The Bhagavata Purana (Part I)

The present Volume contains the Bhagavata Purana Part I (Skandhas 1-3) in English translation.  It is the seventh in the series of fifty Volumes on Ancient Indian Tradition and Mythology.  The project of the series was envisaged and financed in 1970 by Shri Sundarlal Jain, the veteran enterprizer in the field of Oriental Publication and the leading partner Messrs Motilal Banarsidas.  Hitherto seven Volumes of the series (that is, four Vols of Siva Purana, two Vols of Linga Purana, completing both the Puranas and the present Vol. Of the Bhagavata Purana, Part I, Skandhas 1-3) have been published and are ready for sale.  The present translation is based on the Sanskrit text of the Bhagavata Purana, published by Messrs Ksemaraja Srikrsnadass, Venkatesvara Press, Bombay.  This text, constructed on the collation of mss and supported by the oldest Commentator Sridhara Svamin, is fairly accurate.  But we have also recorded the translation of all the additional verses accepted as genuine in the authoritative commentaries of Ramanuja and Madhva Schools, that are not found in the text of Sridhara Svamin.  The Bhagavata Purana deals with a variety of subjects – geographical, historical, philosophical, religious and the like which need elucidation.  This task could not be accomplished by a mere translation.  We have, therefore, provided footnotes on these topics.  On the philosophical verses, especially, we have recorded different interpretations of the commentators belonging to different schools of thought, viz. those of Sankara, Ramanuja, Madhva, Nimbarka, Vallabha and Caitanya (Gaudiya School of Vaisnavism) and also two eminent Marathi commentators – Krsna Dayarnava and Ekanatha.  In the accomplishment of this task we have utilized the commentaries published in the Bhagavata Vidya Peeth Ahmedabad Edition and in the Vrindavana edition of this Purana.