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Who is speaking?

Every chapter of the Bhāgavatam, coloured by how many narrators deep it goes. Choose one to see its frames and every verse where a new voice begins.

335 chapters

The depth map

1 voice5 voices deep
Canto 1
Canto 2
Canto 3
Canto 4
Canto 5
Canto 6
Canto 7
Canto 8
Canto 9
Canto 10
Canto 11
Canto 12

SB 2.9 · 3 voices deep

Answers by Citing the Lord’s Version

The frames this chapter sits inside, outermost first. Choose one to read its note and the verse where its voice begins.

The original revelation to Brahmā, including the four essential verses (2.9.33–36).

Where this voice begins

“The beautiful Personality of Godhead addressed Lord Brahmā: O Brahmā, impregnated with the Vedas, I am very much pleased with your long-accumulated penance with the desire for creation. Hardly am I pleased with the pseudo mystics.”

In the translation

Voices in this chapter

Each verse whose translation opens by naming its speaker, in order. Repeated openings by the same speaker are grouped.

  1. 2.9.1Śukadeva Gosvāmī
  2. 2.9.20The beautiful Personality of Godhead
  3. 2.9.25Lord Brahmā
  4. 2.9.31The Personality of Godhead
  5. 2.9.38Śukadeva Gosvāmī

The frames come from where the translation itself says who is speaking (“Śukadeva Gosvāmī said …”). Their exact start and end verses, the episode labels and the setting bands are study aids, not words of the scripture; Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on each verse is always the final word.