ŚrīmadBhāgavatam | Parāyaṇam

Canto 01 | Chapter 01

Inquiry of the sages at Naimiśāraṇya

(Led by Śaunaka Maharṣi, the sages question Sūta Maharṣi to learn the teachings that can firmly establish dharma in Kali Yuga.)

Chapter introduction

In the First Chapter, the sages headed by Śaunaka gather at Naimiṣāraṇya and approach Sūta Mahārṣi with a profound concern: what is the supreme path that can bestow the highest welfare upon living beings in Kali Yuga? Amid the symptoms of the age such as shortened lifespan, declining dharma, and increasingly distracted minds, they seek a spiritual practice capable of granting lasting auspiciousness and ultimate good.

Through these inquiries, the flow of ŚrīmadBhāgavatam begins. This chapter lays the foundation for the divine dialogue that reveals the nature of bhakti, dharma, the Supreme Truth, and the glories of ŚrīmanNārāyaṇa, illuminating the path that leads the soul toward true spiritual fulfillment.

Ślokapāṭham

atha śrīmadbhāgavata parāyaṇam ।
prathama skandhe prathamo’dhyāyaḥ ॥

oṁ namō bhagavatē vāsudēvāya ॥

janmādyasya yato’nvayāt itarataścārtheṣvabhijñaḥ svarāṭ
tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ ।
tejo vārimṛdāṁ yathā vinimayo yatra trisargo’mṛṣā
dhāmnā svena sadā nirastakuhakaṁ satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi ॥
॥ 01.01.01 ॥

dharmaḥ projjhitakaitavo’tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satām
vedyaṁ vāstavam atra vastu śivadaṁ tāpatrayonmūlanam ।
śrīmadbhāgavate mahāmunikṛte kiṁ vā parair īśvaraḥ
sadyo hṛdyavarudhyate’tra kṛtibhiḥ śuśrūṣubhis tatkṣaṇāt ॥
॥ 01.01.02 ॥

nigamakalpataror galitaṁ phalaṁ
śukamukhād amṛtadravasaṁyutam ।
pibata bhāgavataṁ rasamālayaṁ
muhur aho rasikā bhuvi bhāvukāḥ ॥
॥ 01.01.03 ॥

naimiṣe’nimiṣakṣetre ṛṣayaḥ śaunakādayaḥ ।
satraṁ svargāya lokāya sahasrasamam āsata ॥
॥ 01.01.04 ॥

ta ekadā tu munayaḥ prātar hutahutāgnayaḥ ।
satkṛtaṁ sūtam āsīnaṁ papracchur idam ādarāt ॥
॥ 01.01.05 ॥

(ṛṣaya ūcuḥ)
tvayā khalu purāṇāni sa itihāsāni cānagha ।
ākhyātāny apy adhītāni dharmaśāstrāṇi yāny uta ॥
॥ 01.01.06 ॥

yāni vedavidāṁ śreṣṭho bhagavān bādarāyaṇaḥ ।
anye ca munayaḥ sūta parāvaravido viduḥ ॥
॥ 01.01.07 ॥

vettha tvaṁ saumya tat sarvaṁ tattvatas tadanugrahāt ।
brūyuḥ snigdhasya śiṣyasya guravo guhyam apy uta ॥
॥ 01.01.08 ॥

tatra tatrāñjasāyuṣman bhavatā yad viniścitam ।
puṁsām ekāntataḥ śreyas tan naḥ śaṁsitum arhasi ॥
॥ 01.01.09 ॥

prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ ।
mandāḥ sumandamatayo mandabhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ ॥
॥ 01.01.10 ॥

bhūrīṇi bhūrikarmāṇi śrotavyāni vibhāgaśaḥ ।
ataḥ sādho’tra yat sāraṁ samuddhṛtya manīṣayā ॥
॥ 01.01.11 ॥

sūta jānāsi bhadraṁ te bhagavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ ।
devakyāṁ vasudevasya jāto yasya cikīrṣayā ॥
॥ 01.01.12 ॥

tan naḥ śuśrūṣamāṇānām arhasy aṅgānuvarṇitum ।
yasyāvatāro bhūtānāṁ kṣemāya ca bhavāya ca ॥
॥ 01.01.13 ॥

āpannaḥ saṁsṛtiṁ ghorāṁ yan nāma vivaśo gṛṇan ।
tataḥ sadyo vimucyeta yad bibheti svayaṁ bhayam ॥
॥ 01.01.14 ॥

yat pādasaṁśrayāḥ sūta munayaḥ praśamāyanāḥ ।
sadyaḥ punanty upaspṛṣṭāḥ svardhunyāpo’nusevayā ॥
॥ 01.01.15 ॥

ko vā bhagavatas tasya puṇyaślokeḍya karmaṇaḥ ।
śuddhikāmo na śṛṇuyād yaśaḥ kalimalāpaham ॥
॥ 01.01.16 ॥

tasya karmāṇy udārāṇi parigītāni sūribhiḥ ।
brūhi naḥ śraddadhānānāṁ līlayā dadhataḥ kalāḥ ॥
॥ 01.01.17 ॥

athākhyāhi harer dhīmann avatārakathāḥ śubhāḥ ।
līlā vidadhataḥ svairam īśvarasyātmamāyayā ॥
॥ 01.01.18 ॥

vayaṁ tu na vitṛpyāma uttamaśloka vikrame ।
yac chṛṇvatāṁ rasajñānāṁ svādu svādu pade pade ॥
॥ 01.01.19 ॥

kṛtavān kila karmāṇi saha rāmeṇa keśavaḥ ।
atimartyāni bhagavān gūḍhaḥ kapaṭamānuṣaḥ ॥
॥ 01.01.20 ॥

kalim āgatam ājñāya kṣetre’smin vaiṣṇave vayam ।
āsīnā dīrghasatreṇa kathāyāṁ sakṣaṇā hareḥ ॥
॥ 01.01.21 ॥

tvaṁ naḥ sandarśito dhātrā dustaraṁ nistitīrṣatām ।
kaliṁ sattvaharaṁ puṁsāṁ karṇadhāra ivārṇavam ॥
॥ 01.01.22 ॥

brūhi yogeśvare kṛṣṇe brahmaṇye dharmavarmaṇi ।
svāṁ kāṣṭhām adhunopete dharmaḥ kaṁ śaraṇaṁ gataḥ ॥॥ 01.01.23 ॥

iti śrīmadbhāgavate mahāpurāṇe pāramahaṁsyāṁ saṁhitāyām ।
prathama skandhe prathamo’dhyāyaḥ ॥

Other Study Paths | Canto 01 | Chapter 01

Adhyayanam | Bhāvārtham | Sāram | Sārāmśam