bhagavatam is commentary

From this and the preceding three verses of Caitanya-caritamrta, which have been selected from the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the missionary activities of Lord Caitanya can be understood. Srimad-Bhagavatam has 18,000 verses, which are summarized in the four verses beginning with aham evasam evagre (53) and concluding with yat syat sarvatra sarvada (56). In the first of these verses (53) the transcendental nature of Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is explained. The second verse (54) further explains that the Lord is detached from the workings of the material energy, maya. The living entities, as parts and parcels of Lord Krsna, are prone to be controlled by the external energy because although they are spiritual, in the material world they are encased in bodies of material energy. The eternal relationship of the living entities with the Supreme Lord is explained in that verse. The next verse (55) instructs that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by His inconceivable energies, is simultaneously one with and different from the living entities and the material energy. This knowledge is called acintya-bhedabheda-tattva. When an individual living entity surrenders to Lord Krsna, he can then develop natural transcendental love for the Supreme Lord. This surrendering process should be the primary concern of a human being. In the next verse (56) it is said that a conditioned soul must ultimately approach a bona fide spiritual master and try to understand perfectly the material and spiritual worlds and his own existential position. Here the words anvaya-vyatirekabhyam, "directly and indirectly," suggest that one must learn the process of devotional service in its two aspects: one must directly execute the process of devotional service and indirectly avoid the impediments to progress.    (More...)

One day Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to take a bath at Panca-nada, and afterwards all His devotees began chanting the Hare Krsna mantra in front of the temple of Bindu Madhava. At this time Prakasananda Sarasvati and all his devotees approached the Lord. Prakasananda Sarasvati immediately fell down at the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and very much regretted his past behavior toward the Lord. He asked Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu about devotional service in terms of the Vedanta-sūtra, and the Lord told him about devotional service that is approved by great personalities who know the Vedanta-sūtra. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then pointed out that Srimad-Bhagavatam is the proper commentary on the Vedanta-sūtra. He then explained the catuḥ-sloki (four slokas) of Srimad-Bhagavatam, the essence of that great scripture.    (More...)

Pranava or Omkara is the divine substance of all the Vedas. Omkara is explained further in the Gayatri Mantra, as exactly explained in the Srimad Bhagwatam. There are four verses in this connection. These verses are explained to Brahma, and Brahma explained them again to Narada, and Narada explained them to Vyasa. Therefore the purport of the verses in the Srimad Bhagwatam comes down in disciplic succession. It is not that anyone and everyone can make his own commentary on the Vedanta Sutra foolishly, and mislead the readers. Anyone who wants to understand Vedanta Sutra must read Srimad Bhagwatam carefully. Under the instruction of Narada Muni, Vyasadeva compiled Srimad Bhagwatam with the purpose of explaining the Vedanta Sutra codes. Vedanta Sutra was written before Bhagwatam. After hearing from Narada Muni, Vyasadeva commentated on the Vedanta Sutra. By writing Srimad Bhagwatam He collected all the essence of the Upanishads, the purpose of which was explained also in the Vedanta Sutra. Srimad Bhagwatam is therefore the essence of all Vedic knowledge. That which is stated in the Upanishads and stated in the Vedanta Sutra is explained very nicely in the Srimad Bhagwatam.    (More...)

The distinction is always made between the devotee of God and God Himself, but a neophyte servant of the devotees should respect the servants of God as God. "These servants of God are to be respected as God by the devotees who actually want to go back to Godhead. Such servants of God are called mahatmas [great souls] or tirthas [saints able to deliver fallen souls], and they make various propaganda according to the particular time and space. The standard quality of the servants of God is that they canvass people to become devotees of the Lord, and they never tolerate the blasphemy of being called God. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was God Himself according to the authoritative indications of the revealed scriptures, but He played the part of a devotee. When a person knew Him to be God Himself and addressed Him as God, He used to block His ears with His hands and murmur the name of the Lord Visnu. He strongly protested being called God, although undoubtedly He was God Himself. This behavior of the Lord is just to warn unscrupulous men who take false pleasure in being called God." (Bhag., Canto I, p. 124)    (More...)

We should understand, therefore, that Srimad Bhagwatam is the real explanasion of the Brahma Sutra, and it is compiled by the Author Himself. In the PuranaGuru Purana it is said: "The Srimad Bhagwatam] of Srimad Bhagwatam, it is clearly stated the Srimad Bhagwatam is the essence of all Vedanta knowledge, and one who relishes the knowledge from the Srimad Bhagwatam has no taste for studying any other literature. In the very beginning of Srimad Bhagwatam, the meaning and purpose of the Gayatri Mantra is also described: "I am offering my obeisances unto the Supreme Truth." This is the first introductory verse on the Supreme Truth, described in the Bhagwatam as the Source of creation, maintenance, and dissolution of the cosmic manifestation.    (More...)

Therefore, in this prayer of the Author of Bhagwatam, the first proposition is that Lord Sri Krishna is the Primeval Lord, and if any transcendental nomenclature for the Absolute Personality of Godhead has to be understood, it must be the Name indicated by the word Krishna, the All-attractive. In the Bhagavad Gita [10.12-14] in many passages the Lord has affirmed Himself as the Original Personality of Godhead, and it is confirmed by Arjuna, with the authorized statements of great sages like Narada, Vyasa, and many others. In the Padma Puranam also it is said that, of innumerable Names of the Lord, the Name of Krishna is the principal Name. Therefore, although Vasudeva indicates the plenary portion of the Personality of Godhead, and although all the different Forms of the Lord are identical with Vasudeva, in this text Vasudeva is principally meant to indicate the Divine Son of Vasudeva and Devaki. Sri Krishna is always meditated upon by the Paramhansas, or the most perfect of the renounced order of life. This Vasudeva, or Lord Sri Krishna. is the Cause of all causes. Everything that exists is an emanation from the Lord, and how this so happens is explained in later chapters of Srimad Bhagwatam.    (More...)