Chapter Twelve
The Topics of Srimad-Bhagavatam Summarized
1. Suta Gosvami said: Offering my obeisances to the supreme religious principle, devotional service; to Lord Krishna, the supreme creator; and to all the brahmanas, I shall now describe the eternal principles of religion.
2. O great sages, I have narrated to you the wonderful pastimes of Lord Visnu, as you inquired about them from me. Hearing such narrations is the suitable engagement for a person who is actually a human being.
3. This literature fully glorifies the Supreme Personality of Godhead Hari, who removes all His devotees’ sinful reactions. The Lord is glorified as Narayana, Hrisekesa and the Lord of the Satvatas.
4. This literature describes the mystery of the Supreme Absolute Truth, the source of the creation and annihilation of this universe. Also presented are divine knowledge of Him together with the process of its cultivation, and the transcendental realization one achieves.
5. The following topics are also narrated: the process of devotional service together with its subsidiary feature of renunciation, and the histories of Maharaja Pariksit and the sage Narada.
6. Also described are saintly King Pariksit’s sitting down to fast until death in response to the curse of a brahmana’s son, and the conversations between Pariksit and Sukadeva Gosvami, who is the best of all brahmanas.
7. The Bhagavatam explains how one can attain liberation at the time of death by practicing fixed meditation in yoga. It also contains a discussion between Narada and Brahma, an enumeration of the incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and a description of how the universe was created in progressive sequence, beginning from the unmanifest stage of material nature.
8. This scripture also relates the discussions Vidura had with Uddhava and with Maitreya, inquiries about the subject matter of this Purana, and the winding up of creation within the body of the Supreme Lord at the time of annihilation.
9. The creation effected by the agitation of the modes of material nature, the seven stages of evolution by elemental transformation, and the construction of the universal egg, from which arises the universal form of the Supreme Lord-all these are thoroughly described.
10. Other topics include the subtle and gross movements of time, the generation of the lotus from the navel of Garbhodakasayi Visnu, and the killing of the demon Hiranyaksa when the earth was delivered from the Garbhodaka Ocean.
11. The Bhagavatam also describes the creation of demigods, animals and demoniac species of life; the birth of Lord Rudra; and the appearance of Svayambhuva Manu from the half-man, half-woman Isvara.
12. Also related are the appearance of the first woman, Satarupa, who was the excellent consort of Manu, and the offspring of the pious wives of Prajapati Kardama.
13. The Bhagavatam describes the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the exalted sage Kapila and records the conversation between that greatly learned soul and His mother, Devahuti.
14-15. Also described are the progeny of the nine great brahmanas, the destruction of Daksa’s sacrifice, and the history of Dhruva Maharaja, followed by the histories of King Prthu and King Pracinabarhi, the discussion between Pracinabarhi and Narada, and the life of Maharaja Priyavrata. Then, O brahmanas, the Bhagavatam tells of the character and activities of King Nabhi, Lord Rsabha and King Bharata.
16. The Bhagavatam gives an elaborate description of the earth’s continents, regions, oceans, mountains and rivers. Also described are the arrangement of the celestial sphere and the conditions found in the subterranean regions and in hell.
17. The rebirth of Prajjapati Daksa as the son of the Pracetas, and the progeny of Daksa’s daughters, who initiated the races of demigods, demons, human beings, animals, serpents, birds and so on-all this is described.
18. O brahmanas, also recounted are the births and deaths of Vrtrasura and of Diti’s sons Hiranyaksa and Hiranyakasipu, as well as the history of the greatest of Diti’s descendants, the exalted soul Prahlada.
19. The reign of each Manu, the liberation of Gajendra, and the special incarnations of Lord Visnu in each manvantara, such as Lord Hayagriva, are described as well.
20. The Bhagavatam also tells of the appearances of the Lord of the universe as Kurma, Matsya, Narasimha and Vamana, and of the demigods’ churning of the milk ocean to obtain nectar.
21. An account of the great battle fought between the demigods and the demons, a systematic description of the dynasties of various kings, and narrations concerning Iksvaku’s birth, his dynasty and the dynasty of the pious Sudyumna-all are presented within this literature.
22. Also related are the histories of Ila and Tara, and the description of the descendants of the sun-god, including such kings as Sasada and Nrga.
23. The histories of Sukanya, Saryati, the intelligent Kakutstha, Khatvanga, Mandhata, Saubhari and Sagara are narrated.
24. The Bhagavatam narrates the sanctifying pastimes of Lord Ramacandra, the King of Kosala, and also explains how King Nimi abandoned his material body. The appearance of the descendants of King Janaka is also mentioned.
25-26. The Srimad-Bhagavatam describes how Lord Parasurama, the greatest descendant of Bhrgu, annihilated all the ksatriyas on the face of the earth. It further recounts the lives of glorious kings who appeared in the dynasty of the moon-god-kings such as Aila, Yayati, Nahusa, Dusmanta’s son Bharata, Santanu and Santanu’s son Bhisma. Also described is the great dynasty founded by King Yadu, the eldest son of Yayati.
27. How Sri Krishna, the Supreme personality of Godhead and Lord of the universe, descended into this Yadu dynasty, how He took birth in the home of Vasudeva, and how He then grew up in Gokula-all this is described in detail.
28-29. Also glorified are the innumerable pastimes of Sri Krishna, the enemy of the demons, including His childhood pastimes of sucking out Putana’s life air along with her breast-milk, breaking the cart, trampling down Trnavarta, killing Bakasura, Vatsasura and Aghasura, and the pastimes He enacted when Lord Brahma hid His calves and cowherd boyfriends in a cave.
30. The Srimad-Bhagavatam tells how Lord Krishna and Lord Balarama killed the demon Dhenukasura and his companions, how Lord Balarama destroyed Pralambasura, and also how Krishna saved the cowherd boys from a raging forest fire that had encircled them.
31-33. The chastisement of the serpent Kaliya; the rescue of Nanda Maharaja from a great snake; the severe vows performed by the young gopés, who thus satisfied Lord Krishna; the mercy He showed the wives of the Vedic brahmanas, who felt remorse; the lifting of Govardhana Hill followed by the worship and bathing ceremony performed by Indra and the Surabhi cow; Lord Krishna’s nocturnal pastimes with the cowherd girls; and the killing of the foolish demons Sankhacuda, Arista and Kesi-all these pastimes are elaborately recounted.
34. The Bhagavatam describes the arrival of Akrura, the subsequent departure of Krishna and Balarama, the lamentation of the gopis and the touring of Mathura.
35. Also narrated are how Krishna and Balarama killed the elephant Kuvalayapida, the wrestlers Mustika and Canura, and Kamsa and other demons, as well as how Krishna brought back the dead son of His spiritual master, Sandipani Muni.
