Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.4.3
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesAsk Thoughtful Questions About Bhāgavatam
“In what period and at what place was this first begun, and why was this taken up? From where did Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa, the great sage, get the inspiration to compile this literature?”
What the purport teaches
- Śaunaka asks when and where the Bhāgavatam was begun, why it was undertaken, and what inspired Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa.
- Śrīla Vyāsadeva had already explained the Vedas in various ways, including the Mahābhārata, to make their teachings accessible to those with less understanding.
- Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is his special contribution and is transcendental to mundane subject matter. Questions about its origin and purpose are therefore intelligent and relevant.
Try this today
Write down one of Śaunaka's questions and keep it beside you as you continue reading.
Ask yourself
Which question about the Bhāgavatam's origin or purpose would help deepen my study?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.