation. The hand of the Lord is seen everywhere. (Srimad
Bhagavatam 1.1.1 purport).    

Personal application.
Great personalities like Brahma, Vasudeva, and Goswami’s like Srila Rupa Goswami, Srila
Sanatana Goswami, Srila Jiva Goswami, and others unanimously accepted Lord Sri Krishna as
the original personality of Godhead and he is the absolute truth which strengthens
my shraddha (faith) in accepting Lord Sri Krishna as the absolute truth and in the process to
attain the Lord. The authenticity of this great literature is substantiated by references to various
Puranas, sruthi and smriti making Śrīmad Bhāgavatam the conclusive truth beyond any
reasonable doubt. The process of hearing sravanam is the first angaas of Bhakti, which I can
able to do easily just like Parikshit maharaja heard from Sukadeva Goswamy. Since I’m a
visually challenged person I joined ISKCON just by hearing the divine voice of H.D.G Srila A.C
Bhakti Vedanta Swamy Prabhupada.

Although I’m not qualified like Parikshit Maharaj still by regularly hearing Śrīmad

Bhāgavatam from pure devotees I can purify my existence and develop the qualification to
relish Śrīmad Bhāgavatam consistently.

Srila prabhupada continuously stressed in many of his lecture’s books are the basis, purity is the
force and preaching is the essence. Since I am a visually challenged person so I am continuously
hearing the lecture of Srila Prabhupada, H.H Bhanu Swami Maharaj and reading Srila
Prabhupada books through screen Reading software as well as I am doing preaching in my
ISKCON Chennai Bhakti Vriksha Center as well as other outreach programs. 

Conclusion:
A reader of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam will come to know about the highest truth which is lord Sri
Krishna. By reading Srimad Bhagavatam one can understand the absolute truth and can easily
attain the Lotus feet of Lord Sri Krishna which is the highest perfectional stage when compared
to all other processes in this age of Kali-yuga.
Word Count
1.Introduction - 53
2.Authentic references from scriptures- 55
3.Accepted great sages in disciplic
   Succession - 48
4. SrimadBagavatham lifts all the 
    misconceptions about God - 61
5. Refutes the materialist conception 
    of no creator - 38
6. Refutation of Mayavati scholar 
   unacceptance of authority of 
   Srimad Bhagavatam - 30
7.Mood and Mission of  
   SrilaPrabhupada -176
8.Personal application -190
9.Conclusion - 54
                  -----------
   Total                                                  705
                                                        -----------