Srimad Bhagavata: An Introduction

One of the great histories (Mahapuranas) of Hinduism, the Srimad Bhagavata, or Bhagavata Purana, is a classic exposition of devotion to Krishna integrating themes of Shankara’s Advaita philosophy. The purana consists of 18,000 verses verses and is regarded as an encyclopedia of spiritual philosophy. Attributed to the sage Vyasa, the Bhagavata illustrates religious truths with stories of ancient India's saints, seers, and kings. Dealing in part with the life of Krishna, the book is especially sacred to the Vaishnavas.

The introduction to the Srimad Bhagavata presented here is reprinted from Swami Tapasyananda's 4 volume translation of the complete Srimad Bhagavata. It is hoped that this thorough introduction will inspire readers to undertake a serious study of this important scripture.