Composition of Bhagavat Puran

Ved Vyas was an incredibly prolific divine author. He composed the Mahabharat, the 18 Purans, and the philosophical work of Uttar Meemansa (also known as Vedant or Brahm Sutra). He also ensured that the knowledge contained in the Vedas was finally written down and organized into four books. Despite his significant contributions to mankind, Ved Vyas' mind was not at peace. He felt that something was missing. Seeing Ved Vyas' anguish, Sage Narad revealed to him that he had not focused enough on the importance of devotion and describing the glories of the Supreme Lord in detail.

When Ved Vyas met Sage Narad and described his mental anguish, Narad advised that Ved Vyas practise exclusive devotion to God, attain divine love, and then write a scripture exclusively on devotion. The result was the Bhagavat Puran, also known as the Bhagavatam, which is the last Puran composed by Ved Vyas. Since it is considered the best of all the 18 Puranas, it is also referred to as Bhagavat Maha Puran (the ‘great’ Puran).

In the Bhagavatam, a strong emphasis is placed on devotion as the only means to attaining God. The pastimes of the Supreme Lord Krishna are described in this Puran, showing the Lord to be causelessly merciful. These pastimes not only help us fall in love with Lord Krishna but also help us strengthen our relationship with Him.

Overview of the Bhagavatam

The Bhagavatam, a profound scripture, reveals the merciful nature of God and imparts teachings on the practice of selfless devotion. It was originally revealed by Ved Vyas to his son Shukdev and later narrated to King Pareekshith. The scripture is divided into twelve cantos (books), which are further subdivided into 335 chapters. It contains 18,000 shlokas.

Canto 1 contains the conversation between Sages Narad and Ved Vyas in which Narad requests Ved Vyas to reveal the glories of Shri Krishna. It also outlines various descensions (avatars) of God.

Canto 2 describes the questions that were asked by Pareekshith to Shukdev while listening to the Bhagavatam. The ten characteristics of the Bhagavat Puran are also described in this chapter.

Canto 3 describes the fall of Jai and Vijay from Baikunth and contains some important philosophical discussions.

Canto 4 narrates the story of Dhruv and Prithu.

Canto 5 describes the pitfalls of attachment through the example of Jad Bharat. 

Canto 6 tells the story of Ajamil and King Chitraketu. 

Canto 7 glorifies the protection offered by the Lord to His devotee Prahlad. It also contains guidelines on how one should live one’s life based on one’s caste (varn) and stage in life (ashram). These guidelines are referred to as varnashram dharm in Hinduism. 

Canto 8 contains the story of Gajraj and descriptions of the various avatars (descensions) of God in the form of a tortoise (Koorm), dwarf (Vaman), and fish (Matsya).

Canto 9 tells stories about the successors in the solar (Surya) and lunar (Chandra) dynasties. These stories are important because God descended as Shri Ram in the solar dynasty and Shri Krishna in the lunar dynasty.

Canto 10 is the longest canto in the Bhagavatam and describes the pastimes of Shri Krishna. 

Canto 11 describes various spiritual philosophies that Shri Krishna explained to His dear friend Uddhav. 

Canto 12 describes the dynasties in Kali Yug and gives us a peek into how difficult life will become in the coming years.

Now that you have been introduced to the various ancient texts we will now venture into stories narrated in the Bhagavat Puran.

Summary

The Bhagavat Puran was revealed by Ved Vyas, who is a descendant of God Himself. After he wrote the Bhagavatam, his mind became at rest, and finally, he felt he had accomplished His goal.