SB 1.3.40 (1962)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 40
Idam Bhagwatam nama puranam brahmasammitam uttama sloka charitam chakara bhagawonm rishih Nihshresaya lokasya dhanyam swastyanam mahat.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Idam—this, Bhagwatam—book containing the narration of the Personality of Godhead and His pure devotees, Nama—of the name, Puranam—supplementary to the Vedas, Brahmasammitam—incarnation of Lord Sri Krishna, Uttama sloka—of the Personality of Godhead, Charitam—activities, Chakara—compiled, Bhagawan—incarnation of the Personality of Godhead, Rishi—Shri Vyasdeva, Nishreshaya—for the ultimate good, Lokasya—of all people in general, Dhanyam—fully successful, Swastayanam—all blissful, Mahat—all perfect.
TRANSLATION
This scripture of the name Srimad Bhagwatam is a literary incarnation of God and it is compiled by Srila Vyasudeva the incarnation of God. It is meant for the ultimate good of all people in general and as such it is all successful, all blissful and all perfect.
PURPORT
Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu declared that Srimad Bhagwatam is a spotless sound representation of all Vedic knowledge and historical digest. There are only selected histories of great devotees who are in direct contact with the Personality of Godead. Srimad Bhagwat is the literary incarnation of Lord Sri Krishna and is therefore nondifferent from Him. Shrimad Bhagwatam shall be worshipped as respectfully as we do worship the Lord and as such we can derive the ultimate blessings of the Lord by its careful and patient study. As God is all light, all blissful and all perfect so also is Srimad Bhagwatam. We can have all the transcendental light of the Supreme Brahman Sri Krishna from the recitation of Srimad Bhagwatam provided it is received through the medium of the transparent Spiritual Master. Lord Chaitanya's private Secretary Srila Swarup Damodar Goswami advised, all intending visitors who came to see the Lord at Puri, that they should make a study of the Bhagwatam from the Person Bhagwatam. Person Bhagwatam is the selfrealised bonafide spiritual master and through Him only one may understand the lessons of Bhagwatam in order to receive the desired result. One can derive from the studies of the Bhagwatam all benefits that is possible to be derived from the Personal presence of the Lord. It carries with it all the transcendental blessings of Lord Sri Krishna as we can expect by His Personal contact.