Glory Of The Srimad Bhagavata (As Per The Mahapurushia Saints' Sayings)

 Just as the divine position of the Ganges among all rivers,as that of Lord Shiva among all the Vaishnavas and as the supreme divine position of Lord Vishnu among all the divine beings ,likewise ,the Srimad Bhagavata is the greatest treasure in the Puranic Literature .(Ref: 12th canto ,13th chapter). The Bhagavata is also the essence of Vedantic conclusion. The other Purans such as Matsya Puran,Padma puran etc too support the greatness of the Bhagavatam. 

   Sridhara Swami, the foremost commentator on the Bhagavat Purana ,wrote in his commentary- 

               Srimatyam Kathayam Srvanakirtanayuktaya Chintaya Sambardhitaya anuvritya tatha tan-nisthena tasya dhama lokameti .

Hence,we can directly conclude that, Srvana  and Kirtana of the Bhagavatam is the greatest spiritual way !As in the same chapter,Sridhara said - Anuvrite falmaha--martam iti .

  As per Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva's Kirtan Ghosha -

               Purana surya MahaBhagavta

              Vedantaru itu parama tatva  (pasanda Mardan,105)

                   (Maha Bhagavata is the sun among all the purans ,it is also the essence of Vedanta) 

Again in Bhagavata Tatparya -   

Krishna Surya Bhailanta bidita 

Nama Dharma karila vidita

              (the Sun namely Krsna (at the end of the dwapara-yuga as the Bhagavata) has risen and the Dharma of divine name is hence preached )

Sankardeva advised all the worldly people as - 

Suna sabhasada Bhagavata ana eri

 prema bhakatita tusta bhoila deva Hari ( Prema Kalaha)

(O worldly people, listen to the Bhagavata ,leaving aside all other material wishes; Lord Hari is simply pleased with Devotion)

    Sri Sri Madhavdeva glorified the Bhagavata in his book 'Namghosha'  i. Sakala Nigama  Kalpataru Tar fal Mahabhagavta 

 Sehi fal ras hari gun yash piyuk sadhu sangata

(The Great Bhagavata is the fruit of the kalpataru tree consists of all the Nigama Shastras . Drink the mellow of that fruit in the association of holy men.) 

   ii.Vaikuntha r kalpataru Bhagavata shastra  

 ihar uttam fal Harinam matra 

  (Bhagavata is the wish fulfilling tree of the Vaikuntha, and the fruit of this tree is the name of Lord Hari) 

 iii. Bharata Purana adi jata prakasha karaya nana matah  yata mahajana r sabha madhyat  

 Parama ananda rasamaya koti surya maya prakashaya mahabhagavata nuhanta jebe  bekata

                   (in the assemblies of the great sages ,scriptures like Bharata,purans etc expressed various speculations until the Great Bhagavata was not composed )

One of the chief disciple of Sri Madhavdev ,Sri Gopal ata, compared the Bhagavata scripture with Khrir samudra (the milky ocean).Another Saint Sri Haricharan Thakur wrote glories of Bhagavata in his writings .He compared the Books of material goals with fireflies,the other Purans with the Moonlight;but according to Him,Srimad Bhagavata is the Sunlight and hence,it is superior to all other source of lights.(jebe Koti Surya sama Srimanta Uttamutaama Bhagavata suryadaya hanta).He wrote about the origin of Bhagavta too; as per his description ,Srimad Bhagavta is the phenomenal of the Vaikuntha ,Lord Naryana in Padma kalpa give it to Brahma ; through Narad ,vyasa and suka the divine scripture is came down to the mortal world and then, through different disciples and sages related to Sukadeva,the Bhagvata is spread all over the mortal world. 

    Baikuntha-Nath Bhagavat Bhattacharya (or Sri Bhattadeva) ,the topmost disciple of Sri Sri Deva Damodara trans-created the Sanskrit Bhagavata in prose in Sixteenth century,these works of prose (along with Katha-gita and Ratnavali) is one of the earliest prose writing in the entire Asia.Deva Damodara ordered his scholar disciple Bhattadeva to trans-created the Bhakti Scripture in short and simple form,so that even the illiterate can understand the essence of Bhagavata . He too considered the' Sridhara Bhashya' before translating such huge treasure .As Bhattadeva wrote - Vedavyasa rishi prathame nanan Shastra karila ,tathapi man prasanna nabhaila,param khedat Sri Narad upadeshse Sri Bhagavata ( at first ,Vyasa wrote many Puranic scriptures ,but he himself was spiritually unsatisfied, as Sri Narada's advise, he mediate on the Great Lord to compose the Bhagavata).Further he wrote - Bhagavta amrita sagara (Bhagavta is the ocean of ambrosia) .Tat prasadena kathita kath loke stayapriya,Sri Damodara shishyena Kaviratna dvijanma.

        Daitari Thakur wrote - 

Krsna deva nama Dharma ekanta sarana,Sadhusange ake matra kare nirupana     

(Krishna is the only worship-able deity,Dharma is his Name,association is that of the Saints and single minded surrender to Krsna -the Bhagavata represents these thoughts .)              

The Srimad Bhagavata is the essence of Vedanta ,its glory is infinite . Different Sages and saints have embraced the path shown by the Bhagvata and fulfilled the Yuga Dharma of the dark Kaliyuga.Bhagavata is the Bangmayi murti of Sri Krsna himself, as in the Lord's own words - 

   Yatra Yatra bhaveta punyam Shastram Bhagavtam Kalo

   tatra tatra sadeibaha bhabami trideisa saha . (Bhagavat Mahatmyam)

                                    ( A page of Citra Bhagavata,Pariksheet maharaj and Sukadeva )
Picture courtesy :Citra bhagavta,Wikisource