Bhagavat Purana (also known as Srimad Bhagavata, Bhagavatam or Bhagwat) is the most popular and widely circulated of all the Puranas.
The word 'Purana' means 'narrative of olden times'.
After the four vedas, the Puranas form the most sacred of the texts
for devout Hindus. There are eighteen Puranas: Brahma, Padma, Vishnu, Siva, Garuda, Narada,
Bhagavata, Agni, Skanda, Bhavishya, Brahmavaivarta, Markandeya, Vamana,
Varaha, Matsya, Kurma and Brahmanda.
Dear to devotees of Lord Vishnu, Bhagavat
Purana consists of eighteen thousand slokas, distributed amongst 332 chapters
and divided into twelve cantos (skandhas). It is named Bhagavata from
its being dedicated to the glorification of Lord Vishnu, a
premier Hindu deity.
Though originally written in Sanskrit by Sage Vyas, Bhagavat
has been explored and translated in major vernacular languages of
India.
Bhagavat centers on the science of God and
devotion to Him, and includes biographies of great devotees who
followed the path of Bhakti and attained moksha.
It covers everything from
the nature of the self to the origin of the universe, and touches upon
all fields of knowledge. It raises and answers fundamental questions like what is life,
what is a human being's role in life, what is meant by cycle of birth
and death, what is the relation between God and man, what are ways
of propitiating God etc.
From academic point of view, Bhagavata Purana is a narration of
a conversation between King Parikshit and Sage Sukdev (Shukadeva). King Parīkshit
was cursed to die in seven days by a Brahmin, so he decided to give up
his kingly duties and spent final days of his life in gaining
knowledge about the goal of life. As he prepares for his impending
death, Shukadeva, who has been searching for a suitable disciple to whom he
might impart his great knowledge, approaches the king and agrees to
teach him. Their conversation goes on uninterrupted for seven days,
during which the king does not eat, drink or sleep. During this time
the sage explains that one's goal in life is understanding the
supreme absolute truth.
