SB 12.13.18 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

श्रीमद्भ‍ागवतं पुराणममलं यद्वैष्णवानां प्रियं यस्मिन् पारमहंस्यमेकममलं ज्ञानं परं गीयते । तत्र ज्ञानविरागभक्तिसहितं नैष्कर्म्यमाविष्कृतं तच्छृण्वन् सुपठन् विचारणपरो भक्त्या विमुच्येन्नर: ॥ १८ ॥

Verse text

śrīmad-bhāgavataṁ purāṇam amalaṁ yad vaiṣṇavānāṁ priyaṁ yasmin pāramahaṁsyam ekam amalaṁ jṣānaṁ paraṁ gīyate tatra jṣāna-virāga-bhakti-sahitaṁ naiṣkarmyam āviskṛtaṁ tac chṛṇvan su-paṭhan vicāraṇa-paro bhaktyā vimucyen naraḥ

Synonyms

śrīmat — bhāgavatam — Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam ; purāṇam — the Purāṇa ; amalam — perfectly pure ; yat — which ; vaiṣṇavānām — to the Vaiṣṇavas ; priyam — most dear ; yasmin — in which ; pāramahaṁsyam — attainable by the topmost devotees ; ekam — exclusive ; amalam — perfectly pure ; jṣānam — knowledge ; param — supreme ; gīyate — is sung ; tatra — there ; jṣāna — virāga — bhakti — sahitam — together with knowledge, renunciation and devotion ; naiṣkarmyam — freedom from all material work ; āviṣkṛtam — is revealed ; tat — that ; śṛṇvan — hearing ; su — paṭhan — properly chanting ; vicāraṇa — paraḥ — who is serious about understanding ; bhaktyā — with devotion ; vimucyet — becomes totally liberated ; naraḥ — a person .

Translation

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the spotless Purāṇa. It is most dear to the Vaiṣṇavas because it describes the pure and supreme knowledge of the paramahaṁsas. This Bhāgavatam reveals the means for becoming free from all material work, together with the processes of transcendental knowledge, renunciation and devotion. Anyone who seriously tries to understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, who properly hears and chants it with devotion, becomes completely liberated.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

This glorious Bhāgavatam is the spotless Purāṇa, and therefore dear to the Vaiṣṇavas. It as well describes pure jṣāna beneficial even for paramahaṁsas. This Bhāgavatam rejects the process of karma and is endowed with the processes of jṣāna, vairāgya and bhakti. Anyone who contemplates Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and who properly hears and chants it with devotion becomes completely liberated. This verse explains Bhāgavatam’s supreme position. This Purāṇa alone is endowed with all glory (śrīmat), since it does not have contamination arising from the three guṇas (amalam). Because of this it is dear to the devotees. This shows the excellence of its bhakti. Even those who are greedy to attain jṣāna arising from bhakti, those who have attained jṣāna and those who are ātmārāmas should take shelter of this work. Pāramahaṁsyam means “beneficial for paramahaṁsas. In this Bhāgavatam, knowledge beneficial for paramahaṁsas, the best (param) knowledge, since it arises from bhakti, is explained. Those who are practicing jṣāna should hear this work. It is completely without karma (naiṣkarmyam).

Purport

Because Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is completely free of contamination by the modes of nature, it is endowed with extraordinary spiritual beauty and is therefore dear to the pure devotees of the Lord. The word pāramahaṁsyam indicates that even completely liberated souls are eager to hear and narrate Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Those who are trying to be liberated should faithfully serve this literature by hearing and reciting it with faith and devotion.