Introduction
This book tells
the story of the Lord and His incarnations since
the earliest records of Vedic history, the
history of the original culture of knowledge of India. It is verily the Krishna
'bible' [in Sanskrit called a samhitâ] of
the Hindu universe. It includes the
cream of the Vedic knowledge compiled from all
the Vedic literatures as also the story of the
life of Lord Krishna in full (Canto 10).
Chapter 1: Questions
by
the
Sages
(4) In the forest of
Naimishâranya, a
spot favored by Vishnu, sages
headed by the sage S'aunaka
performed a thousand-year sacrifice for the Lord
of heaven and the
devotees on earth.
Chapter 2: Divinity
and
Divine
Service
(5) Oh sages, your
questions for me about Lord Krishna
are of relevance for the welfare of the
world because they satisfy the
true self. (6) That
duty no doubt is
for mankind the highest, of which
there is the causeless, uninterrupted devotional
service unto Krishna
as the One in the Beyond [Vishnu] that leads to
the full satisfaction
of the soul. (7) The practice of
connecting
oneself in devotion unto Vâsudeva, the
Personality of Godhead,
very
soon leads to the detachment and spiritual
knowledge that relies on its
own power. (8) What people do according to
their societal positions, is useless labor
leading
nowhere, if it does not lead to the message of
Vishvaksena
[Krishna
as
the
highest
authority].
Chapter 3: Krishna
is
the
Source
of
all Incarnations
(3)
One
supposes the different worlds [as expansions] to
be part of the form of
the
Fortunate One that constitutes the excellence of
the purest existence.
Chapter 4: The
Appearance
of
S'rî
Nârada
>
(32)
While
Krishna Dvaipâyana Vyâsa thus regretfully
thought about his
shortcomings,
Nârada, as I stated before, reached his cottage.
Chapter 5: Nârada's
Instructions
on
S'rîmad
Bhâgavatam
for Vyâsadeva
(9) Although
you, great sage, repeatedly have written for
the sake of the four
virtues of religion [dharma, artha, kâma,
moksha or
righteousness, economy, sense gratification
and liberation], you have
not been doing so for the sake of Vâsudeva.
Chapter 6: Conversation
Between
Nârada
and
Vyâsadeva
(12)
I saw hills and
mountains full of gold, silver and
copper and elephants pulling branches from
the trees nearby delightful
lakes and ponds full of the lotus flowers aspired by the
denizens of heaven - and my
heart was pleased with the birds and the
amount of bees hovering about.
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