Sri Brhad Bhagavatamrta- Concisely Retold

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Brhad-Bhāgavatāmsta tells two fascinating stories, storie which disclose the confidential truths regarding Krsna, Krsna's devotees, and Krsna's devotional service. The first tells of Nārada Muni's search for the devotee that had most fully received Lord Krsna's mercy, and the second tells of the wanderings of the cowherd, Gopa-kumāra, who searched for the Lord of his beloved Madana-gopāla mantra. After hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Mahārāja Parīkşit's mother, Uttarā, approached him in a secluded place and requested him to extract the essence of what Sukadeva Gosvāmi had taught him and reveal it to her. That essence is called bhāgavatāmrtam, which is herein presented by Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmi.

Some time back, I was given a tour of the Temple of Vedic Planetarium, which is being constructed in Sridhāma Māyāpur, and was told that dioramas depicting scenes from Brhad-Bhāgavatāmsta would be prominently displayed there. I thought, "When this wonderful temple is opened and millions of people visit, many would certainly like to have a simple rendition of Brhad-Bhāgavatāmsta."

Brhad-Bhāgavatāmsta with Sanātana Gosvāmi's Dig-darsini commentary was rigorously translated by Gopīparāṇadhana dāsa, and the book was printed by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust in three large volumes. This was certainly of immense interest to the devotees, but at the same time, it required a great deal of time and attention for reading. Brhad-Bhāgavatāmsta, with selected portions of Sanātana Gosvāmi's Dig-darsini commentary, was also translated by Kusakratha dāsa, whom many considered a genius and a master poet.

I began writing a simple telling of the BrhadBhāgavatāmsta while consulting both of editions, and I soon became amazed at how two brilliant scholars could translate the same text in strikingly different ways.

Here is an example. Translating BB 2.4.34, which describes some residents entering Vaikuntha, Gopiparāṇadhana dāsa writes: “Some were with their families, some with an array of things, and others had left their families and things outside.”

Kusakratha dāsa writes: “Some came with associates, some with paraphernalia, and some with both associates and paraphernalia."

The word used here is parivārā. This word was sometimes translated by Srila Prabhupāda as "entourage" and sometimes as “family members."

Brhad-Bhāgavatāmsta tells two stories in two parts: Śrī-bhagavat krpā-sāra-nidhāra (Ascertainment of the Essence of the Supreme Lord's Mercy) and Śri Golokamāhātmya (The Glory of Śrī Goloka). The former tells of Nārada Muni's search for the devotee who had most fully received Lord Krsna's mercy, and the latter tells of the wanderings of the cowherd, Gopa-kumāra, who searched for the Lord of his beloved Madana-gopāla mantra.

The conclusion of both stories is that the residents of Vraja are the most perfect devotees, and their abode, Vrndāvana, is the topmost abode where the most wonderful happiness is experienced in relationship with the Lord's most sublime, original form.

Thope that this book will please those of us who want to relish Brhad-Bhāgavatāmsta very easily and conveniently so that we can carry on with our other duties. The most essential comments from Sanātana Gosvāmi's Dig-darsini are also included.

**Contents and Sample Pages**