Bhagavata Purana

यज्ञात् गर्जति सप्ताहः सप्ताहो गर्जति व्रतात् । तपसो गर्जति प्रोच्चैः तीर्थान्नित्यं हि गर्जति

Seven-day hearing surpasses sacrifice, surpasses vows, surpasses austerity loudly, and always surpasses pilgrimage.

योगात् गर्जति सप्ताहो ध्यानात् ज्ञानाच्च गर्जति । किं ब्रूमो गर्जनं तस्य रे रे गर्जति गर्जति

Seven-day hearing surpasses yoga, surpasses meditation and knowledge; what more can be said of its greatness? Again and again, it surpasses all.

शौनक उवाच - (इंद्रवंशा) साश्चर्यमेतत्कथितं कथानकं ज्ञानादिधर्मान् विगणय्य साम्प्रतम् । निःश्रेयसे भागवतं पुराणं जातं कुतो योगविदादिसूचकम्

Śaunaka said: This narration is indeed wonderful, having set aside knowledge and other dharmas; how has the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, which leads to supreme good and indicates yoga and other paths, arisen?

सूत उवाच - (अनुष्टुप्) यदा कृष्णो धरां त्यक्त्वा स्वपदं गन्तुमुद्यतः । एकादशं परिश्रुत्यापि उद्धवो वाक्यमब्रवीत्

Sūta said: When Kṛṣṇa, having resolved to leave the earth and return to his own abode, listened to the eleven (principal devotees), Uddhava spoke to him.

उद्धव उवाच - त्वं तु यास्यसि गोविन्द भक्तकार्यं विधाय च । मच्चित्ते महती चिन्ता तां श्रुत्वा सुखमावह

Uddhava said: You, O Govinda, will depart after fulfilling the work for your devotees; hearing my great concern in my heart, please bring comfort.

आगतोऽयं कलिर्घोरो भविष्यन्ति पुनः खलाः । तत्संगेनैव सन्तोऽपि गमिष्यन्ति उग्रतां यदा

Now the dreadful Kali age has arrived; wicked people will arise again, and even the virtuous, by association with them, will become fierce.

तदा भारवती भूमिः गोरूपेयं कमाश्रयेत् । अन्यो न दृश्यते त्राता त्वत्तः कमललोचन

Then the earth, heavy with burden, will take refuge in the form of a cow; O lotus-eyed one, no other protector is seen apart from you.

अतः सस्तु दयां कृत्वा भक्तवत्सल मा व्रज । भक्तार्थं सगुणो जातो निराकारोऽपि चिन्मयः

Therefore, O lover of devotees, show compassion and do not depart; for the sake of your devotees, you have assumed a form with qualities, though you are formless and conscious.

त्वद् वियोगेन ते भक्ताः कथं स्थास्यन्ति भूतले । निर्गुणोपासने कष्टं अतः किंचिद् विचारय

How will your devotees remain on earth in your absence? Worship of the formless is difficult; therefore, consider something.

इति उद्धववचः श्रुत्वा प्रभासेऽचिन्तयत् हरिः । भक्तावलम्बनार्थाय किं विधेयं मयेति च

Having heard Uddhava’s words, Hari pondered at Prabhāsa: ‘What should I do for the support of my devotees?’

स्वकीयं यद् भवेत् तेजः तच्च भागवतेऽदधात् । तिरोधाय प्रविष्टोऽयं श्रीमद् भागवतार्णवम्

He placed his own divine radiance into the Bhāgavata, concealing himself and entering into the sacred ocean of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.

तेनेयं वाङ्‌मयी मूर्तिः प्रत्यक्षा वर्तते हरेः । सेवनात् श्रवणात् पाठात् दर्शनात् पापनाशिनी

Therefore, this form made of words, the Bhāgavata, stands manifest as Hari himself; by serving, hearing, reciting, or beholding it, sins are destroyed.

सप्ताहश्रवणं तेन सर्वेभ्योऽप्यधिकं कृतम् । साधनानि तिरस्कृत्य कलौ धर्मोऽयमीरितः

Thus, the hearing of the Bhāgavata over seven days has been declared superior to all other practices, setting aside other disciplines; this is the dharma proclaimed for the age of Kali.

दुःखदारिद्र्य दौर्भाग्य पापप्रक्षालनाय च । कामक्रोध जयार्थं हि कलौ धर्मोऽयमीरितः

This dharma has been proclaimed in Kali for the removal of suffering, poverty, misfortune, and sin, and indeed for the conquest of desire and anger.

अन्यथा वैष्णवी माया देवैरपि सुदुस्त्यजा । कथं त्याज्या भवेत् पुम्भिः सप्ताहोऽतः प्रकीर्तितः

Otherwise, even the gods find it extremely difficult to abandon the Vaiṣṇava illusion; how then could ordinary people renounce it? Therefore, the seven-day recitation is prescribed.

सूत उवाच - (इंद्रवज्रा) एवं नगाहश्रवणोरुधर्मे प्रकाश्यमाने ऋषिभिः सभायाम् । आश्चर्यमेकं समभूत् तदानीं तदुच्यते संश्रृणु शौनको त्वम्

Sūta said: Thus, as the sages revealed this dharma in the assembly of Nāgaśravaṇa, a wondrous event occurred at that very moment—listen, O Śaunaka, as I tell you.

भक्तिः सुतौ तौ तरुणौ गृहीत्वा प्रेमैकरूपा सहसाऽविरासीत् । श्रीकृष्ण गोविन्द हरे मुरारे नाथेति नामानि मुहुर्वदन्ती

Bhakti, taking her two youthful sons by the hand, suddenly appeared, embodying pure love, repeatedly uttering the names: Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, Hare, Murāri, Nātha.

तां चागतां भागवतार्थभूषां सुचारुवेषां ददृशुः सदस्याः । कथं प्रविष्टा कथमागतेयं मध्ये मुनीनामिति तर्कयन्तः

The assembly saw her arrive, adorned with the ornaments of the Bhāgavata's meaning and dressed beautifully; they wondered how she had entered and from where she had come among the sages.

ऊचुः कुमारा वचनं तदानीं कथार्थतो निश्पतिताधुनेयम् । एवं गिरः सा ससुता निशम्य सनत्कुमारं निजगाद नम्रा

At that time, the Kumāras spoke, saying, 'She has now emerged from the essence of the narrative.' Hearing these words, Bhakti, along with her sons, humbly addressed Sanatkumāra.

भक्तिरुवाच - (उपेंद्रवज्रा) भवद्‌भिः अद्यैव कृतास्मि पुष्टा कलिप्रणष्टापि कथारसेन । क्वाहं तु तिष्ठाम्यधुना ब्रुवन्तु ब्राह्मा इदं तां गिरमूचिरे ते

Bhakti said: 'Today, by you all, I have been nourished, though I was lost in Kali, by the nectar of this narrative. Now, where shall I reside? Let the Brāhmaṇas tell me.' Thus she spoke.

(इंद्रवज्रा) भक्तेषु गोविन्दसरूपकर्त्री प्रेमैकधर्त्री भवरोगहन्त्री । सा त्वं च तिष्ठस्व सुधैर्यसंश्रया निरंतरं वैष्णवमानसानि

'O Bhakti, among devotees you create forms of Govinda, you alone sustain love, you destroy the disease of worldly existence; therefore, remain always, with firm resolve, in the hearts of Vaiṣṇavas.'

(उपेंद्रवज्रा) ततोऽपि दोषाः कलिजा इमे त्वां द्रष्टुं न शक्ताः प्रभवोऽपि लोके । एवं तदाज्ञावसरेऽपि भक्तिः तदा निषण्णा हरिदासचित्ते

Therefore, even the faults of Kali cannot see you, nor can their power prevail in the world; thus, by their command, Bhakti then took her seat in the hearts of Hari's servants.

(मालिनी) सकलभुवनमध्ये निर्धनास्तेऽपि धन्या निवसति हृदि येषां श्रीहरेर्भक्तिरेका । हरिरपि निजलोकं सर्वथातो विहाय प्रविशति हृदि तेषां भक्तिसूत्रोपनद्धः

Even those who are destitute in all the worlds are truly blessed if they have only devotion to Śrī Hari dwelling in their hearts; for even Hari, abandoning his own abode in every way, enters their hearts, bound by the thread of devotion.

(वसंततिलका) ब्रूमोऽद्य ते किमधिकं महमानमेवं ब्रह्मात्मकस्य भुवि भागवताभिधस्य । यत्संश्रयात् निगदिते लभते सुवक्ता श्रोतापि कृष्णसमतामलमन्यधर्मैः

What more can we say today of the greatness of one called a Bhāgavata, whose very self is Brahman on earth? By taking refuge in him, even the speaker and the listener of his words attain the pure equality with Kṛṣṇa, which no other dharma grants.

श्रीमद्‌भागवतमाहात्म्यम् - चतुर्थोऽध्यायः सप्ताहकथायां भगवतः प्रादुर्भावः, गोकर्णोपाख्यानारम्भश्च सूत उवाच - (अनुष्टुप्) अथ वैष्णवचित्तेषु दृष्ट्वा भक्तिं अलौकिकीम् । निजलोकं परित्यज्य भगवान् भक्तवत्सलः

Sūta said: Then, seeing the extraordinary devotion in the hearts of the Vaiṣṇavas, the Lord, who is ever affectionate to his devotees, abandoned his own realm.

वनमाली घनश्यामः पीतवासा मनोहरः । काञ्चीकलापरुचिरो लसन् मुकुटकुण्डलः

He was adorned with a garland of forest flowers, dark as a raincloud, clad in yellow garments, enchanting in form, radiant with a golden waistband, and wearing a shining crown and earrings.

त्रिभङ्‌गललितश्चारु कौस्तुभेन विराजितः । कोटिमन्मथलावण्यो हरिचन्दनचर्चितः

Graceful in the threefold-bending posture, beautiful, adorned with the Kaustubha gem, possessing the beauty of ten million Cupids, and anointed with fragrant sandalwood paste.

परमानन्द चिन्मूर्तिः मधुरो मुरलीधरः । आविवेश स्वभक्तानां हृदयानि अमलानि च

He was the embodiment of supreme bliss and consciousness, sweet, holding the flute; he entered the pure hearts of his devotees.

वैकुण्ठवासिनो ये च वैष्णवा उद्धवादयः । तत्कथाश्रवणार्थं ते गूढरूपेण संस्थिताः

Those who dwell in Vaikuntha, the Vaishnavas such as Uddhava and others, have taken up concealed forms here for the sake of hearing these stories.