Canto 1 Chapter 1 Summary

Summary by HG Narayani Mataji:

Verses 1-3: Mangalacarana

Srimad Bhagavatam, the ripened fruit of the desire tree of the Vedas, glorifies the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Absolute Truth, and reservoir of all rasas. All cheating religious activities are completely rejected from the Bhagavatam, and the highest truth of Lord is revealed. Pure hearted souls who submissively drink the Bhagavatam from the lips of Sukadeva, will soon capture Krsna within their hearts.

janamady asya yatah - SB 1.1.1 - Meditate on Lord Krishna

dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra SB 1.1.2

Introspection:

am I attached to any of the cheating religions? what hole am I trying to fill through them?

How can I help myself to do away with them?

Verses 4-8: The sages worship Suta

Great sages headed by the sage Saunaka assembled at Naimisaranya to perform a thousand-year sacrifice for the satisfaction of the Lord and His devotees. They first glorified Suta as being pure, knowledgeable, experienced in hearing and chanting, and blessed by  his spiritual master.

Qualifications of a representative of Srila Vyasadeva 1.1.4- 1.1.8

Introspection:

A humility activity: Go through the qualities presented in these verses and make a note of what is going well with you and what are the areas of improvement

Verses 9-13: The sages ask questions

Understanding the spiritual disqualifications of people in this age, the sages ask relevant questions. They especially desire to know what is the ultimate good for the people in general and what is the essence of all the various scriptures. They are also very eager to hear about Lord Krsna.

Six Questions- Six Answers

What is wrong with Kali Yuga?

Verses 14-20: Holy name and devotees

The sages then glorify chanting the holy names, associating with pure devotees and hearing Srimad Bhagavatam. They express their eagerness to hear of the incarnations of Lord Krsna.

Introspection:

 How do I view the Holy Name, the devotees and the process of hearing?

Verses 21-23 Spiritual master

The sages affirm their determination to perform the sacrifice of hearing the glories of the Lord, accepting Suta as the captain of the ship to take them across the difficult ocean of Kali. Their final question is where to find religious principles in this age, since Lord Krsna departed for His own abode.

In this chapter the sages pose 6 questions to Suta Goswami who answers them throughout the course of Srimad Bhagavatam. The 6 questions and their answers are linked below:
6 questions 6 answers

Six Questions- Six Answers

6 Questions	Theme	6 Answers
Question 1: What is the absolute and ultimate  good (sreyah) for people in general?  SB 1.1.9: Please, therefore, being blessed with many years, explain to us, in an easily understandable  way, what you have ascertained to be the absolute  and ultimate good for the people in general.	Foreseeing the incompetencies of the people of Kali Yuga the sages being compassionate ask this question for their spiritual well being. Refer link : What is wrong with Kali Yuga	After describing that devotional service to Sri Krsna was the essence of the scriptures, Suta explains that the ultimate benefit for people in general is to become free from material bondage and develop love of God through devotional service offered only to Krsna or His plenary parts (Especially SB 1.2.6- 7, but also until verse 27) SB 1.2.6 — The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self. Refer link: The Supreme Occupation
Question 2: What is the essence of all scriptures? SB 1.1.11:There are many varieties of scriptures,  and in all of them there are many prescribed duties,  which can be learned only after many years  of study  in their various divisions. Therefore, O sage, please  select the essence of all these scriptures and explain  it for the good of all living beings, that by such instruction their hearts may be fully satisfied.	How to attain the highest goal that is easily attainable by the people in Kali Yuga considering the condition of the people
Question 3:For what reason did the Lord take His birth from Devaki? SB 1.1.12: All blessings upon you, O Sūta Gosvāmī. You know for what purpose the Personality of Godhead appeared in the womb of Devakī as the son of Vasudeva.	Eagerness to hear They are pleading to Suta Goswami , please tell us.They are very eager to hear about Lord Krishna.Eagerness to hear about the activities and the pastimes of Lord Krishna- they are also thus asking Suta Goswami about activities of hearing and chanting Refer : tava kathamritam Krsna is svarat - appears by His own desire, not forced to appear in this material world. Therefore it is difficult to understand why He would enter the prison house of the material world. satvatam patih-protector of His devotees. Thus He appears to give pleasure to His devotees and broadcast His glories
Question 4: Tell us of the acts the Lord performs in relationship to creating the material world? SB 1.1.17: His transcendental acts are magnificent and gracious, and great learned sages like Nārada sing of them. Please, therefore, speak to us, who are eager to hear, about the adventures He performs in His various incarnations.	Srila Jiva Goswami explains that Saunaka is specifically referring to the Lord's pastimes of universal creation.
Question 5: Describe the activities of the incarnations of the Lord. SB 1.1.18:O wise Sūta, please narrate to us the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Godhead’s multi-incarnations. Such auspicious adventures and pastimes of the Lord, the supreme controller, are performed by His internal powers.	Saunaka Rsi is requesting avatara katha, narrations concerning the Lord's descent in this material world.
Question 6: Where have religious principles gone after Krsna's disappearance from this planet? SB 1.1.23: Since Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Truth, the master of all mystic powers, has departed for His own abode, please tell us to whom the religious principles have now gone for shelter.	Whenever there is gross misuse or neglect of the principles of religion, the Supreme Lord appears Himself to restore religious principles. This is stated in Bhagavad-gītā. Here the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya are inquiring about these principles

What is wrong with Kali Yuga?

SB 1.1.10

prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya
 kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ
mandāḥ sumanda-matayo
 manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ

O learned one, in this iron Age of Kali men almost always have but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all, always disturbed.

 

The sages are asking Suta Goswami- "If this is the situation then what should we do?Atmosphere will be full of faithlessness and they will make wrong choices? What should we do? "

Important points:

1. When we are not in Krishna Consciousness we fall in this category
2. Mandah:
1. Faulty, Slow, Procrastination. Lots to do never finishes
3. Sumandah Matayoh- less intelligent/misguided
1. Have the wrong philosophy. Therefore misguided. 
2. The standard of enjoyment is sense gratification and material advancement- so it is not compatible for Spiritual Growth.
3. Work hard for the wrong reasons
4. Mandah Bhagya - Unlucky
1. Too intelligent and too busy to take association of devotees
5. upadrutah- disturbed
1. Their minds are always disturbed and full of anxieties due to so many different engagements
2. Maufacture their own faith
3. Varnasram is not maintained properly
4. Deny the needs of the soul(atma ha, self envy)- therefore always unsatisfied, 

Qualifications of a representative of Srila Vyasadeva 1.1.4- 1.1.8, 10.1.4

From verses and purport to 1.1.4 to 1.1.8




Character

1. A gosvāmī, or the bona fide representative of Śrī Vyāsadeva, must be free from all kinds of vices before he can dare sit on the vyāsāsana. The four major vices of Kali-yuga are (a) illicit connection with women, (b) animal slaughter, (c) intoxication, (d) speculative gambling of all sorts. 
2. He should be spotless in character.
3. He should be very much obedient and (snighdha)submissive to his bona fide spiritual master and always ready to satisfy his spiritual master. 
4. Saumya- pure and simple

Scriptural understanding

1. 

1. He should be able to hear and explain them, which is more important than just reading them.
2. Good hearing and chanting by which the real meaning of scripture awakens in the heart.
3. Follows sincerely, is convinced and can therefore explain sincerely 
4. He should be conversant in all systems of philosophy, namely Gautama, Kaṇāda, Kapila, Patañjali, Jaimini and Aṣṭāvakra so that he can present fully the theistic views of the Bhāgavatam in defiance of all other systems. 
5. They must be in the disciplic succession

How he receives the message?

1. Respect for the speaker 
2. Asks questions with the intention of applying - this means submission and respect for the teacher
3. Always in the mood of being a disciple- always trying to follow. A good leader is a good follower  

Some points from 10.1.4

Qualifications of speaker and receiver:

1. A devotee is one who has no other motive for reciting Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatamthan to serve the Lord.
2. Śukadeva Gosvāmī epitomizes the proper reciter for Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and Parīkṣit Mahārāja, who purposefully left his kingdom and family prior to meeting death, epitomizes the person fit to hear it. A qualified reciter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam gives the right medicine (bhavauṣadhi) for the conditioned souls. 
3.  A Vaiṣṇava is nivṛtta-tṛṣṇa; that is, he has no material purpose, for his only purpose is to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness
4. The word paśu-ghnāt is important in this connection. Paśu-ghna means “butcher.” Persons fond of performing ritualistic ceremonies for elevation to the higher planetary systems must offer sacrifices (yajñas) by killing animals. Butchers cannot be interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for they are already materially allured. 
5. Anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious and who therefore does not engage in the service of the Lord is also paśu-ghna, for he is willingly drinking poison.
6. For kṛṣṇa-kathā, topics about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there must be a speaker and a hearer, both of whom can be interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness if they are no longer interested in material topics.
7. For topics concerning Uttamaśloka, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the spiritual master speaks, and the disciple hears with attention. Unless both of them are free from material desires, they cannot be interested in topics of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
8. The spiritual master and disciple do not need to understand anything more than Kṛṣṇa because simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa and talking about Kṛṣṇa, one becomes a perfectly learned person (yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati, Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3).