The notes in this file are quite unrefined


Chapter One
The First Step In God Realization

Sukadeva Gosvami glorifies Maharaja Pariksit's question, which he spoke at the end Canto One, I am therefore begging you (Sukadeva Gosvami) to show the way of perfection for all persons, and especially for one who is about to die. Please let me know what a man should hear, chant, remember and worship, and also what he should not do. Please explain all this to me. (Bhag. 1.19.37-38)
	Sukadeva, in answer to that question, glorifies hearing krsna-katha and explains that the highest perfection life, regardless of the process one uses, is to remember the Personality of Godhead at the end of life. (1-6) Therefore, he explains, the topmost transcendentalists take pleasure in always describing the glories of the Lord. 
	Sukadeva continues to describe how he studied the Srimad-Bhagavatam from his father, rla Vysadeva, at the end of the Dvpara-yuga. Although he was already situated on the transcendental platform, he still became attracted by the Bhagavatams description of the Lords pastimes. (7-9) Sukadeva tells Pariksit Maharaja that he will now recite the rmad-Bhgavatam. He then glorifies the Bhagavatam, saying one who gives full attention and respect to hearing rmad-Bhgavatam achieves unflinching faith in the Supreme Lord. And further, that constantly chanting the Lords holy names is the doubtless and fearless way of success for all. (10-11)
	Maharaja Pariksit is to die in one week. After explaining that a short life with a moment of pure consciousness is superior to a long life wasted within matter, Sukadeva encourages Pariksit Maharaja by retelling how saintly King Khav?ga, after being informed that the duration of his life would be only a moment more, at once freed himself from all material activities and in a moment took shelter of the Lord. (12-13) Sukadeva thus assures Mahrja Park?it that his remaining time is sufficient, and that at the last stage of life, one should fearlessly cut off all attachment to all connected to ones body. (12-15) 
	He continues explaining that one should leave home and practice yoga for the purpose of remembering a-u-m. The mind should be withdrawn from sense activities and the mind fixed in the Lords service, meditating on His limbs without being deviated from the conception of the complete body. One should focus the mind upon Visnu, which cleanses the mind of its lower tendencies. Through focusing on the Lord, one can very soon attain devotional service under His direct shelter. (16-21)
	Pariksit Maharaja then inquires about how to apply the mind so that its contaminations will be removed. ukadeva Gosvm answers with an explanation of the practices of astanga yoga and that one, though using his intelligence, should apply ones mind to the gross potencies of the Lord, the vir-rpa. In that manifestation, time is also experienced. Sukadeva next describes details of this meditation, and that one who seriously desires liberation should concentrates his mind on this form of the Lord because nothing more than this exists within the material world. If one does not concentrate his mind upon the Virata-rupa, one will be misled and will cause his own degradation. (22-39)

 1. Associating with devotees facilitates hearing krsna-katha: Achieving the association of devotees is Krsnas direct mercy upon a soul, for it allows one to hear krsna-katha. (Intro -1)
	2. The process and results of hearing krsna-katha: To actually become free from misery and fear, one must focus his consciousness upon the Lord. Through hearing krsna-katha, which is non-different from Krsna Himself, one becomes free from fear, and ones consciousnesseven as one workscan be focused on Krsna. This raises one to the topmost position of love for Krsna and detachment from matter, as both Sri Krsna and His katha are transcendental. 
	One should thus mold his life to always remember Krsna, and one should especially be prepared to fix his mind upon Krsna at the time of death. (5-6)
 2. Devotional consciousness is a contrast to the consciousness of one in illusion: The consciousness of one desiring to hear krsna-katha is different from that those who live just for their family, working hard just to enjoy sex. Struggling with material nature, they take shelter of their family members as if these fallible soldiers were sufficient to save them from death. (2-4)
	3. Everyone, regardless of his position, should hear krsna-katha: Especially the topmost transcendentalists, who are uninteresting in anything material, take pleasure in hearing and chanting about the Lord. (Sukadeva Gosvami offers himself as an example of an impersonalist who was attracted to krsna-katha.) To advance through hearing krsna-katha, which even an impersonalist can do (he can advance to bhagavan realization), one must hear krsna-katha from the correct person, a realized devotee, for the result of such hearing is that the hearers faith becomes established in Krsna. 
 Both the speaker and the hearer must be qualified, and the hearer understands everything, not exactly intellectually, but by Krsnas mercy due to his submissive inquiries and serving mood. The hearers main qualifications for advancing to Krsnas direct service through attachment to Him by hearing about Him is that he should be a devotee and possess faith is in the process of devotion. One should hear the Bhagavatam from beginning to end. (7-10) The conclusion is that the doubtless method of success for all, is that one, regardless of whether he is a devotee, a materialist, a yogi, or a jnani, should hear about Krsna from authorities and then offenselessly chant about Krsna. (11) (7-11)
	4. The essence of preparing for death: A long life is not glorious, but even a moment of full consciousness is glorious. One should always chant (without offense) the potent names of Krsna and hear rmad-Bhgavatam. Since, at death, ones next life will be determined by ones desires, at least at the time of death, if not early within ones life, one should cut-off his material attachments and focus the remaining days of his life on developing his spiritual desires by hearing Srimad Bhagavatam. (12-15) 
	5. Preparing for death: The essence of the preparatory process is to drag the mind from material engagements and fix it on the lotus feet of the Lord. To prepare for death, one should leave home, and, if one cannot directly hear and chant about Krsna, one should practice yoga. Through yogas breathing exercises, one will be able to control the mind and absorb it in the spiritual, meditiating upon all that one sees as part of Visnu, the Supreme Lord, without forgetting the complete Lord. However, it is both superior and easier to fix ones mind on the Lords service and/or meditate upon the Lords Deity form and attain the same result of always remembering Visnu. (16-21) 
	6. Seeing matter in relationship to Krsna: A pantheistic view of the universe is offered so that materialists and atheists can view matter and see it in relationship to the Lord. Thus by practicing yoga and controlling the mind through pranayama, one can meditate upon the Lords gross, material potencies as part of the Lords vrata-rupa, His universal form. A materialistic person can thus remember the Lord while viewing matterplanets, days, nights, the objects of the senses, animals, varnasrama, death, etc.and their passage through time. That, along with cultivating a service attitude towards Him, will remove all contamination from within the heart.
 One should not be fooled into accepting the impersonal as the Supreme realization of the Lord, for the Lord, by exhibiting His inconceivable potency, can be both localized in Goloka Vrindaban and all pervading. Thus one should concenrate his mind upon the form of the Lord. (22-39)
 
Chapter Two, The Lord in the Heart

Citing previous authority for that which he has just prescribed, r ukadeva Gosvm describes how Lord Brahma regained his consciousness through meditation on the Virata Rupa and by appeasing the Lord. Brahma was thus able to rebuild the creation. One should not become bewildered when studying the Vedas and think their purpose is to assist our attaining various sense enjoyments available throughout the universe. One, through superficial study, will not be able to understand the actual goal of the Vedasattaining the spiritual world. 
 Knowing this, an enlightened soul should only endeavor while in this world for the minimum necessities of life. How then should one live? One should live sleeping on the earth, using ones arm as a pillow, ones palms as a cup, the skins of trees as clothing, eating fruit from trees, etc..There is no need to flatter householders for survival.
	One should also become fixed in rendering higher service than meditating on the Virata Rupa. One should serve the Supersoul, who is within ones heart, and who is eternal, unlimited, and the ultimate goal of life. By worshiping Him one becomes from from conditioned existence. Only the materialist will neglect such thinking, especially after seeing that the mass of people have fallen into the river of fruitive work. (1-7)
Actually, one should meditate not on the virata-rupa, but on the Supersoul, who resides within the heart and measures only eight inches. He possesses four hands, and carries a lotus, a wheel of a chariot, a conchshell, and a club. He possesses beautiful lotus eyes, yellowish garments, jewel-set ornaments, and garlands of fresh flowers. His lotus feet are placed over the hearts of the mystics who are fixed upon Him in meditation. One thus should concentrate in mediation upon Him, beginning from His lotus feet and progressing, as the intelligence becomes purified, to His smiling face. The purpose of meditating upon the Virata Rupa, as it was described in the previous chapter, is to assist our developing a service attitude to the Supreme Lord. (8-14)
	If a yogi wishes to voluntarily leave his body, he should sit comfortably and follow the following process. Through meditation, he should merge his mind, by his unalloyed intelligence, into himselfthe living entityand then merge the living entity into the Superself. And by doing this, the living entity becomes situated in the supreme stage of satisfaction. He thus ceases all other activities. This stage is transcendental, and called labdhopanti, the spiritual world, which is indirectly describes as that state uneffected by time, goodness, passion, ignorance, false ego, the material Causal Ocean, or material nature. Thus desiring to attain that state, the yogi avoids all Godlessness and places himself in absolute harmony with the Lord. He places the Lords lotus feet within his heart and worships them at every moment. 
	To leave this world a yogi should be fixed in absolute realization and thus extinguish all material desires. He should give up his body through yogic practice, while slowly pushing his life air upward from his navel to his heart. From there, the life air should be pushed to the chest, and from the chest to the root of the palate and finally to the cerebral hole. He should then give up all material connections and go to the Supreme. (15-21)
	Those yogis who wish to experience improved material enjoyment, such as transference to Brahmaloka, the eightfold perfections, free travel in outer space, or a situation in one of the millions of planets, must take with them their subtle body when they leave the gross body behind. The pure devotees, on the other hand, concerned only with their spiritual body, have unrestricted movements throughout all of existence, including the spiritual world. Fruitive workers, gross materialists, can never move unrestrictedly.
	Such a yogi gradually becomes purified and reaches the highest planet, Brahmaloka, through the Sushumara, etc. He can wait there, and transfer from Brahmaloka to Vaikuntha at the time of the devastation of the universe. In Brahmaloka, the only existing pain is compassion for those unaware of the process of devotional service and who are suffering miseries in the material world.
	The yogi may also continue his purification and journey directly to the spiritual world. He can merge his ego in the mahat-tattva, etc and come to the point of pure self-realization. He thus attains perfection: association with the Personality of Godhead in complete bliss and satisfaction. This is his constitutional state. Those who attain such devotional perfection are never again attracted by this material world. Nor do they ever return. (22-31)
	Sukadeva Gosvami continues to describe that this knowledge is exactly in accordance with the Vedic version, and that it was described personally by Lord K??a unto Brahm. After hearing of the difficult and intricate path to the spiritual world through the practice of yoga, Sukadeva describes a different, yet most auspicious means of deliverance: direct devotional service of Lord K??a. That path was established by Lord Brahma as the actual Vedic goal: developing an attraction for Lord Krsna. One should thus adopt the direct method of hearing about Krsna, and after becoming purified, go back to Godhead to serve Him in devotional service.
	The Lord is in everyones heart, and we are already fully dependent upon Him. One can percieve this through his intelligence. It is therefore essential that every human being hear about, glorify, and remember the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, always and everywhere. Hearers of nectarean krsna-katha purify themselves of material desires and directly go back to Godhead. Sukadeva Gosvami, has now directly answered Pariksit Maharajas question about his duty at the time of death. (32-39)

 1. Removing forgetfulness of Krsna and remaining focused on the spiritual path: Conditioned souls tend to forget their relationship with the Lord. They should remove their forgetfulness and reawaken their relationship with Krsna through following the instructions in Srimad Bhagavatam. One should not become distracted by anythingeven the thoughts of heavenly enjoyment which are mentioned within the Vedas. One should accept only what is required to maintain ones body. One should live simply, not aspire for material comforts, and use his intelligence in self-realization. Depending on the Lords protection, one should not flatter wealthy householders to achieve material gain. (2-5)
 2. Taking shelter of the Lord in the heart: Thus materially detached, one who is renounced should practice yoga to worship the Lord in the heart. Or, as it is more practical, he should worship the Lord within a temple and end his conditioned state of material existence. Thinking of the Supersoul and taking shelter of His lotus feet is one step higher than thinking of impersonal Brahman, as suggested in Chapter One, which one does as he contemplates the Supreme Lords vir-rpa. Although the Lord is impartial, and although everyone suffers according to his own deeds, He nevertheless gives proper protection to one who takes shelter at His lotus feet. He Himself takes such a living entity back home, back to Himself. 
 Who, after viewing the suffering of the people of this world due to fruitive activities, will not take shelter of the Lord? (1-7)
 3. Meditation upon the Supersoul: One should meditate on the Lord in the heart, or upon another all-powerful form of the Lord. The form of the Lord in the heart is eternal and beautiful, with His Kaustubha jewel, which is engraved with a beautiful calf, upon His chest. One should begin meditating upon Him from His feet.
 Gradually, as one becomes purified, especially from sex desire, ones meditation should move upwards. This remains true whether one is meditating upon the virata rupa, the Lord in the heart, or upon the Deity in the temple through the process of arcana. By concentrating ones mind on the lotus feet of the Lord, one will gradually raise his consciousness higher and higher to the Lords smiling face.
 A materialistic man, until he has developed a sense of service to the Lord, should meditate upon the virata-rupa at the end of His prescribed duties and thus develop Godly qualities. (8-14) 
 4. The yogic process of attaining the Supreme: Without worrying about either time or place, when a yogi is preparing to leave this world, he, through his practices of yoga, should engage his mind upon the Lord and attain the transcendental stage of full bliss, labdhopanti.
 He should thus cease all material hankerings. That transcendental state contains no effect of time, modes of nature, false ego, or material energy. Impersonalist, or practitioners of forms of spiritual attainment other than bhakti, cannot attain the full manifestation of this stage; the devotees, who always worship the lotus feet of the Lord within there hearts, attain Vaikuntha. (15-18) 
 5. Attaining the Supreme through yoga: One can leave ones body through focus of the mind by mechanical means and yogic manipulation of the life airs. In this age, focus of the mind is more practically accomplished by offenselessly chanting Krsnas names than by mechanical manipulating the life airs.
 	A yogi who is a devotee, can focus his mind upon the goal of attaining the spiritual world and travel beyond his body to that realm. Other yogis, after becoming free from their gross material body, can travel anywhere within the universe according to their desires. Or they can attain mystic opulences. If an accomplished yogi so likes, he may travel upward to Satyaloka, and his existence will become purified and more subtle. Those who reach this stage by worship of Hiranyagarbha, or the virat, become liberated along with Lord Brahma at the time of the destruction of the universe. Those yogis who reach this stage by devotion can penetrate the universe and its coverings and enter Vaikuntha to render devotional service to Hari.
 While attaining Vaikuntha is not possible in this day and age through the gradual progression of yoga, this same result can be achieved by devotees though bhakti-yoga, and, by Lord Caitanyas mercy, through offenselessly chanting Krsnas names and regularly reading and hearing the Bhagavad-gt and rmad-Bhgavatam in the association of devotees. Either through yoga or bhakti, only a fully purified soul can attain Vaikuntha, where the Lord enjoys Himself in the midst of unlimited numbers of His pure devotees who desire nothing but His pleasure. Such a soul never returns to the material world. Impersonalists and materials can never enter. (19-31)
 6. The ultimate path of spiritual advancement: Sastra confirms that no means of deliverance is superior to the direct path of bhakti-yoga. Other pathsjnana and yogaare steppingstones to bhakti. The conclusion of all sastra, as reached by Lord Brahma himself after careful study (and as elucidated by the acaryas), is that the Lord is in everyones heart, and one should hear about, glorify and remember the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, always and everywhere, And, Lord Brahma ascertained, to become a pure, unalloyed devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead r K??a is the topmost perfection of all religious principles. Those who drink through their ears the nectarean messages of the Supreme Personality of Godhead find the polluted aim of their life diminish. They will thus live a life of peace, happiness, and knowledge. By constantly hearing about Krsna, they will go to Goloka Vrindaban. (32-39)


Chapter Three, Pure Devotional Service: The Change in Heart

r ukadeva Gosvm explained that he has now answered Park?it Maharjas questions as to the duty of one on the threshold of death: A thoughtful man should hear Krsna-katha. 
	But what if one has other desires? Should one worship and fix his mind only on Krsna for spiritual attainments? And, for achieving material benefits, should one worship demigods? As a prelude to answering this question, Sukadeva Gosvami begins describing the proper personages to worship for having ones material desires fulfilled: one desiring to become absorbed in impersonal brahmajyoti should worship Lord Brahm or B?haspati, one desiring powerful sex should worship Indra, etc. (1-7) One desiring spiritual advancement in knowledge should worship Lord Vi?u or His devotees, (8) and one desiring no material enjoyment should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (9) But a person with broader intelligence, whether he be full of all material desire, without any material desire, or desiring liberation, must by all means worship the supreme whole, the Personality of Godhead. 
	All the different kinds of worshipers of the demigods can attain the highest perfectional benediction, which is spontaneous attraction unflinchingly fixed upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only by the association of the pure devotee of the Lord. (11) Transcendental knowledge about Lord Hari suspends the whirlpools of the material modes. Such knowledge is self-satisfying, due to its being free from material attachment. Being transcendental, it is approved by authorities. Who could fail to be attracted? (1-12)
	aunaka replies and inquires about the further question of Maharaja Pariksit after he had heard the conclusions spoken by ukadeva Gosvm. He then expressed his own eagerness to hear the Krsna-katha which must have been the result of a discussion between the two great devotees, Pariksit Maharaja, who was devoted to Krsna from his childhood, and Sukadeva Gosvami, the son of Vyasadeva, who was full of knowledge. The greatest philosophers are those who get pleasure from glorifying Krsna in the company of great devotees. (13-16)
	Saunaka Rsi continued by pointing to the wastage of life by those who dont hear Krsna-katha. He describes how their lives decrease by every rising and setting of the sun. They are alive, Saunaka Rsi continuesas is a tree, breatheas do the bellows, eat and discharge semenas do the beasts. These people glorify those not worthy of being glorified. They have earholes as do snakes and a tongue as do frogs. The wealth of such people is a burden only, and their hands, which are not engaged in Lord Haris service, are like those of the dead. Their eys are like those printed on the plumes of the peacock, and their legs are like tree trunks. Those who have not received the dust of a pure devotees feet upon his head or has not not smelled the fragrance of Tulasi is practically speaking a dead body. Those who chant the Lords holy name but not not experience ecstacy have committed offenses and thus have steel-framed hearts. 
	After glorifying the process of devotional service and condemning those who do not engage in devotional service, Saunaka Rsi request Suta Gosvami to relate what was spoken by ukadeva Gosvm in response to the questions of Mahrja Park?it. (17-25) 

	1. Regardless of the quality of ones desires, one should hear and chant about Krsna: A thoughtful person should accept the shelter of a spritual master and, taking to the lotus feet of Lord K??a, fully engage himself in devotional servicehearing and chanting about Krsnas holy name and pastimes. This action is especially recommended when one is preparing for death. Although different demigods can be worshiped to fulfill ones material desires, demigod worship is not recommended for one who is intelligent. Rather, regardless of ones desires, one with broad intelligence should worship Krsna with great strength and determination in bhakti-yoga, for bhakti is both the means and the perfected end. 
 Without worship of the Lord, other worship is illusion, and by the association of a pure devotee, even the worshipers of demigods can attain unflinching and spontaneous attraction to the Lord. Thus, everyoneeven the worshipers of demigodswill be attracted to transcendental knowledge in relationship to the Lord, wherein bliss is experienced even in the stage of sdhana (if that sadhana is properly undertaken under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master). (1-12)
 2. Hearing krsna-katha: One should be eager to hear krsna-katha. The Lord is not impersonal, and He enacts transcendental activities about which one should hear. The propaganda that the Lord is impersonal has ruined society. Rather, hearing of the Lords activities, even if they are mixed with politics and intrigue, is purifying. 
rmad-Bhgavatam,however, is the highest level of krsna-katha, and pure devotees deeply relish this book. Amongst great devotees, no other topics exists other than krsna-katha. When discussions between great devotees take place, both hearer and chanters are on the same level. (13-16)
 3. Not wasting ones human life, and becoming Krsna conscious through being always in contact with Krsna: Human life is wasted unless topics about Krsna are discussed. The name, form, pastimes, etc. of the Lord are all transcendental, and one properly coming in contact with any one of these energies of the Lord, moves toward perfection. 
If one does not engage in devotional service, his activities parallel those of animals. Trees live long; beast discharge semen; and humans whose lives are spent in these way glorify similar men. In this way non-devotees are criticized for wasting their lives. All tendencies of the bodyeyes, ears, legs, wealth, etc.should be used with devotion to Krsna. 
 Everything should be used in Krsnas service: How? A man can use all he possesses in relationship to Krsna. He can associate with and serve the Lord in his Deity form. He can serve the devotees and hear Srimad Bhagavatam from them. By thus worshiping the Lord in devotional service, one becomes ecstactic by offenselessly chanting Krsnas names and detached from lording it over the world. (17-25)
 
Chapter Four, The Process of Creation
Sta Gosvm described how Mahrja Parkit, the son of Uttar, after hearing the words of ukadeva Gosvm, fixed his consciousness on Krsna and fully detached himself from the material world and all fruitive actions. After glorifying the purity of Sukadeva Gosvami, he continued his inquiries. (1-5) 
	Mahrja Parkit requested Sukadeva to answer three questions:	
 1. How does the Lord create the universes, which are inconceivable? (7),
 	2. How does the Lord engage His energies and expansions in maintaining and destroying the universes? (8)
 3. Does the one Lord Himself direct the modes of nature or does he do this work through His expansions?(9) (5-10)
 Sta Gosvm begins describing the reply of ukadeva Gosvm. ukadeva first remembered the Lord and then offered his respectful obeisances unto Him, who accepts the three modes of material nature for the purpose of creating the material world, and who is the complete whole and the inconceivable Lord residing within all. He offers his obeisances to the Lord again and again, and glorfies Him as the one awarding success to great philosophers, performers of charity, and chanters of Vedic hymns due to their dedicating their attempts to His service. The Lord is so powerfulthe Supreme Pureand thus even lower class persons, such as Kirta, Ha, ndhra, etc. can be purified by taking shelter of His devotees. Sukadeva then offers further obeisances and glorifications, and requests the Lord to be pleased with him. (11-19)
	Further requesting the Lords mercy, Sukadeva acknowledges that it is the Personality of Godhead r Ka who gives liberation. Simply by thinking of Him while following the path of authorities, a devotee can see the Absolute Truth. Again praying for the Lords pleasure upen him, Sukadeva Gosvami requests that same Lord, who had inspired Brahma with knowledge, to decorate his statements. He then offers obeisances to Srila Vysadeva, the incarnation of Vsudeva and compiler of Vedic scriptures. 
 Sukadeva begins his reply to Pariksit Maharaja by saying that the first-born, Lord Brahma, answered these same questions upon being asked by his son Narada. (20-25)

	1. A devotees mind is fixed upon Krsna: A mind of a pure devotee is chastely fixed upon Krsna. Because of his attraction to Krsna, he is automatically renouncedliberated from all material attractions. This attachment and attraction occurs through hearing the instructions of great devotees. Fixed consciousness on Krsna is actually very rare, and such a pure devotee depends fully on Krsna. The result of a sincere hearing from an exalted devotee is the removal of ignorance and positive enlightenment. (1-5) 
	2. One should understand the processes by which Krsna deals with the material world: All in existence comes from Krsna. What then is His process of creation? One should not neglect knowledge of the greatness of God and His inconceivably potent creative energies and jump to his intimate pastimes, especially those in Vrindaban. One should first understand the greatness of God, and how He creates, maintains, and destroys the material unverses and yet is separate and independent from all His energies. 
 Although to fully understand the Lords energies, names, and expansions is not possible, He is to some degree easily knowable through the strength of pure devotional service. Despite ones own learning and scholarship, one can actually only understand the Lord by hearing the sastra as well as the realizations of the Lords pure devotees. Thus to know the Lord, one must first approach a spiritual master who not only is well versed in the Vedic literatures but who is also a great devotee with factual realization of the Lord and His different energies. (6-10)
 3. The Lords glories and the glories of His service are inconveivably woderful: Before reciting the glories of the Lord, one should prayerfully depend upon Him: Before glorifying the Lord, one should depend on Him, remember Him, and seek His permission to describe His glories, for they are inconceivable. 
 It is the Lord only who is awarding all worshipers, regardless of whom they are worshiping, their desired goals. But He awards His devotees the highest goal, which is His personal association. His glories are so powerful, that simply by glorifying Him, remembering Him, having His audience, hearing about Him, and worshiping Him, one is at once cleanse from one the effects of all sins, for these processes are His direct association and the most sublime of religious practices. His service is so powerful, that just by surrender and service to Him with spontaneous devotion one is freed from material life. Without some bhakti, no process can award its success. 
	Devotional service to the Lord is so powerful. Everyone, regardless of their birth, can become purified through taking shelter of the Lordthrough the Lords devotee. 
 The Lord is Supreme, and the devotees, free from pretention, desire only to please Him. This is desirelessness; devotees are always ready to serve the desire of the Lord and thus, by His mercy, they can actually know Him. 
 A devotee constantly prays for His mercy and protection. By thinking of His lotus feet at every second, he aspires to become a speck of dust at His lotus feet. To keep free from contamination, he always thinks of the lotus feet of the Lord. Thus the Lord gives such a humble devotee the intelligence to come to Him. He reveals Himself to a devotee when He is fully satisfied by the devotees service attitude. 
	Thus before speaking, the devotee glorifies the Lord. He offer his obesiances to his spiritual master and prays to the Lord for mercy, inspiration, and the ability to repeat the Lords glories in parampara. Only in this way can one accurately transmit knowledge of the Lord and the creation. (11-25)

Chapter Five, The Cause of All Causes

Sukadeva Gosvami narrates how r Nrada Muni approached Lord Brahma and offered his obeisances. Narada then inquires about knowledge that directs one to the truth of the individual soul and the Supersoul. He then asks many questions about the material world, its background, its creation and maintenance, the source of Brahmas own knowledge and protection, and for whom does Brahma work. He inquires, Do you create with your own energy? Do you have the help of others? Does someone exist more powerful than you, for I see that you perform austerities to please someone? (1-8)
	Lord Brahm replies that unless one is able to perceive the existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one will surely be illusioned by observing his own (Brahmas) powerful activities. Brahma then continues to describe that he is only able to create after the Lord has created. Lord Brahma then, therefore, offers his obeisances and meditates upon Lord Ka (Vsudeva), the Personality of Godhead, whose invincible potency influences the less intelligent to think of him as supreme. It is maya, Brahma explains, that bewilders all into being absorbed in thoughts of It is I and It is mine. (9-13) 
	Brahma explains that it is the Lord who creates the ingrediants of creation and sets them in motion. The Vedas are meant for his pleasure, as are the demigods, planets, and sacrifices. All variety of meditation, austerity, culture of knowledge are means for realizing Him, Nryaa, and for ultimately attaining salvation. Brahma says that he too is created by Him, and by His inspiration he discovers that which was already created by the Lord. 
 Brahma continues to answer that the Lord is purely spiritual, but yet He accepts the modes of nature for the creation, maintenance, and annihilation of the material world. From these modes, matter, knowledge, and activities manifest to put the eternal living entity under the law of cause and effect. 
 The Lord Himself, although indirectly dealing with the material world and its laws, is beyond the perception of the material senses of the living entities because of the above-mentioned three modes of nature. He is the controller of everyone, including me, says Brahma. (14-20)
	Brahma continues describing how He, the Lord, is the controller of all energies. He thus creates, by His own potency, eternal time, the fate of all living entities, and their particular nature. He again merges them independently within His own body. 
 Brahma then explains the progression of the creation. First the Lord, the first purua (Kraravay Viu) appears. Then, appearing one after another, the mahat-tattva (the principles of material creation), time, and the three modes are generated. Due to the combination of these, activities are created. At first false ego is transformed into goodness, passion, and ignorance, and from those transformations material knowledge, material intelligence, and matter are generated. The creation progresses as each item already created further evolves. Mind is generated from goodness, along with the 10 demigods who control bodily movements. Passion is transformed into the knowledge acquiring and working senses, intelligence, and the living energy. (21-31)
	After the Universal elements were created, they were assembled into the universe by the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The universes remained for thousands of ages within the Causal Ocean before the Lord entered into each of them as Garbodaksayi Visnu and gave them life. (32-33)
	The Lord then assumed the virata-rupa, the Lords universal body, which is suitable to be meditated upon by great philosphers. In this form, the four varnas represent his mouth, arms, thighs, and legs. Lord Brahma then describes, all in material existence in relationship to the virata-rupa--the seven worlds (38-39), the material and spiritual worlds (40), the 14 planetary systems (40-41), the 3 planetary systems (42)all can be seen in relation to that universal form. (34-43)

	1. Questioning to understand the creation and the creator: Understanding the virata-rupa leads one to understand the Supersoul. To learn this, one must approach a qualified spiritual master and inquire from him with submissive inquiries and service. An intelligent person can understand that the universe must have a creator and that chance could not create this world. One can then, through genuine and appropriate inquiry, understand the actual creator of the phenomenal world, the living beings, and understand their controller, the Supersoul, who is self-sufficient in power and knowledge. One who has obtained his own power and knowledge from another cannot be the Supreme.
	A devotee appreciates questions about Krsna, for they faciliate his glorification of the Lord. The questions are purifying both for the questioner and the answerer. Devotees are thus eager to broadcast the Lords glories. (1-9)
 2. Answers to allow us to understand the creation and the creator: The Lord is the only creator in this world, and all others who create simply manipulate that which the Lord has already created and are thus dependent, secondary creators. Thus the Lord creates through His potencies. It is not possible for anyone to be equal to the Lord. 
 One thus shouldnt accept praise for oneself, what to speak of allowing others to acclaim one as the Supreme. The Lords invincible maya induces people to consider someone other than Him as Supreme or as a creator. Bewildered by such illusion, living entities foolishly think and talk in terms of I and mine. (10-13)
	3. The Lord is the basis of the entire creation: Material elements, their interaction by the force of time, as well as the natures of the living entities are all part of the Lords external energy and have no factual meaning apart from Him. The living entities are Krsnas marginal energy and are spiritual, as He is spiritual. But, being infinitesimal in size, they need shelter and are capable of accepting that shelter in either matter or spirit. 
 Nothing is indepedent of the Lord. All exists, having been created by Him. All exists within His effulgence. All is meant for His pleasure. The Vedas, meditation, yoga, austerities, knowledge, and salvation are meant for realizing Him. Nothing can occur, even a battle or a killing, without the sanction of the Lord, and everyones creative abilities are awarded to them by the Lord. Thus even the greatest creators of this world are dependent upon the Lord for their creations.
 As the Lord is so inconceivably powerful, His devoees, by His mercy, inspiration, and in His service, also are capable of doing wonderful things. (14-17)
 4. First stepprime steps to creation: The Lord, although transcendental and aloof from His external energy, accepts the modes of material nature, to create, maintain, and destroy the material world. These three modes take three formsmatter (ignorance), activites (passion), and knowledge (goodness)all of which combine to bewilder the living entities and to force responsibility upon them for the results of their self-centered activities. The Lord remains beyond the perception of the living entities, who are spiritual and unlimitied, who have yet become limited by their association of the modes. 
 Yet He neverless controls all, including the greatest controllers and creators. The covering of maya can only be removed by the Lord, and He does that only when one surrenders unto Him with devotion. With his vision of love in the attitude of pure devotional service, one can then see the all-blissful transcendental form of the Lord. 
	The Lord is the creator of the entire material situation and is the one who destroys it and later creates it again. The Lord, however, keeps Himself distinct from such creations. Despite His unlimited expansions of impersonal energies, He remains always in His personal feature. (18-21)
 5. Second step--the process of creating the elements: After the incarnation of the Lord in His form as Kraravay Viu, all else is generated: the mahat-tattva, time, the three modes of nature, the living entities, and false ego. Thus, through these interactions caused by the omnipotent Lord, karmaactivities for the living entityappears. The creation evolves further, from subtle to gross, through false-ego interacting with the modes of nature. False ego is self-centered, and is the cause of the living entitys conditioned nature, and therefore devoid of knowledge of Krsna. False ego interacts with the three modes of nature: goodness, passion, and ignorance. From false ego in ignorance, the five gross elements come into being, starting with the subtlestetherwhich generates sound. The rest of the gross elements, as well as their sense objects and their senses, are generated in order, from subtle to gross. 	
 From false ego in passion, intelligence, as well as the knowledge and working senses, are genaerated. From false ego in goodness, the mind and the demigods that control bodily movements are created. Since the entire material creation is based on false ego, all living entities should get free from all varieties of false ego and become engaged in Krsnas service, as Krsna recommends in the Bhagavad-gita. (22-31)
 6. Third stepcreation of a universe: The formation of the bodies of living entities cannot take place until the already created elements and parts are assembled. This occurs by His energy and by His will, though primary and secondary causes.
 As already explained, the primal cause is Karanadaksayi Visnu. Through His omnopotency, the cloud of mahat-tatva is created. Upon the maha-tattva, universes that have emanated from Karanadaksayi Visnu float. The Lord induces the creation further by begetting the living entities within that womb of material nature. He Himself next enters the universe as Garbodaksayi Visnu and as the universal form, which is more or less imaginary, to help speculative philosophers who are unable to adjust to either the four-handed transcendental form of Narayana or the transcendental two-handed form of Lord r Ka. 
 All living entities are part of the unversal body of the Lord and are meant to serve the entirety of the body through varnasrama. Thus all planetary systems, regardless of how they are caluculated, as well as all within the universe, can be understood in relationship with the Lord. One should free oneself from all planets and every situation within the universe, for all are temporary. One should escape to the eternal spiritual world. (32-45)

Chapter Six, Purua-skta Confirmed

Lord Brahma now recites prayers in support of Vedic mantras glorifying the Universal Form of the Lord. These prayers describe how the different parts of the vir-purua (the universal form of the Lord), such as the mouth, skin, and tongue, are the generating areas that produce universal parts, such as voice, the Vedic hymns, and different foods required. (1-4) Aspects of the virata-rupa also produce shelter for all within the universe, such as His forward steps sheltering all three levels of planetary systems and His lotus feet freeing one from fear. (5-6) 
 From further parts of the virata-rupa, the generative ingredients, death, frustration, ignorance, immorality, great rivers, the great mountains, great oceans, the subtle bodies of the living beings, religious principles, truth and transcendental knowledge, animals, humans, birds, demigods, snakes, beasts, reptiles, lightning, thunder, and all other varieties of living entities are generated. All these living beings are covered by the Lords feature as time. (1-15) But, explains Brahma, the Lord is Himself beyond all aspect of the gigantic virata-rupa, and He exists in a transcendental, eternally existing form that does not exceed nine inches. 
	Brahma next glorfies the supremacy of the Lord and His realm by comparing Him to the sun, for the sun, as does the Lord, expands his energies throughout the universe. Thus the Lord maintains everything by His immeasurable glories. (16-17)
	He controls immortality and fearlessness, and He is transcendental to death and the fruitive actions of the material world. Deathlessness, fearlessness, and freedom from the anxieties of old age and disease exist in the kingdom of God, which is beyond the three higher planetary systems and the material coverings. This spiritual world, which consists of three fourths of the Lords energy, is especially meant for those who will never be reborn. Others, who are attached to family life and who do not strictly follow celibacy vows, must live within the three material worlds. 
 By His energies, the Lord masters both nescience and true knowledge and controls both matter and devotional service. Although all comes from Him, He is aloof from matter, like the sun is separate from its rays and heat. (18-22) 
	Brahma then describes His own birth from the lotus flower which grew from the navel of Lord Mah-Viu. He at that time wished to perform a sacrifice, but he had no ingredients other than the bodily limbs of the great Personality of Godhead (the virata-rupa). Brahma thus arranged the necessary ingredients and paraphernalia from the Lords bodily parts and gradually, by invoking the demigods names, he attainedViu, the ultimate goal. 
 Brahma describe to Narada the sacrifices to please the Lord that were performed by the great sages, Manus, the forefathers, the learned scholars, etc.. Brahma continued to describe how the Lord accepts the modes of nature on which the entire material manifestations rests. Yet, He remains without affinity for them. It is by the Lords will, said Brahma, that I create, Lord iva destroys, and He Himself, as Visnu, maintains all. (23-32)
	Know it for certain, Brahma explains further to Narada, that all is dependent on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Brahma says, Because I, Brahma, have caught hold of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord Hari with great zeal, all I say has proved true. Nor is the progress of my mind ever deterred. Nor are my senses ever degraded by temporary attachment to matter. Yet, although I am the great Brahm, perfect in many ways, still I cannot understand Him, the source of my birth. Therefore I surrender unto His feet, which alone can deliver one from the miseries of repeated birth and death. What can others do when the Lord Himself is unable to estimate His own limits? The greatest demigods cannot know Him, what to speak of lesser demigods. 
 We, continued Brahma, being covered by maya, see even the manifest cosmos only according to our individual ability. (What to speak of knowing the Lord.) Let us therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto that Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although we chant His glories, He can hardly be fully known as He is. (33-38) 
	Brahma describes how that unborn, supreme, original Personality of Godhead, Lord r Ka, first expands as His plenary portion Mah-Viu, Karandaksayi-Visnu, who then creates this manifested cosmos. The creation takes place in Him, and the material substance and manifestations are thus also only Himself. He maintains them for some time and absorbs them again into Himself. The Lord has no material tinges, is All-pervading, and is unrivaled, and He can be known only when one is free from all material hankeringsfree from sense desires. 
 Kraravay Viu, the first incarnation, is the master of eternal time, space, cause and effects, mind, the elements, the material ego, the modes of nature, the senses, the universal form of the Lord, Garbhodakay Viu, and the sum total of all living beings. All the demigods, as well as all other beings, both good and bad, may appear to be the form of the Lord or the form of Truth, but they are not. They are only a fragment of the transcendental potency of the Lord. (39-45) 
	Brahma then states, one after another, the incarnations of the Lord known as the ll-avatras. He end this chapter glorifying the process of hearing about these incarnations: Hearing of their activities counteracts all foul matters accumulated in the ear. These pastimes are pleasing to hear and are to be relished. Therefore they are in my heart. (46) 

(This chapter seems to deal with who is the sustenance of the material manifestation and therefore the one whom sacrifices are meant to please. It is called the Purusa sukta confirmed and it seems to describe the acintya beda beda postion of the Lord. It seems to be directed at Mahavisnu. The exact relationship between this chapter and the Rig Veda Purusa Sukta prayers is not clear. How it confirms these prayers isnt clear. ) 

 1. The opulences of the Lords virata-rupa: The Lords Virata-rupa, universal form, has bodily parts, as does the Lords transcendental form. Thus, in the spiritual world, variety exists in both the Lord and His abode. It is due to the parts of the Lords universal form, such as His mouth, for example, that our mouths can generate voice. In addition, those parts of the virata-rupa are also the resting places of the demigods, the controllers of our own physical organs. An example of this is that the mouth of the virata-rupa is the place of the demigod agni, the controller of both fire and voice. Our senses, which exist on the universal body of the Lord, as well as our positions and opulences, should be purified by using them in His service. No one has gained his power and abilities independently; all stem from the Lord. Knowing that and using our God-given abilites in His service will bring us peace. 
 The feet of the virata-rupa form have special significance, as they award protection from all fear. Everyone should thus take full shelter of the Lords feet in absolute dependencepure devotional service. One who has done so need not seek shelter of another. (1-16)
 2. The virata-rupa expands from the Supreme Personality of Godhead: All opulence is non-different from the Lord and they exist in the Lords virata-rupa expansion. He, Himself, as the Supersoul, is the source of the virata-rupa. Thus it is the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who ultimately controls everything within existence, both the material and the spiritual spheres. Although the entire creation expands from Him and although he maintains and controls all, He remains a separate identity, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, distinct and aloof from the entire material creation. (acintya-vedaveda) (16-17)
 3. The Lords full existence is manifest in the spiritual world: The material world, for all its wonders and opulences, is full of fear. It, in fact, is only one fourth of the Lords creation. The remaining three fourths, the spiritual world, is eternal and inconceivably more wonderful. The Lord can award to all living entities eternal residence in that wonderful place. To leave this material world of death and attain the spiritual world and the most wonderful happiness is the purpose of varnasrama dharma, which exists upon the Lords virata-rupa. Necessarily, to attain the spiritual world, one must become detached from sex-life. One can attain the spiritual world only byHis Divine Grace. 
	The Lord is the proprietor of both fields that the living entity is capable of exisitng within: the material world and the spiritual world. The Lord Himself has no attraction to the material energy and is only attracted to His spiritual energy. Thus in the material world the Lord is manifest only impersonally through His energies but personally in the spiritual world. His prime existence is as a person in the spiritual world. (17-22)
 4. The material world is sustained through sacrifice: To perform sacrifice one needs ingrediants. These ingrediants are non-different from the Lord, as they are both manifest from Him and are situated upon His universal body. The preformer of the sacrifice is also manifest from the Lord. The purpose of all sacrifice is to please the Lord, although the ingrediants used for that sacrifice are, in one sense, nothing but the Lord. Sacrifice, if done properly to please the Lord, must be sastric, in accordance with the Vedic formulas. Devotees, out of gratitude to the Lord, unhesitatingly use the Lords energy in the Lords service. 
	Fruitively motivated sacrifices, even if Vedic, are not recommended. In this age, the recommended sacrifice to please the Lord is samkirtan yajna. Performing sacrifice to please the Lord is the austerity that can bring peace to the world. 
	Thus, in answer to Naradas questions as to the identity of the one who sustains the universe, Brahma clearly ascertains that the transcedental Lord is the ultimate truth in the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the universe. The material energy is His potency which is displayed within time. He accepts the three qualities of goodness, passion, and ignorance in the forms of Viu, Brahm, and iva. The material energy thus works under the supreme spell of His Lordship, although He is always transcendental to all such material activities. All rests upon His energy. One can only learn this accurately through hearing sastra. (23-32)
	5. The all-powerful Lord has unlimited and inconceivably great potencies. He is everything yet aloof from all. He can be known, and that to some degree only, through devotional service, especially through hearing and chanting about His incarnations within this marterial world: 
	The Lord is the cause of all causes, is everything, yet is aloof from the material creation. One who takes shelter of the all-powerful Lord in earnest may also achieves undeterrable power to perform service for the Lord. Yet no one, even His devotees, can know Him completely, for His opulences are always increasing. Only by devotion can one know the Lord at all. 
 Everyone perceives the cosmos according to his capacity, which is limited by his being under the control of the material energy. The Lord however, who is the source of both the cosmos and the material energy, is still more unknowable.The great devotees do know Him, by His mercy, to a considerable extent and we should thus follow their instructions, for He reveals Himself to His devotee in proportion to their devotional advancement and service. He cannot be known, other than to the smallest degree, by any method other than the following: full surrender to the Lords devotees and the Lord, and hearing and chanting of His glories from Srimad-Bhagavatam. Although none can know Him fully, we should thus always chant His glories. 
 Giving up our fantasy that we can be independent of Him and enjoy, we should purify our hearts by hearing the power and pastimes of the Lords incarnations, such as Karanadaksayi visnu, within the material world. Since He is the source of all wonderful things within this world, we should transfer our attraction and attention from this world to Him. By hearing of the Lord from Srimad Bhagavatam, our hearts will become purified and we will become happy. (33-46) 


Chapter Seven, Scheduled Incarnations with Specific Functions

Lord Brahm fist began to describe 19 of the Lords lila-avataras: Varaha, Suyaja, Kapila, Datttreya [Datta, the son of Atri], the four sanas [Sanaka, Sanat-kumra, Sanandana and Santana],the twin forms of Nryaa and Nara, Prsnigarbha, Maharaja Pthu, abhadeva, Hayagrva, the fish incarnation, the tortoise incarnation, Nsihadeva, the saviour of Gajendra, Vamanadeva, Hasvatra, Manu, Dhanvantari, and Paraurma. (1-22)
	He next describes the incarnation of Rama (23-25) and then the advent of the original Personality of Godhead Krsna, who appears just to diminish the distress of the world. The Lord comes in His original form, with beautiful black hair, and acts extraordinarily. He killed Ptan when He was just on the lap of His mother and performed many wonderful pastimes when still a boy. He chastized Kaliya, saved His cowherd boyfriends from a forest fire, and lifted Govardhana Hill, despite the anger of Indra. He danced with the gopis, and killed many demons, such akhaca, either directly or through His brother Baladeva or His friend Arjuna. (26-35) Brahma continues explaining the Lord's incarnations as Srila Vyasadeva, Buddha, and Kalki. (36-38)
 He then explains that he himself, Brahma, as well as Visnu, the Prajapatis, Lord Siva and the demigods etc. are all different representative manifestations of the energy of the supremely powerful Lord. Allthe creation, maintenance, and destruction of the cosmosoccurs by His incarnations and His potencies. Thus no one, explains Lord Brahma, can describe completely the potency of Lord Visnu. Not the scientists, nor the sages, nor Brahma himself, nor anyone elseeven Sesa, the first incarnation of the Lordcannot fully describe the Lord's transcendental qualities. Those specifically favoured by the Lord due to their pure surrender to him can cross all illusion. 
 Brahma continues to explain that although the potencies of the Lord are unknowable and unmeasurable, we nevertheless know that He acts through His Yogamaya potency. Lord Siva, Prahlada Maharaja, Svayambhuva Manu and others also know something of the Lords potencies, and anyone who surrenders to Him, even if he has previously been sinful, can also know the Lord to some degree and become liberated from illusion. 
	Through the process of surrender and following the footsteps of the great vaisnavas, one realizes the true characteristics of the Lord, such as the Lord has no material qualities or contaminations and that illusion cannot stand before Him. Having realized this, one needs not artificially control the mind or practice jnani-yoga, dhyana-yoga, or meditation. One should simply surrender with devotion and, through surrender, realize his eternal relationship with Krsna. 
	Beyond Sri Hari, the Supreme Lord, no cause exists in either the material or spiritual worlds. (39-50) 
	Brahma then tells Narada that the science of God was spoken in summary by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to him and he then requests Narada to expand this science in such a way that it will be possible for human beings to develop their devotional service unto Krsna. If one hears, describes, or regularly appreciates the Lord's activities and those of His different energies with devotion and respect, one surely transcends the illusory energy of the Lord. (51-53)
	
	1. Incarnations of the Lord descend to each universe to perform both general and specific functions. Many incarnations along with Their missions are listed in this chapter of the Bhagavatam: 
	When the Lord appears, details about Him are supplied in sastra so that the claims of ordinary men will not be accepted as God. By following His instructions, one can become liberated from the modes of nature. But one can never become God. 
	By being serious to meet the Lord by all means and by being guided by a pure devotee, one can reach the Lord by the Lords mercy. One shouldnt be distracted to other purposes. In this day and age, only bhakti-yoga is possible to execute. By serving in bhakti and hearing Srimad Bhagavatam one will achieve all success. Because a pure devote is fully dependent upon the Lord, the Lord thus gives him preferential treatment. In the course of ones practices, one should carefully avoid disobedience to a great soul.
	Whatever sacrifice of the temporary is required to satisfy the Lord is worth the exchange. One should develop his devotion by hearing of the Lords incarnations, for devotion alone qualifies us to progress in devotional service. (1-38)
	2. The Lord incarnated as Ramacandra to show that one should not attempt to enjoy the Lords energies, which are only meant for His service: Regardless of ones power, ones pride will be vanquished unless one uses that power in the Lords service. (23-25)
	3. Krsna the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes (along with Lord Balarama) to demonstrate His opulences through displaying extraordinary activities. No one can estimate His greatness. As such, He is unknowable by those who approach Him by their own powers. 
	His body is transcendental, and He comes not exactly to diminish the burden of the earth, but, rather, to exhibit His transcendental activities in order to encourage His pure devotees who want to enjoy life by chanting the glories of the Lord. Thus the activities of the Lord, in His dealings with worldly people, create a subject matter for discussion by His pure devotees. He is always God, even on the lap of His mother, and He exhibits His extra-ordinary activities in such a way that the affection of His devotees will not be disturbed by overwhelming awe and reverence. 
 All activities enacted by the Lords great devotees were fully spiritualfor they were done with Krsna as the centerand they were saturated by the internal energy. If a devotee remembers the activities of the Lord at the time of death, he will go back to Godhead. (26-35) 
	4. The Lord as Srila Vyasadeva compiles the Vedic literatures and divides them and adds further literatures to assist the Kali-yuga living entities in their self-realization; as Buddha He preaches principles to atheistic and impious souls to lead them towards actual religion, and as Kalki, the ultimate chastizer, to kill the atheists when the population of the world has descended to animal consciousness and no topics about God remain in the world. (36-38)
 5. All rests on the unlimited Lord, who can be known only through bhakti. Through bhakti, one achieves unlimited happiness, for one can associate with the Lord through hearing and chanting about Him. We should partake of the opportunity and, as it the Lords desire, go back to Godhead: 
 The creation, maintenance, and destruction of the entire universewhich exists to facilitate a living entitys journey back to Godheadall occur by the power of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and His potencies. The all-powerful Lord cannot be approached by any means other that bhakti: No one, regardless of his intelligence, be he sage or even Ananta Sesa, can estimate the potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He can, however, be understood by those surrendered devotees who are favored by Him. Those partaking of an ascending method to understand Him fail. The Lord is unlimited and, by the grace of yogamy, He helps the surrendered soul know Him proportionately with the advance of their surrender to the Lords pure devotees and their following in the great devotees footsteps. 
 Through bhakti, due to ones relationship with the Lord, one achieves an unlimited flow of everlasting happiness, without grief or fear as it exists in the material world. Great liberated souls also desire to associate with the Lord through hearing and chanting of His activities. 
 Thus all in existence rests upon the inconceivably powerful Lord, who is a person and yet aloof from all matter. His devotional service is the only way to attain Him. Although the Lord is the creator of this world, His desire is for the living entities to leave this world and go back to Godhead. (39-50)
	6. Hearing Srimad-bhagavatam is association with Krsna, and such hearing from proper sources will free one from maya and fix one in Krsnas service: As the Lord is unlimited, the science of God, as completely explained in the Srimad Bhagavatam, can also be unlimitedly expanded. The Bhagavatam is actually an incarnation of Krsna and one will become enlightened, free from all distress, simply by hearing the science of GodSrimad Bhagavatamfrom proper sources in the proper order, from beginning to end. (51-53)
	
Chapter Eight, Questions by King Parkit

Maharaja Pariksit inquired from Sukadeva Gosvami about Narada Munis explanations of the transcendental qualities of the Lord and to whom Narada spoke them. Maharaja Pariksit continued, saying that he wished to hear narrations of the Lord, for they are all auspicious and help one place one's consciousness on Lord Krsna. Those who hear Srimad-Bhagavatam regularly, taking the Srimad-Bhagavatam seriously, will have Krsna manifest in their hearts in a short time. Why? Because Srimad-Bhagavatam is the sound incarnation of Krsna and as He enters the heart of the self-realized devotee He cleanses the heart of all the dust of material association and such a person will feel fully satisfied, as a traveller is satisfied at home after a troubled journey. (1-6)
	Maharaja Pariksit asked many questions including how the soul acquires his body. He inquires about the form of the Supersoul within everyone's heart, and how that Supersoul acts with His energies. He asks about the relationship between the demigods and the planetary systems with the universal form, virat-rupa, about time and its effects, about the effects of karma on living beings, about the creation, with its globes and inhabitants, about inner and outer space, about the characteristics and activities of great souls, about the characteristics of the varnasrama system of classification, about the different ages and the incarnations within those ages, about the different applications of religious principles, about mystics and mysticism, about the principles of creation, devotional service and Vedic knowledge, about the generation, maintenance and annihilation of the living beings, and about the existence of atheists as well as the unconditioned living beings. (7-23) 
	Maharaja Pariksit continues by requesting Sukadeva to continue speaking and answering his questions, for he desires to continue tasting the nectar of the words of Sukadeva Gosvami, which allow him to transcend the exhaustion due to his fasting from all food and drink. Suta Gosvami describes how Sukadeva Gosvami, after being invited by Maharaja Pariksit to speak on Lord Krsna, began to reply by explaining how the Srimad-Bhagavatam was first spoken by the Lord Himself to Brahma. (24-29)

 1. One should hear and prach Srimad-Bhagavatam continuously, for because the Bhagavatam is Krsna, such hearing fixes one in Krsnas association and simultaneously removes all material contamination: One should hear Srimad Bhagavatam in disciplic succession so that there will be no difference between the Lords actual instructions and the instructions that one hears. Hearing Srimad Bhagavatam in this way is auspicious for allboth devotees and non-devoteesfor such hearing fixes ones mind uponthe Lord and one thereby gains His association and clears all material contamination. For how long should one hear Srimad Bhagavatam? One should continue hearing Srimad Bhagavatam and therebye remain in the Lords association until the end of ones life. One should thus go back to Godhead. 
 By his preaching Srimad Bhagavatam, an empowered pure devotee of the Lord can deliver both himself and the entire world. Thus a pure devoee should preach. Even the difficulties encountered by the preacher-pure devotee will carry him closer to, not further from the lotus feet of the Lord. (1-6)
	2. In addition to hearing Srimad Bhagavatam from a bonafide devotee, one should also place ones questions before him. Ones questions can be to establish the Bhagavatams philosophical basis, the prosecution of devotional service, including how to avoid offenses, various questions about the universe, time, karma, the character and actvities of great souls and the Lord, varnasrama and its relationship to the Lord, the universality of devotional service, mysticism, the Vedas and the prosecution of Vedic religion, and the protection of the Lord. (7-23)
	3. Thus one should hear from a devotee in disciplic succession and one will gain strength and remove all fear. A devotee who speaks krsna-katha will also feel happy to have the opportunity to do so. Those desiring to hear Srimad Bhagavatam should be alert to hear only in disciplic succession, and those who speak should similarly be alert to speak only the conclusions he has heard in disciplic succession and also to be free from material motivation. (24-29) 


Chapter Nine, Answers By Citing The Lord's Version

Sukadeva Gosvami first begins replying to Maharaja Pariksits question about the pure soul and his acquisition of his material body (Bhag. 2.8.7) by explaining that, other than illusion, no relationship exists between the spirit soul and the material body. By giving up this illusion one then acts as a pure soul. (1-3) Then, in answering the question about the Lords form (Bhag. 2.8.9), Sukadeva Gosvami explains how Lord Brahma, due to his penance in bhakti-yoga, had all illusion removed by the grace of Krsna, who became pleased with him. 
 At first, at the beginning of creation, Lord Brahma, as he sat upon seat of a lotus, could not understand his source. Nor did he understand how to create the universe. Lord Brahma then heard the sound vibration 'tapa' and, despite his not being able to understand the source of the sound, he began to execute austerities as per this instruction. 
 The Personality of Godhead, satisfied by Lord Brahma's penances, revealed to Lord Brahma Vaikuntha, His personal abode, which is free from the modes of material nature, time, illusion, and the external energy. (4-8)
 These Vaikuntha planets, along with their glorious residents, decorations, and airplanes, with Laksmidevi serving the Lord of Viakunthas lotus feet along with the Lord's many associates are described. (9-17) Seeing the Lord in Vaikuntha, Brahma was overwhelmed and bowed down, tears flowing from his eyes. The Lord understood Brahma as worthy of creating the universe. He shook Brahmas hand and spoke to him, telling Brahma that He was pleased by Brahma's austerities and submissive attitude. The Lord then revealed to Brahma that it was He Who had requested Brahma to perform austerities by vibrating the syllables 'tapa'. (18-24)
 Although admitting that the Lord knows the desires of everyone, Brahma nevertheless requested him to inform him how, He, although transcendental, beyond matter, nevertheless interacts with the material universes and is their source and resting place. Brahma also requests to learn how he himself may be instrumental in creation without becoming either conditioned or proud. (25-30)
 The Personality of Godhead replied, saying that knowledge about Him could only be understood in conjunction with devotional service. He then blessed Brahma with the ability to realize everything. (31-32) The Lord then spoke the Chatur Sloki Bhagavatam, and when He completed describing Himself, the Absolute Truth, in four verses, He told Brahma that his acting on these understandings would free him from pride. (33-37)
 Sukadeva Gosvami then ralates that the Lord, after speaking these four verses to Brahma, disappeared, and Brahma recreated the universe as it was previously. Sukadeva continued describing how Narada later questioned Brahma about the energies of Visnu, and Brahma had answered Narada by expanding the four slokas that he had heard from the Lord into the ten characteristics which are contained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Narada then instructed the same to Vyasa. (38-46)

 1. Those living entity who are envious of the Lord are placed by the Lord in maya and suffer due to their idenitifcation with their bodies. This illusion can be removed by removing the false conception of who we are and reengaging ourselves as who we actually areKrsnas servants: The living entity is by eternal constitution the loving servant of Krsna. By the potency of the Lords illusory energy, those living entities who do not wish to serve, but, who, out of envy, wish to be the Lord, are immediately placed by the Lord under the care of His illusory energy, maya, and thus they can imagine themselves as a false lord. Without the efect of the Lords maya potency, their is no connection between the soul and his body. Either willingly and directly, or unwillingly and under the grip of maya, the living entity serves the Lord. It is his consitutional position. 
 Under the influence of maya, the living entities accept the material body they inhabit as themselves and they suffer accordingly, birth after birth, for as long as they desire. But, however, by freely removing all false senses of identity and reengaging in the Lords service, one is reinstated in his actual blissful position. One can attain this consciousness, free from illusion, by hearing Srimad Bhagavatam. (1-3)
	2. By executing devotional service, bhakti-yoga, one can evoke the Lords pleasure. By the Lords pleasure, He reveals His form and abode. To properly execute the tapasya of bhakti-yoga is the purpose of human life: 
 One should practice the tapa of penance in bhakti-yoga for the pleasure of the Lord in a non-deceptive way. When the Lord is pleased, He will exhibit Himself and His abode before His devotee. Thus, by the process of bhakti-yoga, one removes the two great illusionsI am my body and I am equal to the Lordand achieves the goal. 
	The Lords form and His abode: The form of the Lord is far different from the material form of the conditioned soul. It is transcendentalsac-cid-nandaeternal, full of knowledge and bliss. The Lords abode is also fully transcendental. 
 Both the Lord and His abode can be attained only by the Lords mercy, which is gained through bhakti-yoga and by regularly reading or hearing rmad-Bhgavatam. To perform Bhakti-yoga, one should understand that every human being is meant simply for this tapa and for no other business. Why? Because by penance only can one realize his self, and that self-realization, not sense gratification, is the business of human life. One should then chant the maha mantra, become initiated by a bona fide spiritual master in the disciplic succession, and engage himself in the discharge of tapasya in the execution of devotional service. One should be prepared to execute the order of the Lord received in disciplic succession. (4-8)
	3. Through evoking the Lords pleasure through bhakti-yoga, one will obtain the Lords mercy. By that benediction one can realize the Lord, His abode, and the activities the Lord performs there with His different energies. 
 As the Lord is only pleased by bhakti, the penances in bhakti-yoga, which are the source of happiness for a devotee, evoke the Lords favor and blessings. Due to the Lords blessing, one is able to see the Lord and gain entrance to His abode, Goloka. 
	In that transcendental abode, which is non-different from the Lord and which is three-fourths of the creation, no affect of time, the Lords mahamaya, or the modes of nature exist. Everyone there is beautiful and possesses a transcendental body. All worship the Lord, and goddesses of fortune sing His glories. He Himself is surrounded by loving devotees, as He sits, equisitely beautfiful, enjoying His own abode with all His energies. We can know of Krsnas abode through Srimad Bhagavatam. (9-17)
	4. Bhakti-yoga is in fact penance performed in the Lords service. By pleasing the Lord by the proper performance of devotional service, especially by preaching and reclaiming fallen souls on His behalf, one goes back to Godhead:
 Penances, performed Conditioned living entities are envious, especially of the Lord. We must therefore accept our position in relationship to Him: we are His servants. Freedom from envy is reached through devotional service. To practice devotional service, one should first, with all conviction, believe in the Personality of Godhead r K??a, and without making efforts to realize Him by speculative philosophy, one should hear about Him from a pure devotee. One should have knowledge, and be submissive, humble, and detached. One should worship Krsna, giving up all other engagements and act under His protection.
 Both the Truth of our relationship with Krsna and the process of obtaining it should be spread to all conditioned souls. Those who take up the burden of this responsibility on behalf of the Lord are most dear to the Lord. In executing these devotional penances, one must be determined to return home, back to Godhead and be willing to undergo all types of tribulations for that end. (18-24)
 5. The perfection of our desires is to surrender to the Lords desire. A devotee, while serving the will of the Lord, feel himself only as His instrument. He thus gives all credit for his successes to the Lord. 
 The Lord is the director and sanctioner, and without his sanction, no one can either act or enjoy according to his desire. The perfection of ones desires may be achieved when one desires to serve the Lord. It is also the desire of the Lord that every living entity banish all personal desires and cooperate with His desires. 
	Although the Lord knows all, the devotee may prays to the Lord to satisfy his desires in His service. One may also put forward questions to obtain knowledge of the Lord or on how to serve. These are not outside of the scope of desireless surrender. 
	A devotee, while serving the will of the Lord, feels himself simply an instrument. In the liberated stage, the living entity is instrumental to the will of the Personality of Godhead directly. These duties are successfully carried out without hindrance because they are ordained by the Lord. Thus the credit of success goes not to the doer but to the Lord. (25-30)
	6. The subtle mystery of knowedge of the Lord is revealed only to the Lords devotees by the mercy of the Lord, who is pleased with the devotion of His servant. The Lord servant is dear to the Lord: 
 One can only receive knowledge of the Lord through devotional service, for knowledge of the Lord is very subtle and is only known when the Lord Himself makes it known to His dear devotee. The knowledge itself and the secret of attaining this knowledge is rahasya, the greatest mystery. It is love for Krsna. Thus ones advancement in devotion make one eligible to know the Lord.
	Bhakti can be practiced at different levels. The prime level is vaidhi-bhakti, in which regulative principles of service are practiced with ones present senses. Such regulative principles are mainly based on hearing and chanting of the glories of the Lord in the association of devotees. One also requires unflinching faith in the bona fide spiritual master as well as in the Lord. The Lord reveals to the faithful His form, quality, and pastimes. 
 The Lord has unlimited numbers of transcendental qualities, and one of them is His affection for His unalloyed devotee. rmad-Bhgavatam is full of such activities of the Lord in relationship with His devotees. Although nondevotees have no knowledge of such pastimes, the pastimes are factually realized by the devotees by the causeless mercy of the Lord.
	7. These four verses (33-36) are the chatur sloki Bhagavatam: 
	33. The Lord existed before the creation, and the creation is composed of Him. That which will exist after the creation is also Him. He is the source of all and is nevertheless a person. 
 34. Ones perception of things as unconnected to the Lord is due to the illusory energy. 
 35. The Lord has an inconceivable relationship with His material energy: He is both within everything and yet aloof.
 36. The truth expressed in the Chatur Sloki Bhagavatam is the Ultimate Truth that can be realized. The Truth is prema bhakti and it can be realized only by bhakti. 

37. One should become fixed in these truths, and no pride can disturb one. These truths are the property of the devotees. Non-devotees, impersonalists have no access to Srimad-Bhagavatam. To understand, one must learn from a guru in parampara. The symptom of actually and properly obtaining this knowledge is detachment from matter. The bona fide spiritual master, by his personal activities, teaches the disciple the principles of devotional service. Without personal service, one would go on speculating like the impersonalists and dry speculators life after life and would be unable to reach the final conclusion. By following the instructions of the bona fide spiritual master in conjunction with the principles of revealed scriptures, the student will rise to the plane of complete knowledge, which will be exhibited by development of detachment from the world of sense gratification. This stage is brahma buta and is the prerequisite stage for understanding Krsna. One is given complete instruction after one is detached from matter (loving Krsna) so progress can continue, as spoken in Bhagavad-gt 10.10.
	7. The application of the above knowledge is as follows. The Lord is a person, and to rectify our conditioned existence we must engage our senses in His service. We can only know the Lord by the grace and pleasure of our Guru. To know Krsna, our sensesespecially engagement in sex-lifemust be controlled. The knowledge of Bhagavatam should be meditated upon and applied; it can be explanded unlimitedly: 
 The Lord instructed Brahma in this knowledge, and we thus understand that the Lord is ultimately a person, not impersonal. Although we now engage our senses in sense gratification and are forced to remain in the material world, our senses are meant for Krsnas service. Engaging our senses in Krsnas service is the process of Krsna consciousness. The universe is created for the living entities to fulfill this purpose.
 No one can know the Lord completely, even Brahma, the topmost person in this universe. One must attain knowledge from the spritual master by satisfying him. One who is not self-controlled, specifically in sex life, can become neither a disciple nor a spiritual master. One must have disciplinary training in controlling speaking, anger, the tongue, the mind, the belly, and the genitals. One who has controlled the particular senses mentioned above is called a gosvm. Without becoming a gosvm one can become neither a disciple nor a spiritual master. 
 The rmad-Bhgavatam was spoken in four verses, and it had ten characteristics. These too can be expanded unlimitedly. The ten divisions of rmad-Bhgavatam, as explained by the great speaker rla ukadeva Gosvm, are the limitation of all knowledge, and intelligent persons will derive all benefits from them by utilizing them properly. (38-46)


Chapter Ten, Bhagavatam Is The Answer To All Questions

Sukadeva Gosvami opens this chapter by listing the ten subject matters contained within the Srimad-Bhagavatam: creation, sub-creation, the planetary systems, protection by the Lord, the creative impetus, the change of Manus, the science of God, returning home back to Godhead, liberation, and the shelter of all. He then describes each of those in more detail, concluding that the summum bonum, the asraya, the shelter of all, is independent and all other topics are dependent upon Him. (1-9)
	The Lords generation of sarga, the prime elements of creation, are described as the gross and subtle forms of the material universe. Neither gross nor subtle forms of the Lord are accepted as the Lord, for a pure devotee knows that the Lord's form is neither gross nor subtle matter, but is transcendental. (10-36)
	All living entities are created by the Lord through Brahma, and they are placed , according to their past deeds, under different combinations of the three modes of material nature. The Lord maintains the universe as Lord Visnu, and incarnates to save all the conditioned souls. Then, as Lord Siva, the Lord destroys the universe. Thus the Lord actually never directly acts within the material world. (37-47)
	Saunaka Rsi, after hearing of the creation, inquired from Suta Gosvami about the discussions between Vidura and Maitreya while Vidura was on pilgrimage. Sri Suta Gosvami says that he will describe those discussions, and that hearing of them will also answer King Pariksit's previous inquiries.(48-51)

 1.(1-7) The Bhagavatam contains ten subjects: the creation of the universe, subcreation, planetary systems, protection by the Lord, the creative impetus, the change of Manus, the science of God, returning home, back to Godhead, liberation, and the summum bonum. The purpose of the first nine items is ultimately describe the supreme transcendence of Krsna, the Absolute Truth, who is the shelter and source of the other nine items. 	
	Sarga is the creation of the sixteen prime elements by the Lord. The secondary manipulation and inter-combination of these elements by Lord Brahma within universes is called visarga. The situation of the living entities, either religiously and happy or irreligiously and suffering, on the planets within the universe is sthanam, the third topic. The Manus, their laws, and their activities give proper direction in life. This topic is manvatara, the sixth topic. Utaya, the fifth topic, is the creative impetus, the desire for fruitive work. Posanam, protection, is for devotees. Their attempt to serve the Lord achieves for them the Lords protection, by His causeless mercy. Isanukatha describes the activities of the Lord and His great devotees. Hearing and studying them brings salvation. Nirodha, the eighth topic, is the merging of all the living entities, along with their conditioned tendencies, within the Lord as He partakes of mystic slumber as Mah-Vi?u after the cosmic manifestation is wound up. Mukti, the ninth topic, is liberation, the permanent situation for the living entity after he fully becomes free from his changeable gross and subtle material bodies. Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the original source of all energies, the summum bonum, is the Absolute Truth, which is called Parambrahma. That is asraya, the Bhagavatams tenth topic.
	To help us understand Krsnas position as the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the purpose of the Srimad Bhagavatam, and the complete subject matter is elaborately explained in the Tenth and Eleventh Cantos. (1-7)
	2. All living entities are dependent on the fully independent Lord, who is the asraya of all. The entire material creation springs from the independent Lord and by hearing about His dealings with the material world, ones material bondage is slackened and one becomes His liberated devotee:
 Living entities are dependent on the independent Supreme Personality of Godhead, although they themselves are interdependent as the adhytmic person, the person who is the possessor of different instruments of senses, the adhidaivic person, the individual controlling deities of the senses, or the adhibhautic person, the material body which is seen with our eye. All ultimately fully depend on the Lord. 
	To become free from the illusions of life, the dependent must take shelter of the independent and depend upon Him. We in the material world are dependent upon the Lord as the purusa avataras who create the universal elements and enter into each universe. They are all the Supreme Lord and are all Supremely independent from the world, even when They create the material world. 
	To show how only Krsna is the independent Lord and all depend upon Him, the Bhagavatam now describes Maha-visnus creation of the cosmos beginning with Lord Siva. All creations are non-different from Him and are His energies. The living entitities are injected within the material creation and the primal material energy begins to move. The virat-purusa, the universal form of the Lord, is then generated. Gradually the living entities develop their bodies. Garbhdaksayi Visnu is the paramatama of the universe, and the virat-purusa expands from Him. The Virat-purusa is the sum total of all living entities. Plus, He is more an expansion of the Lord and thus more directly connected to Him, Garbhdaksayi Visnu. From the Virata Purusa, the adhidaivika demigods are created. 
 This entire explanation is to show the absolute dependence of the living entities and absolute independence of the Supreme Lord. As all are dependent on the Lord, all, especially our senses, should be used in His service. To become free from all this material entanglement, an intelligent person should associate with the great sages and saints who are on the path of salvation. By such association, one can receive instructions which are able to slacken the conditioned souls attachment for matter and thus he can gradually get rid of the illusion of matter and false ego and is promoted to the real life of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. (8-32)
	3. The entirety of the creation, as well as its destruction, are all manifest indirectly from the Lord. He does this to give the conditioned souls the opportunity to go back to Godhead:
	The subtle virata-rupa, which is the Lords external energy, is covered by the gross material manifestation. Both are the Lords energies. The pure devotees of the Lord accept as worshipable only the transcendental form of the Lord, which is beyond gross and subtle matter. Similarly, the spiritual world is also beyond both these energies. Thus all the activitie sof the Lord are transcendental, having nothing to do with matter. Just knowing this frees one from the material atmosphere. The living entities, by the sanction and direction of the Lord, are under the control of the external energy, the three modes of material nature. By good association of the the Lords devotees and their service, one can become free. 
 The Lord descends by His causeless mercy in varied forms after He has established the creation. He nevertheless, even while withinthe material world, is transcendental.
	Thus varied creations occur again and again as do destructions. The entire manifestation is indirectly done by the Lord to give the conditions souls an opportunity to go back to Godhead. The Lord is the cause of all causes. (33-51)


