SB 1.3.41

तदिदं ग्राहयामाससुतमात्मवतां वरम् ।
सर्ववेदेतिहासानां सारं सारं समुद्धृतम् ॥४१॥

tad idaṁ grāhayām āsa
sutam ātmavatāṁ varam
sarva-vedetihāsānāṁ
sāraṁ sāraṁ samuddhṛtam

tatplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtat

establishment of the statement tat tvam asi.—that; idamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigidam

all of this cosmic manifestation; all these; all these manifestations; all these phenomena; all these planets; all these things; all this; as it is; here; in their own measurement; in this material world; in this way; in this world; is this; like this; on this (as follows); on this (path); the cosmic manifestation is produced; the following; the following words; the universe rests; the whole; the whole universe; these; these words; this (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam); this (all the land given to them); this (body); this (cosmic manifestation); this (creation); this (life); this (material body); this (material world); this (news); this (the body and senses); this (universe); this (world); this; this body; this body of Brahmā; this cosmic manifestation; this cosmic manifestation is created and maintained; this creation; this description of the characteristics of Vāmanadeva; this entire cosmic manifestation; this entire universe; this glorification; this incident; this lamentation; this manifestation; this material attachment; this material world; this phenomenal world; this philosophy of life; this prayer; this present form; this ultimate abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; this universe; this Vedic literature (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam); this whole material world; this whole universe; this world; thus; whatever we can see; which we see.—this; grāhayāmplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_biggrāhayām

he made him learn; made to accept; taught. āsaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigasa

appeared; became; became possible; engaged herself; there was; was; was born; was there.—made to accept; sutamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsutam

a son; as her son; as his son; for her son; her son; his son; son; the son (Vasudeva's son); the son; to a son; to his son; unto his son.—unto his son; ātmavatāmplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigātmavatām

of the devotees; of the self-realized; of the self-realized souls.—of the self-realized; varamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigvaram

a benediction; a husband; any benediction; as a bridegroom; as her husband; benediction; better; for a benediction; husband; husbands; more valuable; most respectful; presents; remuneration; such a benediction; superior; the benediction of (having a son); your husband.—most respectful; sarvaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsarva

all; all around; all kinds; all kinds of; all over; everyone; everything; for all; for everyone; in all; in all respects; of all; of all demigods; of all kinds; of everyone; of everything.—all; vedaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigveda

(one who) knows; all knowledge; and of the revealed scripture; by the four Vedas (Sāma, Yajur, Ṛg and Atharva); can know; can understand; did know; do know; feels; he knew; He knows; he realizes; in knowledge; is fully aware; it knows; just try to know; know; know it; know very well; knows; like the Vedas; Lord Śiva could understand; of knowledge; of the Vedas; of the four Vedas; the Vedas; the four Vedas (Sāma, Yajur, Ṛg and Atharva), the original knowledge given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; the Vedic knowledge; the Vedic literature; transcendental knowledge; understand; understands; understood; Vedic injunctions; Vedic literature; Vedic literatures (books of knowledge); Vedic principles; Vedic scriptures; Vedic study; who knows; you know.—Vedic literatures (books of knowledge); itihāsānāmplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigitihāsānām

of all the histories; of historical literature.—of all the histories; sāramplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsaram

cream; essence; essential; firmness; patience; the essence; very substantial.—cream; sāramplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsaram

cream; essence; essential; firmness; patience; the essence; very substantial.—cream; samuddhṛtamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsamuddhṛtam

is collected (in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam); taken out.—taken out. ¶

Śrī Vyāsadeva delivered it to his son, who is the most respected among the self-realized, after extracting the cream of all Vedic literatures and histories of the universe. ¶

Men with a poor fund of knowledge only accept the history of the world from the time of Buddha, or since 600 B.C., and prior to this period all histories mentioned in the scriptures are calculated by them to be only imaginary stories. That is not a fact. All the stories mentioned in the Purāṇas and Mahābhārata, etc., are actual histories, not only of this planet but also of millions of other planets within the universe. Sometimes the history of planets beyond this world appear to such men to be unbelievable. But they do not know that different planets are not equal in all respects and that therefore some of the historical facts derived from other planets do not correspond with the experience of this planet. Considering the different situation of different planets and also time and circumstances, there is nothing wonderful in the stories of the Purāṇas, nor are they imaginary. We should always remember the maxim that one man’s food is another man’s poison. We should not, therefore, reject the stories and histories of the Purāṇas as imaginary. The great ṛṣis like Vyāsa had no business putting some imaginary stories in their literatures. ¶

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam historical facts selected from the histories of different planets have been depicted. It is therefore accepted by all the spiritual authorities as the Mahā-Purāṇa. The special significance of these histories is that they are all connected with activities of the Lord in a different time and atmosphere. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī is the topmost personality of all the self-realized souls, and he accepted this as the subject of studies from his father, Vyāsadeva. Śrīla Vyāsadeva is the great authority, and the subject matter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam being so important, he delivered the message first to his great son Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī. It is compared to the cream of the milk. Vedic literature is like the milk ocean of knowledge. Cream or butter is the most palatable essence of milk, and so also is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, for it contains all palatable, instructive and authentic versions of different activities of the Lord and His devotees. There is no gain, however, in accepting the message of Bhāgavatam from the unbelievers, atheists and professional reciters who make a trade of Bhāgavatam for the laymen. It was delivered to Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and he had nothing to do with the Bhāgavata business. He did not have to maintain family expenses by such trade. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam should therefore be received from the representative of Śukadeva, who must be in the renounced order of life without family encumbrance. Milk is undoubtedly very good and nourishing, but when it is touched by the mouth of a snake it is no longer nourishing; rather, it becomes a source of death. Similarly, those who are not strictly in the Vaiṣṇava discipline should not make a business of this Bhāgavatam and become a cause of spiritual death for so many hearers. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says that the purpose of all the Vedas is to know Him (Lord Kṛṣṇa), and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself in the form of recorded knowledge. Therefore, it is the cream of all the Vedas, and it contains all historical facts of all times in relation with Śrī Kṛṣṇa. It is factually the essence of all histories. ¶