BAGHAVATHAM- AN OVERVIEW

BAGHAVATHAM IS THE ESSENCE OF ALL PURANAS[18 PURANAS]IT'S DEVOID OF FICTION,OR UGLY TALES.IT'S EQUALLY VALUED BOTH BY VAISHNAVAITES AS WELL AS SHAIVAITES.BAGAVATHAM  IS FULL OF VEDANTA AND DEVOTION[JNYANAM AND BAKTHI] VERSES ARE FULL OF DEEP MEANING IT FASCINATES  ANYBODY WITH AESTHETIC CHARM AND VIRTUES OF DEVOTION. ITS VALUED BOTH BY SCHOLARS AND SADHU SANTS[ OFTEN VYASA'S VERSES ARE PREGNANT WITH DEEP MEANINGFULL JNYAN AND BAKTHI. THERE ARE 14 COMMENTARIES. NO OTHER PURANAS HAS SO MANY COMMENTARIES.HENCE TRADITIONALISTS HAVE ACCEPTED BAGAVATHAM AS VALID .RAMANUJA  QUOTES FROM BAGAVATHAM IN HIS GREAT WORK VEDANTATATWASARAM.MADHVA HAD COMMENTARIES ON BAGAVATHAM  ADI SHANKARA IN PRABODHASUDHAKARAM QUOTES BAGHAVATHAM AT MANY PLACES. INCIDENTALLY VEDAVYASA WAS NOT SATISFIED EVEN AFTER WRITING THE GREAT MAHABARATHA. HE SURELY WANTED COMMON MAN TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFICULT TATWAS THAT ARE SAID IN SATRAS. IN A LUCID STYLE  HE GAVE HIS RACHANA CALLED BAGAVTHAM WHICH TALKS OF KRISNA'S LEELAS AS A FULL AVATHARA. WHOSOEVER HAD CONTACT WITH HIM ATTAINED MUKTHI. WHETHER IT BE THROUGH PREMA,ANGER,JEALOUSY,FRIENDSHIP, ENMITY, HE GAVE EVERYBODY MUKTHI WITHOUT ANY DIFFERENCES. THIS BAVA OF KRISHNA IS HIGHLIGHTED IN BAGAVATHAM. IT STARTS WITH JANMADYASYA YATOANVAYAADI TARATHA SCHARARTTHESHVABHIJNYA SWARAD,TENE BRAHMA HRUDA YA ADI KAVAYE MUHYANTHI YATSUURAYAHA.[ WE MEDITATE ON THAT TRANSCEDENT REALITY FROM WHOM THIS UNIVERSEMANIFESTS, IN WHOM IT ABIDES, INTO WHOM IT,S RESOLVED. BECAUSE HE IS INVARIABLY PRESENT IN ALL EXISTING THINGS AND IS DISTINCT FROM ALL NON ENTITIES WHO IS SELF CONSCIOUS AND SELF EFFULGENT WHO REVEALED TO BRAHMA[THE FIRST SEER] BY HIS MERE WILL  THE VEDAS CAUSE BEWILDERMENT EVEN TO GREAT SAGES  IN WHOM , THREE FOLD CREATION[SATWA,RAJAS,TAMAS] THOUGH  UNREAL , APPEARS AS REAL.MAY THAT ACHYUTA[ ONE WHO IS NOT TOUCHED BY MRITYU[ DEATH] GIVE IMMORTALITY TO THOSE WHO DOES BAGAVATHAM  PARAYAN WITH UTMOST DEVOTION.