Bhagavata Purana

श्रीमद्‌भागवतमाहात्म्यम् - तृतीयोऽध्यायः सनकादिमुखात् श्रीमद्‌भागवतश्रवणेन भक्त्तेस्तुष्टीर्ज्ञानवैराग्ययोः पुष्टिश्च - नारद उवाच - (अनुष्टुप्) ज्ञानयज्ञं करिष्यामि शुकशास्त्रकथोज्ज्वलम् । भक्तिर्ज्ञानविरागाणां स्थापनार्थं प्रयत्‍नतः

The greatness of the Śrīmad Bhāgavata—Chapter Three. By hearing the Śrīmad Bhāgavata from the mouths of Sanaka and others, the devotee is satisfied, and knowledge and detachment are nourished.

कुत्र कार्यो मया यज्ञः स्थलं तद्‌वाच्यतामिह । महिमा शुकशास्त्रस्य वक्तव्यो वेदपारगैः

Nārada said: I will perform a sacrifice of knowledge, resplendent with the teachings of Śuka, earnestly for the establishment of devotion, knowledge, and detachment.

कियद्‌भिः दिवसैः श्राव्या श्रीमद्‌भागवती कथा । को विधिः तत्र कर्तव्यो ममेदं ब्रुवतामितः

Where should I perform this sacrifice? Please tell me the place here. The greatness of Śuka's scripture should be spoken by those who have mastered the Vedas.

कुमारा ऊचुः - श्रृणु नारद वक्ष्यामो विनम्राय विवेकिने । गंगाद्वारसमीपे तु तटं आनन्दनामकम्

In how many days should the narration of the Śrīmad Bhāgavata be heard? What procedure should be followed there? Please tell me this.

नानाऋषिगणैर्जुष्टं देवसिद्धनिषेवनम् । नानातरुलताकीर्णं नवकोमलवालुकम्

The Kumāras said: Listen, Nārada, we will tell you, who are humble and discerning: Near the bank of the Gaṅgā, there is a place called Ānanda.

रम्यं एकान्तदेशस्थं हेमपद्मसुसौरभम् । यत्समीपस्थजीवानां वैरं चेतसि न स्थितम्

It is frequented by groups of various sages, attended by gods and siddhas, adorned with diverse trees and creepers, and covered with fresh, soft sand.

ज्ञानयज्ञस्त्वया तत्र कर्तव्यो हि अप्रयत्‍नतः । अपूर्वरसरूपा च कथा तत्र भविष्यति

It is a beautiful, secluded place, fragrant with golden lotuses, where enmity does not dwell in the hearts of the living beings nearby.

पुरःस्थं निर्बलं चैव जराजीर्णकलेवरम् । तद्‌द्वयं च पुरस्कृत्य भक्तिस्तत्रागमिष्यति

With the aged, weakened body placed before you, and considering both of these, devotion will arrive there.

यत्र भागवती वार्ता तत्र भक्त्यादिकं व्रजेत् । कथाशब्दं समाकर्ण्य तत्त्रिकं तरुणायते

Where the discourse of the Bhagavata is present, there devotion and its companions proceed; hearing the word of the narration, that triad becomes youthful.

सूत उवाच - एवमुक्त्वा कुमारास्ते नारदेन समं ततः । गंगातटं समाजग्मुः कथापानाय सत्वराः

Sūta said: Thus speaking, those Kumāras, together with Nārada, then swiftly came to the bank of the Ganges to drink in the narration.

यदा यातास्तटं ते तु तदा कोलाहलोऽप्यभूत् । भूर्लोके देवलोके च ब्रह्मलोके तथैव च

When they reached the bank, then a tumult arose—in the world of mortals, in the world of gods, and likewise in the world of Brahma.

श्रीभागवतपीयूष पानाय रसलम्पटाः । धावन्तोऽप्याययुः सर्वे प्रथमं ये च वैष्णवाः

Eager to drink the nectar of the Śrībhāgavata, all rushed there, and the Vaiṣṇavas arrived first.

(वंशस्थ) भृगुर्वसिष्ठश्च्यवनश्च गौतमो मेधातिथिर्देवलदेवरातौ । रामस्तथा गाधिसुतश्च शाकलो मृकण्डुपुत्रात्रिजपिप्पलादाः

Bhṛgu, Vasiṣṭha, Cyavana, Gautama, Medhātithi, Devala, Devarāta, Rāma, Gādhi's son, Śākala, Mṛkaṇḍu's son, Atri, and Pippalāda.

(इंद्रवज्रा) योगेश्वरौ व्यासपराशरौ च छायाशुको जाजलिजह्नुमुख्याः । सर्वेऽप्यमी मुनिगणाः सहपुत्रशिष्याः स्वस्त्रीभिराययुरतिप्रणयेन युक्ताः

The masters of yoga, Vyāsa and Parāśara, Chāyāśuka, Jājali, Jahnu and the foremost among them—all these groups of sages, together with sons, disciples, and their wives, arrived, filled with great affection.

(अनुष्टुप्) वेदान्तानि च वेदाश्च मन्त्रास्तन्त्राः समूर्तयः । दशसप्तपुराणानि षट्शास्त्राणि तथाऽऽययुः

The Vedāntas, the Vedas, mantras, tantras, their embodied forms, the ten and seven Purāṇas, and the six scriptures also arrived.

गंगाद्या सरितस्तत्र पुष्करादिसरांसि च । क्षेत्राणि च दिशः सर्वा दण्डकादि वनानि च

There, the rivers beginning with the Ganges, the lakes beginning with Puṣkara, the holy places, all directions, and forests such as Daṇḍaka came.

नगादयो ययुस्तत्र देवगन्धर्वदानवाः । गुरुत्वात्तत्र नायातान् भृगुः सम्बोध्य चानयत्

Mountains and others came there, as did gods, Gandharvas, and Dānavas; but due to their heaviness, Bhṛgu, after instructing them, brought them.

दीक्षिता नारदेनाथ दत्तं आसनमुत्तमम् । कुमारा वन्दिताः सर्वैः निषेदुः कृष्णतत्पराः

Having been initiated by Nārada, and given the excellent seat, the Kumāras, honored by all, sat absorbed in Krishna.

वैष्णवाश्च विरक्ताश्च न्यासिनो ब्रह्मचारिणः । मुखभागे स्थितास्ते च तदग्रे नारदः स्थितः

The Vaiṣṇavas, the detached, the renunciants, and the celibates stood at the front, and Nārada stood before them.

एकभागे ऋषिगणाः तद् अन्यत्र दिवौकसः । वेदोपनिषदो अन्यत्र तीर्थान् यत्र स्त्रियोऽन्यतः

In one section were the groups of sages, elsewhere the celestial beings; elsewhere the Vedas and Upaniṣads, elsewhere the holy places, and elsewhere the women.

जयशब्दो नमःशब्दोः शंखशब्दस्तथैव च । चूर्णलाजा प्रसूनानां निक्षेपः सुमहान् अभूत्

Shouts of victory, cries of reverence, and the sound of conch shells arose; a great scattering of roasted grains and flowers occurred.

विमानानि समारुह्य कियन्तो देवनायकाः । कल्पवृक्ष प्रसूनैस्तान् सर्वान् तत्र समाकिरन्

Ascending their aerial chariots, many leaders of the gods showered all those present with flowers from the wish-fulfilling trees.

सूत उवाच - एवं तेष्वकचित्तेषु श्रीमद्‌भागवस्य च । माहात्म्यं ऊचिरे स्पष्टं नारदाय महात्मने

Sūta said: Thus, among those whose minds were undistracted, they clearly spoke the greatness of the Śrīmad Bhāgavata to the great-souled Nārada.

कुमारा ऊचुः - अथ ते वर्ण्यतेऽस्माभिः महिमा शुकशास्त्रजः । यस्य श्रवणमात्रेण मुक्तिः करतले स्थिता

The Kumāras said: Now, we shall describe the glory born from Śuka's scripture, by hearing which alone liberation rests in one's palm.

सदा सेव्या सदा सेव्या श्रीमद्‌भागवती कथा । यस्याः श्रवणमात्रेण हरिश्चित्तं समाश्रयेत्

The narration of the glorious Bhāgavata is always to be served, always to be served; by merely hearing it, Hari takes up residence in one's heart.

ग्रन्थोऽष्टादशसाहस्त्रो द्वादशस्कन्धसम्मितः । परीक्षित् शुकसंवादः श्रृणु भागवतं च तत्

This scripture consists of eighteen thousand verses, arranged in twelve books; it is the dialogue between Parīkṣit and Śuka—listen to this Bhāgavata.

तात संसारचक्रेऽस्मिन् भ्रमतेऽज्ञानतः पुमान् । यावत् कर्णगता नास्ति शुकशास्त्रकथा क्षणम्

Dear one, in this cycle of worldly existence, a person wanders in ignorance as long as even for a moment the teachings of Śuka's scripture have not entered his ears.

किं श्रुतैबहुभिः शास्त्रैः पुराणैश्च भ्रमावहैः । एकं भागवतं शास्त्रं मुक्तिदानेन गर्जति

What is the use of hearing many scriptures and Purāṇas that only cause confusion? The single scripture, the Bhāgavata, thunders forth as the giver of liberation.

कथा भागवतस्यापि नित्यं भवति यद्‌गृहे । तद्‌गृहं तीर्थरूपं हि वसतां पापनाशनम्

That house in which the narration of the Bhāgavata occurs daily is truly a place of pilgrimage, destroying the sins of its inhabitants.