Introduction Of Bhagavatham

"Narayanam Namskruthyah Narancheyavah Narothamam

Devim Saraswathim Vyasam Thatoh Jayamuderayeth"

Parameshwara swaroopamina Sabhaku Namaskaramu (Respects to the all Invitees Equivalent to Lord Parameshwara )

Veda Vyasa has introduced vedas.Because of the emerging nature of human life which is of Short span, ill-health and always rotating in the wishes (ardha, kamamulu) and it is definitely impossible for this type of human life to read about the Vedas. So in order-to help the human life Veda Vysa has futher classifed these Vedas into 2 parts. Purva Bhagavam and Uttarh Bhagam.

Purva Bhagam of Vedas speaks about the things to be performed and the way they have to be performed (acharincha valasina vidhi vidhanumulu) and the results achieved on internal life (ihalokaha) and external life (paralokha) were informed.

Uttar Bhaghamu speaks about gaining the Knowledge so that this would be last life, and there would not be any need for taking another birth in the mother’s womb. "Gnanath Kevala Kivalyam" means knowledge will help you in achieving Kivalyam(No rebirth).

Veda Vysa has made one of his student Jaymini to write (vyakyanichadamu) about the results of karmas of Purva Bhagam. This is called Purvanimamsa. Uttarah Bhagham speaks about the Knowledge, so Veda Vysa only has written the uttarah Bhagham and all the Brahma Sutras in it.This is called Uttarahnimamsa.

After this, Veda Vysa has written 18 Puranas. It is very tough for reading a Purana, hence writing a Purana is not a simple Job. Puranam basically should have 5 characteristics, 2 division’s sarga and prathisarga and should speak about great dynasty (Vamshamu), should be relating this with the GOD. The person who has such capability can only speak about Puranam.

When this is the criteria for speaking the Puranam, then think of ability/criteria required for writing the purana, which itself determines the greatness of Veda Vysa who has writing 18 Puranas.

In order to remember the 18 Puranas, a shortcut has been proposed by elders.

Madhvayam, Bhadvayamcheyvah, Brahtriyam VaChatustayam

AnapalingaPoskani Puranani Pruthak Pruthak

2 Puranam starts with Ma --- Mathsya Puranam, Markandaya Puranam

2 Puranam starts with Bha --- Bhagavatham, Bhavishyah Puranam

3 Puranam starts with Brah --- Brahma Puranam, Brahmandah Puranam, BrahmaVivartha Puranam

4 Puranam starts with Va --- Varah Puranam, Vamana Puranam, Vayu Puranam, Vishnu Puranam

A na pa li ga po skani means each one puranam with each letter -- Agni Puranam,  Narada Puranam, Padma Puranam, Linga Puranam, Garudah Puranam, Kurmah Puranam, Skandha Puranam

After doing all these, Veda Vysa has taught each part to each one of his student and Vysa gave the authority of that divisons to the student who has learnt that part.

Part	Name of Student
Rig Vedam	Birudu
Yajur Vedam	Vyshampayanudu
Sama Vedham	Jaymini
Atharvana Vedam	Sumanthvuh
18 Puranas	Romaharshanudu

The son of Romaharshanudu is Sutudu. Suthudu will usually do Preachings on Puranam. Usually when we here about olden stories they start with a point that “Shounakadi maharshulu Sutah Bhagavanudu Sevinchi yehdinah Puranani cheppali ani anthe Sutudu Purana pravahchanu chesthunthadu" means whenever Shounakadi Maharshi’s asks Sutah to tell about stories then Sutah will speak about Puranas.

17 puranas has been preached by Sutudu and Romaharshanudu.

1 Puranah was preached by Shukaha Brahma and that Puranah is Bhaghavatham. Shukha Brahma the son of Veda Vyasa. Shukha Brahma by birth was having surplus amount of Bhakthi and renunciation (Viragyam). His renunciation (Viragyam) example is, one day Shukha Brahma was asked to get married when he was young by his father Veda Vysa, Shukha Brahma replied that he do not want to get married, as the entire universe is under unhappiness, he want to enjoy happiness and  want to do the tapasyah for Brahmaikyasiddhi (Mingle into Brahma) and he was leaving to the forests. While moving to the forest, Vyasah was going behind his son and calling Hey putrah, Hey putrah .... Instead of Shukhu replying, all the trees were repliing oye, oye ... Such a great Vyragham he has. In order to demonstrate, the Vyragham of Shukha Brahma, one day when Apsarasa’s were taking bath in a river, some Apsarah have seen the arrival of Shukha Brahma and Shukha Brahma is young and was naked. The Apsaras have saluted to Shukah Brahma nakedly and he left from there. After sometime when Vysah have arrived, the Apsaras have weared cloths and Saluted Vysah. Why Apsarasas have done different salutes to Shukha Brahma and Vysa because Shukah Brahma does not know the difference between a lady and Gent and he always feels that all are one and it is the God. But Vysah, knows the differentiation between the Lady and a Gent. That’s why they have saluted to Vyasah by wearing clothes. This shows the Viragyham capability of Shukha Brahma and is a greatest personality.

Bhagavatham was preached by Sukha Brahma only because, God wanted to see a capable person who is going to preach Bhagavatham. That capability is in Sukha Brahma since: 

Kusha means Grass (Dharbha in telugu), when one is holding the grass in hand, he will be performing the Karma Acharanamu. Why KarmaAcharanamu because when one is keep on performing the KarmaAhacharnah (Performing Work), he will reach a stage where he will get the ability to dedicate his concentration towards the Lord and perform his prayers. This continous process will help in removing the dirtness on the Heart and will help in acquiring the knowledge of dedication towards the Lord and establishes happiness in the heart. By this acquired knowledge, one will get Mokshamu.

So, primarily one needs SathKarmaAcharanamu (Good Works), and this Sathkarmaacharanamu is realted with Dharbha (Grass). Kusha means the person holding the Grass. Reverse the word kusha we will get Shuka.

Shuka does not know any other thing except, one thng that is the Lord and he will always be enjoying the meditaton of Lord. Shukha will always see only Lord in all the things and will always feel happiness in the Lord. Such a great personality is Shukha, that’s the reason why Lord has choosen the Shuka Brahma for preaching Bhagavatham as he will be always in happiness of the Lord.

Shukha Brahma has one characteristic that he will stay only for a small amount of time in any place. That time period is as good as amount of time taken by a person to take the milk out of a cow. Why such a small amount of time because, if he is staying in that place for more time then he will get the introduction of all the things in that place and that will straight forwardly enter his Heart and he has to remember all those things, allocate memory for it and there by loosing the space of Lord which he has put in his heart and the Lord space in his heart will get reduced and there by increasing the size of all unnecessary things. That is the reason behind Shukha Brahma to stay for a very short amount of time in any place and always keep moving.

Such a Great personality has sat for 7 days and preached Bhagavatham on his own without moving anywhere and for whom did he do this preaching? He preached for the people who has done some Punyas for several crores of life. Why so because, after doing Punyah in crores of life, a person would be granted the opportunity to hear about Bhagavatham and this has been told by Scriptures(Shastramu).  And also Bhagavatham was not written in the manner like the other puranas were written by Vyasa. After writing 17 puranas, one day Vyasa was sitting in his Ashramamu near the Saraswathi River. And his heart was running in a feeling of some depression, some unfullfillment making him to feel that he has done something short even after writing the Vedas and Puranas. Then he revised about all the activities which he has performed till know, such as writing Vedas, 17 puranas, being the son of Parasharudu and Sathyavathi as they were gifted with a wish from Lord Narayana that their son is a format of Lord Narayana and Vyasa has serviced the lord to what amount he can do, and was always in the Dhanyamu of the lord, but still why some amount of unfullfillment is running in the heart? When Vysa did this analysis, Narada came into the picture and told to Vyasa that, why such feeling is running in your heart because you have written Mahabharath, and in Mahabharath where ever you have spoken about the Krishna story, it is conveying the effect of being alignement with Krishna, i.e., what is the situation of Kauravas who have moved out of the path of Dharmamu and the situation of Pandavas who were always in the Path of Dharma and you have related the Krishna story with their situations but you did not speak about the history of Bhakthas of Krishna, how the universe is created, how the pancha Bhutas have arrived and How the Lord being the Creator of Universe, Running the Universe, Destoryer of Universe you have not spoken so that is the reason of having this unfullfillment in your heart.  Immediately Vyasa has realized, and started writing the Bhagavatham. Narada will always give Gynanamu. That is the reason behind the arrival of Narada and visit Vyasa.

Vyasa has felt that by writing which purana his life would be fullfilled, after learning which purana the life will have a great change, and because of not catching that thing the life has roamed for several crores of years, by holding which purana, the life will get a great value and Mokshamu(Liberation) that medical formula is none other than Bhagavatham. Vyasa started writing the Bhagavatham.

That is the reason, it is not so easy to read/write/preach/think Bhagavatham. Bhagavatham is the Summary (saramshamu) of all the upanishads, knowledge is embedded into Bhagavatham and the preaching opportunity was given to Shuka Brahma. That’s why, Vyasa has written and Taught to his son Shukha Brahma and Shukha Brahma has preached to Parikshit Maharaja for 7 days.

Usually, Bhagavatham is called Sapthahamu (seven). The secret behind calling this as Sapthahamu is

"When we take our life, being 60, 40, 80 or 100 years if we put a question how many years did we live also, a quesion exists how many days did we survivie? It is 7 days and in the entire life of whatever it may be 60, 40, 80 or 100 years there are only 7 days (Sunday to Saturday) in this amount of time, and there is no question of existence of 8th day. When one will die, means one will die only in one of these 7 days irrespective of the position or welath or power some one holds. In these 7 days only, one has to take birth, live and die."

The day one will not speak about God or think of his name then that day, ones life is dead. It is as good as dead body walking. Real life is in Rememberance (smarinchadamu) of God.

So when we say Rememberance (smarinchadamu), will it come so easily? If one has love and effection on an item then his mind will be thinkging of that item only irrespective of sitting in a postion. Similarly, when one is in love and effection with God then the mind will be fullfilled with the God's smaranamu. In order to get the energy of showing the Love and Effection on God Vyasa has proposed BHAGAVATHAM.

Thatswhy, whoever listens to Bhagavatham, their heart will be knowingly or unkowingly their mind will take a turn towards the God and the effect of this turn will be taught by Narada in the next chapter.

Shukha Brahma has preached for 7 days then what happened? Praikshit Maharaja has the worry of his death before listening to Bhagavatham but after the 7 days of preaching by Sukha Brahma, Parikshit Maharaja did not even worry of his death.It is ok even if i die now. As Parikshit Maharaja has known the secret, and the secret is "Death is for the Body not for the Soul" then what is dead? Body is dead. Even one performs punyah, or yaga, or yagna or even if we stood beside devathas and fought even then the body will have a death. Any body will have a death. So death is for the body and one is on an assumption that there is no death and in this assumption, one is performing bad things. Whatever has to leave will leave and whatever has to stay will stay and will not have any death to the staying thing. One is thinking that it is "if the meaning of “I am” is Soul then it does not have a death and if the meaning of “I am” is body then it has a definite death." So if you catch the truth, then there is no fear of death, but if you catch the false, then there is fear from death. Death fear has lot of avignanmu (obstacles), avidhya (improper knowledge), and fear. So which to catch? Catch the truth. Is it so easy to catch the Truth?

One who listens to Bhagavatham will get the ability to catch the truth. Since Vyasa has propsed the knowledge in Bhagavathamu to catch the Truth. So whoever listens to Bhagavatham, will have a belief on cathcing this Truth, Catching the God. And the people who have done so, their stories are illustrated in Bhagavatham.

Shuka Brahma has taught Bhagavatham only to Parikshit Maharaju only, no one else. This is not to Advertise. The person who preaches Bhagavatham should not look for people while doing his preaching/sharing knowledge on Bhagavatham.

The person who cannot stand in a place for even a short period of time has sat for 7 days to preach Bhagavatham for one single person demonstarates the greateness of Guru and the Compassion of Guru.

So what did Parikshit learn after listening for 7 days? Parikshit learnt that there is no question for stopping the death? He said with Braveness that this death is for the body and I can withstand as soul.

Because of missing this truth and the shortage of this energy, one is roaming like anything in all the lifes, and this truth is inaugrated by Bhagavatham.

Whoever listens to Bhagavatham should not have a feeling that i am just listening to Bhagavatham, instead one should drink Bhagavatham, means for example if one is given a mango and asked to eat then one will remove the skin, throw seed and eat but if the same mango is given in a juice form the one will not throw anything. It will be consumed directly. Juice is nothing but the essence of Mango, energy of Mango and now only you have to drink nothing to throw or do something. No question of any complaint just drink. Like that can you drink Bhagavatham then only read the Bhagavatham.

Bhagavatham is like a Juice of God, so read it and drink it.

Vedas are like Trees and by saving the trees one will get the energy to fullfill the wishes, and Branches of that Tree are Upanishads, and Upanishads will Give the knowledge and that Braches had a fruit in the Corner called Bhagavatham. This fruit has been proposed by the Upanishads and this fruit is the form of God. This fruit has been given to you by a great person Shukha Brahma who always feeling everthing in the universe is God, so take this fruit and drink it. Such a great epic is Bhagavatham and this Bhagavatham was written in 12 Skandas by Vyasa in Sanskrit and preached by Shukha Brahma. This was translated to Telugu by a great person called "Pothana".

There are 3 kings Goparaju, Thyagaru, and Potharaju. All these 3 were exhausted with their life and dedicated their life to God. Goparaju has become Ramadasu, Thyagaraju has become Thyagayah and Potharaju has become Pothana. All the 3 have changed their lifes and put their lifes on the feet of the God and have distributed the Bhakthi to others.

Pothana, had small amount of Land in his complete life near to district named Warangal and use to plough his field, and one day after completing his daily work, after taking bath in the evening and performing the Sandhyavandhanamu he sat in meditation. Lord Rama was has appeared and told to Pothana that “ I want to make betterment in your life and in order to get this betterment write the Maha Bhagavatham in Telugu ”. Immediately pothana has saluted and said hey Lord Rama you have ordered me but how can i write Bhagavathamu? and Said

"Palikeddhi Bhagavathamuata

 Palikinchu Vibhundhu Rama Bhadrundata

 Nee Palikenh Bhavaharamaguta

 Palikan verondh gada palukuga nelah”

Look at the discipline of Pothana in his words, I am starting the Bhagavatham, but is this written by me? The person is behind me and making me to write this Bhagavatham is Lord Rama. Why with me only? Because if I speak, my life would be in a betterment because I might have romaed in several crores of my lifes, by missing the actual path, so in order to remove the sins, and Lord Rama want to make life better. Why i should speak other story? what ever Lord Rama is making me to speak i will speak.

After this Immedaitely Pothana told that

"Chetularangah Shivunih Poojimpademi

Norru Novangha Hari keerthi nuduvademi

Dayayu Sathyambulu loonugah thaluvadhemi

Kanuka nethi thallulah kadupulah chetu"

Chetularangah Shivunih Poojimpademi --- Pooja has to be performed to Lord Shiva, Pothana asks it because Shiva is in the form of Linga and Linga does not have any Hands and Legs but it has a physique. So it is roopa-aroop. So in order to perform the prayer one should be have more energy and also mind will not stay thinking that there is nothing in this Linga. If one can do it and keep the heart with him in performing the pooja then one is one step ahead and one is feeling that the Lord Shiva is in all formats in the universe.

Norru Novangha Hari keerthi nuduvademi --- When we get a top rank and feel happy and tell to every one that i got a top rank since we did a great job, but for the betterment of this universe Lord Hari has taken different Avatars and helped the universe to get free from the Rakshasas and even this job is not needed for him but still he has done it, so one has to to speak about Hari and if does not speak about it then that is not a mouth.

Dayayu Sathyambulu loonugah thalupadhemi --- Maranidhi Sathyamu (Truth), maredhi Dharmamu (Duty). Dharmamu will change according to time, means one point of time one will be in the role of son, same person in the next minute would be performing the husband role, after some time same person will be in employee role. Marani Sathyam anedhi Lord and never think of it in the heart, is not the right way, getting up in the morning, running behind something, eating sleeping. For this how many lifes have been taken? And Lord is the person who is behind the creation, growth and destruction of this universe, so Lord is behind all the things and one should see Lord in everything, then one will get the feeling of Daya (Mercy) in the Heart if some small things goes wrong as this feeling is emerged because one is able to see the Lord in all the things.

Kanuka nethi thallulah kadupulah chetu -- For behaving in a wrong way, living in such a worst way, one is taking lifes in the wom of mother and making her to take the pain during the delivery and emerging as good for nothing is not a good way and making the life of mother a tough?

First poem of Pothana in Bhagavatham:

Srikyvalyahpadhambhunu cherutakunih Chinthinchedan

Lokarakshiyeh karamubunakun

Bhaktha palana kala saurambhanukun

Dhanavoh vudrekah sthambhaku

Keli lola vilasa drukhjala sambhutha nahnah Kanjatha bavahnda kumbaku

Mahanandhangana Dimbhakun

Srikyvalyahpadhambhunu cherutakunih Chinthinchedan ---  Pothana is saying that i am writing this Bhagavatham in order to get Srikyvalyam (Kyvalyam means no need of returning back into another life and getting embedded into the Lord) So my soul should be mixed in the Light of Lord. So in-order to do achieve this my mind will always think of it and concntrate on it. Pothana is in devotion and writing the Bhagavatham and the energy for the movement of the pen belongs to Lord Rama.

Lokarakshiyeh karamubunakun -- saving the universe, and the initilaization point of saving the universe, starts at the creation, so i salute to the creator.

Bhaktha palana kala saurambhanukun -- Whoever is in the belief that the Lord is there behind them, Lord will be always running behind them and giving the energy to them and Lord will be even in the person who is against to him. I am saluting to the Lord who is helping.

Dhanavoh vudrekah sthambhaku -- Lord will stop the vudrekhamu. In puranas, Rakshasas were killed because they were in the false thought that they do not have death and the existence of the univers is "I". I am saluting to the Lord who is stopping such vudrekhamu.

Keli lola vilasa drukhjala sambhutha nahnah Kanjatha bavahnda kumbaku --- Only just by the ray of his sight the universe is created and runn by such a capable person for him i am saluting.

Mahanandhangana Dimbhakun --- speaking about the kid whoose mother is the wife of Nandana.The kid is looking small but he is the ruler of the entire world which is running according to his creation. I am speaking about the Bhagavatham, not for getting gifts or any other thing as this is the order of Lord Rama and with whatever Knowledge i have got i am doing it and give me the energy to perform it.

Narada said to Vyasa, that the people in the Kali Yuga are very much intelligent the actual characteristics of Mahabharatha, because of that intelligence they will strive for crores of life repeating the same mistake, submitting themself to the sense organs, staying away from the God. So if you want help these people give them the Bhagavatham. Vyasa decided and gave Bhagavatham.

The moment any one knowlingly or unknowingly listens to Bhagavatham, then their life will be tuned in a proper way and will be ensured that the life is moving in a right way. Narada said to Vysa that

“ Why today i am in the Position of Narada? Why i have become Narada? “ (as told in Page 7)

Story of Narada



Narada was a Dasi putra (son of a slave) and she use to work in the Rich Brahmins house and he also use to accompany her and move where ever she moves. Narda use to Rome in these Brahmins house and these Brahmins are rich in the knowledge of Vedas.

Once upon a time during rainy season, some Sanyasis (ascetic) have visited their house for a month and stayed for some time in their house. Sanyasis are great people and they see the entire world as Lord and do not express any differences among the people. Narada mother asked Narada to help her in serving these people like helping her in cleaning the clothes, arranging the setup for the pooja, setting up plates while eating kind of small small activities were assigned to Narada by her mother. Daily these Sanyasis use to perform pooja in the early morning, discuss about vedas, and after the lunch they were performing the Dance for their happiness in the Lord. All these things were observed by Narada. During the lunch time they use to give some amount of food for Narda from their plate.

Because of his service, Sanyasis were very happy and they made him to sit beside him and they have revelead the knowledge of Lord in the form of Upadesham (discourse) and revelead the secret of the maya and the truth. And they have left. Becasue of his association with such kind of great people all his heart was fully filled with the name of the Lorda nd use to perform continously prayers for the God in his heart, and look normally from outside and use to roam with his mother.

One day, it was very dark in the night, and the Brahmins asked his mother to get the milk from the backyard cow herd. When she went there, there was a big snake sleeping and she has put her leg on it and it has bitten his mother and death. Then Narada left that place as his mother was the only attachment for him and went into dark forest and chanting the mantras as told by the Sanyasis. In that dark forest, Tigers were roaming, snakes were roaming and he was thinking that the Lord SreemanNarayana is there with him as told by the sanyasis. He was feeling thirsty and saw a pond near by and drinked the water and took bath. After taking bath, he sat under a tree and thought in mind that Lord Narayana should appear once infornt of me and he was chanting the DwadadashaAkshari Mantram. Suddenly there lightening, and Lord Naryana has appeared in the form of light and told that because of roaming with Good people, serving them and always performing my Dhanyamu, i have appeared in front of you and in this life you will be roaming like this and singing and enjoying my name. After leaving this life you will be born as a son of Lord Brahma and on that day i will gift one Veena named Mahati to you and you will be chanting the name of the Narayana using that Veena and Happily roam in the entire universe. Like that I have roamed by chanting the name of Lord and left this body and later i reached the Lord Brahma. Brahma after creating the prajapathis, created me and veena was gifted me and that veena all the time will only work when the name of the Narayana is chanted. Today, I am able to roam the entire universe chanting the name of Narayana. So Vyasa, in one life being a dasi putra and because of the Mantra taught to me, i have become Narada in the next life. So if you speak Bhagavatham in the name of Lord then why cant the person can become a maha gynani in the next life, why cant one can become a great Bhaktha of Lord. So preach about the God not about the Mahabaratha. So speak about Bhakthi and teach them about the specialities of Lord, development of the universe, stories of the Lord. Vyasa has felt happy about the words of Narada and decided to started writing Bhagavatham in his Ashramamu.

Chanting of Name of the God just before closing the part

Bhagavathapriya Govinda            

govinda hari govinda

gokulananadana govinda

Varahamurthyvi Govinda              

govinda hari govinda

gokulananadana govinda

Anadarakshaka Govinda

govinda hari govinda

gokulananadana govinda

SitaNayaka Govinda        

govinda hari govinda

gokulananadana govinda

VeenkataRamana Govinda           

govinda hari govinda

gokulananadana govinda

ShankaChakradara Govinda         

govinda hari govinda

gokulananadana govinda

SahasraNama Govinda   

govinda hari govinda

gokulananadana govinda

LakshmanaAgraja Govinda           

govinda hari govinda

gokulananadana govinda

KasturiTilaka Govinda     

govinda hari govinda

gokulananadana govinda

Kanchanambaradara Govinda     

govinda hari govinda

gokulananadana govinda

Lakshmivallaba Govinda

govinda hari govinda

gokulananadana govinda

Sarvam Sri Umamaheshwara paraBrahmarpana Masthu

Swasthi