bhagavatam is commentary

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...)

Lord Chaitanya therefore advised Prakasananda Saraswati, "Always read Srimad Bhagwatam and try to understand each and every verse, and you will actually understand the Brahma Sutra. You say you are very anxious about the study of Vedanta Sutra, but you cannot understand Vedanta Sutra without understanding Srimad Bhagwatam." He also advised Prakasananda Saraswati to always chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. "And, by doing that, very easily you will be liberated. And after liberation you'll be eligible to achieve the highest goal of life, love of Godhead."    (More...)

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...)

In other words, the purpose of the Upanishad and Vedanta, and that of Srimad Bhagwatam, are one and the same. If anyone studies Srimad Bhagwatam carefully, he will find that all the Upanishads and Vedanta Sutra codes are nicely explained there. In Bhagwatam also the subject matter is divided into three: to establish the eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord, how to act in that relationship, and, lastly, how to achieve the highest benefit from it.    (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...)