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Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 12.13.4-9

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees

Recognize the Chief of All Purāṇas

“The Brahma Purāṇa consists of ten thousand verses, the Padma Purāṇa of fifty-five thousand, Śrī Viṣṇu Purāṇa of twenty-three thousand, the Śiva Purāṇa of twenty-four thousand and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam of eighteen thousand. The Nārada Purāṇa has twenty-five thousand verses, the Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa nine thousand, the Agni Purāṇa fifteen thousand four hundred, the Bhaviṣya Purāṇa fourteen thousand five hundred, the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa eighteen thousand and the Liṅga Purāṇa eleven thousand. The Varāha Purāṇa contains twenty-four thousand verses, the Skanda Purāṇa eighty-one thousand one hundred, the Vāmana Purāṇa ten thousand, the Kūrma Purāṇa seventeen thousand, the Matsya Purāṇa fourteen thousand, the Garuḍa Purāṇa nineteen thousand and the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa twelve thousand. Thus the total number of verses in all the Purāṇas is four hundred thousand. Eighteen thousand of these, once again, belong to the beautiful Bhāgavatam.”

Śrīla Prabhupāda · Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 12.13.4-9, translation

What the purport teaches

  • The eighteen Purāṇas contain four hundred thousand verses. Eighteen thousand belong to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
  • The purport explains that Vyāsadeva composed the Mahābhārata after compiling the Purāṇas. The Mahābhārata contains their essence and is filled with the ideas of the Vedas.
  • Mentioning Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam again emphasizes that it is the chief of all Purāṇic literatures. The purport compares this emphasis to the declaration that Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead.

Try this today

Set aside five minutes today for attentive reading of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Ask yourself

How might recognizing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam’s special position affect the attention I give it?

Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.

From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

One of the 108 chosen lessons, close to this verseHear and Recite With Faith and DevotionSB 12.13.18Next · LeadTeach what you are livingTurn this chapter into a timed class plan or a short reel script.Open Lecture Studio