f005 _
-chap- _
toc-1 _
f006w _
toc-2 _
+chap+ _
f007
----- bhagaf006.html
PREFACE.
The Bhagavata is the most popular of all Puranas and it is
held in the highest esteem by Vaishnavas in all parts of India. It
was the most authoritative book with such religious teachers as
Shri Chaitanya. Several commentaries have been written on this
great work. It is however strange that there has been so much
discussion about the authoritative character of the work. The readers
are all familiar with that discussion and I need not refer to it further
than to say that the discussion does not in any way affect the intrinsic
merit of the book, and the verdict of the public is so certain in this
respect that the book will continue to be the most popular of all
Puranas, despite any thing that may be said as to its authorship
or the period of its appearance.
The Padma Purana devotes a chapter to the worship of this
Purana and calls it the most exalted of all the Puranas and the
book is actually worshipped in many Hindu houses. The Purana is
recited all over India by learned Pandits and Sadhus and its subject
matter is familiar to every Hindu.
PROFESSOR WILSON SAYS: "Bhagavata Is a work of great
celebrity in India and exercises a more direct and powerful influence
upon the opinions and feelings of the people than perhaps any
other of the Puranas. It is placed fifth in all the lists but the Padma
Purana ranks it as the eighteenth, as the extracted substance of all
the rest. According to the usual specification it consists of eighteen
thousand slokas, distributed amongst three hundred and thirty-two
chapters divided into twelve Skandhas or books. It is named Bhaga-
vata from its being dedicated to the glorification of Bhagavat or
Vishnu."
Referring to the Tenth Skandha, Professor Wilson says " The
tenth book is the characteristic part of the Purana, and the portion
upon which its popularity is founded It has been translated
into, perhaps, all the languages in India, and is a favourite work with
all descriptions of people."
Much as the book commands the respect of the Hindus,
it has brought upon itself the ridicule and sarcasm of those that
attack Hinduism. It is the Tenth Skandha which has given the
greatest handle to all adverse criticism and it is the one Skandha in the
whole book which is so little understood by foreigners, unacquainted
[[f006]]
f005 _
-chap- _
toc-1 _
f006w _
toc-2 _
+chap+ _
f007
v?