Bhagavata Purana
Also known as: Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhagavata, Bhagavata-Purana, Shreemad Bhagavatam
A foundational Vaishnava Purana in twelve books, the Bhagavata Purana exalts Krishna as the Supreme and weaves cosmology, theology, genealogy, and exemplary narratives into a single devotional vision. Framed as Shuka’s recitation to King Parikshit, it codifies bhakti as the highest path.
Description
The Bhagavata Purana (Srimad Bhagavatam) is the most influential devotional Purana, central to Vaishnava traditions. Organized in twelve skandhas, it integrates cosmogony, avatar cycles, king lists, and doctrinal discourses with sweeping narrative, especially the life of Krishna in Vraja and Dvaraka. Its frame tale—sage Shuka instructing the dying King Parikshit—unifies disparate materials into a pedagogy of bhakti, portraying loving devotion as the consummation of Vedic religion. The work catalogs Vishnu’s avatara, expounds Purana cosmology, and preserves celebrated episodes (Dhruva’s tapas, Prahlada’s steadfastness, the churning of the ocean, Govardhana, the rasa-lila). It decisively shaped medieval and early modern devotional movements and remains a living scripture, publicly recited and commented upon across South Asia.
Historiography
Transmitted in numerous regional recensions, the text stabilized through medieval manuscript traditions in Nagari and southern scripts. Authoritative commentaries include Shridharasvamin’s Bhavartha-dipika (14th c.), Vallabha, Jiva Gosvami, and Madhva. The Bhagavata became the theological backbone of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, inspiring extensive vernacular literatures and ritual recitation cycles (saptaha). Modern critical and diplomatic editions coexist; a fully unified critical edition remains challenging due to textual plurality.
Date Notes
Traditionally ascribed to Vyasa; scholarly consensus places final redaction in early medieval period with earlier Purana strata incorporated.
Symbols
Major Characters
- Krishna
- Vishnu
- Balarama
- Kamsa
- Vasudeva
- Devaki
- Rukmini
- Narada
- Brahma
- Shiva
Myths
- Cosmic Creation by Vishnu
- Avatars of Vishnu
- Krishna’s Childhood in Vraja
- The Rasa Lila
- Krishna’s Slaying of Kamsa
- Teachings to Uddhava
Facts
- The text presents Krishna as Svayam Bhagavan, the Supreme Person, surpassing earlier avatara hierarchies.
- Its narrative frame is Shuka instructing King Parikshit during the seven days before his death.
- Book 10, the longest, focuses on Krishna’s Vraja and Dvaraka deeds, including the rasa-lila.
- A canonical list of Vishnu’s avataras is integrated with cosmogony and royal genealogies.
- Shridharasvamin’s 14th-century Bhavartha-dipika became a standard medieval commentary.
- The Bhagavata undergirds Gaudiya Vaishnava theology and practice, especially bhakti-rasa.
- Public recitations (Bhagavata saptaha) structure communal devotion and exegesis.
- Multiple recensions exist; a single critical edition remains elusive due to manuscript diversity.
- The work systematizes nine forms of devotion (navadha bhakti) within a Purana framework.
- Influenced vernacular literatures, music, and temple arts across North and South India.