Pada-padma
Srimad Bhagavatam, Cantos One and Two Seminar
Chapter Study Guides
by
Hanumatpresaka Swami
ANJANA SUTA ACADEMY
www.JayaRama.us
(rev. 2017 July 14)
Contents
FOREWORD 4
ORIENTATION 6
Our Philosophy of Education 6
Bhaktivedanta Library 8
Summary of all Twelve Cantos 11
Cantos 1-2, Pada-padma (The Lotus Feet of Krsna). 12
Canto 3 12
Canto 4 14
Canto 5 16
Canto 6 19
Pada-padma: Overview of Cantos One and Two 29
CANTO ONE - MODULE ONE (Suta to the Sages - Preface, Introduction, Chapters 1-3) 31
Srimad Bhagavatam - Preface and Introduction 31
Canto 1, Chapter 1 32
Canto 1, Chapter 2 33
Canto 1, Chapter 3 34
MODULE TWO (Narada to Vyasa -- Chapters 4-6) 36
Canto 1, Chapter 4 36
Srimad Bhagavatam Study Notes 1.5 36
Srimad Bhagavatam Study Notes 1.6 37
MODULE THREE (Antecedents Right After Kuruksetra, Chapters 7-12) 38
Srimad Bhagavatam - Study Notes 1.7 38
Srimad Bhagavatam Study Notes 1.8 39
Srimad Bhagavatam Study Notes 1.9 40
Srimad Bhagavatam Study Notes 1.10 41
Srimad Bhagavatam Study Notes 1.11 41
Srimad Bhagavatam Study Notes 1.12 41
MODULE FOUR (Antecedents Later, Chapters 13-16) 42
Srimad Bhagavatam Study Notes 1.13 42
Srimad Bhagavatam Study Notes 1.14 43
Srimad Bhagavatam Study Notes 1.15 44
Srimad Bhagavatam Study Notes 1.16 44
Chapter 16, page/verse = 1.3. 45
MODULE FIVE (Pariksit Meets Sukadeva, Chapters 17-19) 46
Srimad Bhagavatam Study Notes 1.17 47
Srimad Bhagavatam Study Notes 1.18 48
Srimad Bhagavatam Study Notes 1.19 49
CANTO TWO 49
MODULE ONE (Sukadeva to Pariksit, Chapters 1-3) 49
Srimad Bhagavatam Study Notes 2.1 49
Srimad Bhagavatam Study Notes 2.2 50
Srimad Bhagavatam Study Notes 2.3 51
MODULE TWO (Brahma to Narada, Chapters 4-6) 52
Srimad Bhagavatam Study Notes 2.4 52
Srimad Bhagavatam Study Notes 2.5 55
Srimad Bhagavatam Study Notes 2.6 57
Srimad Bhagavatam Study Notes 2.7 58
MODULE THREE (Visnu to Brahma, Chapters 8-10) 59
Srimad Bhagavatam Study Notes 2.8 59
Srimad Bhagavatam Study Notes 2.9 59
Srimad Bhagavatam Study Notes 2.10 60
APPENDICES 62
Bhaktivedanta Library 63
12-Canto Summary 64
PpD Summary 65
Verses to Memorize (Calendar) 67
Verses to Memorize (Sanskrita Only) 68
Semester One Sample Questions 71
Semester Two Sample Questions 74
Sample Essay Topics 88
Key Verses Cited by Srila Prabhupada 92
Preaching Strategies in the First Two Cantos 93
FOREWORD
Revision History
Hare Krsna.
These Chapter Study Guides (CSG),
for the Anjana Suta Academy (ASA),
Pada-padma Seminar (PdP),
are going through several revisions. Much of them were written by Hanumatpresaka Swami (Professor Huber Hutchin Robinson) during the year, 2005. At that time he was also engaged in his rigorous schedule of traveling, lecturing and counseling. They reflect the character of someone, probably like yourself, who is integrating his regular life with the study of Srimad Bhagavatam. A latter revision was done August 2007 for the seminar which included many students from Houston, Texas -- Radha Nila-madhava Dhama. This Seminar was accredited by San Marcos University, Lima, Peru. A latter major revision was done during 2011 as the beginning of an officially accredited ISKCON Bhakti-vaibhava (BhVai) curriculum. This was especially co-ordinated by the ASA Branch in Lima, Peru, NIMSAR. Since then it has been continually revised.
We hope these Study Guides are useful, but we are not refining them too much because we want you to look for mistakes and also use them to do something better. You should develop your own Study Guide to teach PdP. In its current revision these ASA-PdP-CSG are at available at: www.jayarama.us/archives/pdp-csg.doc
Other Study Guides and Courses
Of course, this PdP curriculum is designed to satisfy the ISKCON Board of Examiner’s, Bhakti-vaibhava Diploma requirements. Details for the BhVai Diploma are available at www.iskconeducation.org. In its entirety Bhakti Vaibhava is following Srila Prabhupada’s suggestion of focusing on the first six cantos of SB. It requires memorization of 70 verses, examination on 200 short answer questions, 100 pages of essays and 2-hours of class presentation. For PdP we are doing one-quarter of this: 50 short answer questions, 25-pages of essays etc.
Other study guides and courses are available:
· Suhotra Swami’s study guides at: www.jayarama.us/archives/pdp-suhotra1.pdf and www.jayarama.us/archives/pdp-suhotra2.pdf
· Burijana Das’, Unveiling His Lotus Feet At: http://www.bhurijanadasa.com/books_details2.html
· Bhanu Swami’s translation of Srila Visvanatha-cakravarti’s commentaries at: http://blservices.com/srimad-bhagavatam-1418
· Mayapura Institute at: http://mayapurinstitute.org
· ISKCON Ministry of Educational Development at: http://iskconeducation.org
Calendars
As one practical Calendar we study one chapter a week, memorize one verse a week, write one page of essays a week. Also you should give at least on PdP class a week. Preach at least one verse every day to someone. Our PdP is adjusted for one academic year and can be divided into two equal semesters by putting the last Module of Canto One in the second semester with Canto Two. (Neat trick, huh?!)
We expect you have already read and considered our www.jayarama.us/archives/abc.html. It is a general description of the American Bhagavata Curriculim (ABC). It is also in revision. Receive current News of our curriculum development and other Academy work by reading our bulletin at www.jayarama.us/news.htm.
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!
ORIENTATION
Our Philosophy of Education
As we have understood, the word ‘philosophy’ means love of wisdom, so philosophy of education would mean love of wisdom of education. We can take this as the end of education, Bhakti-vedanta, love for the conclusion of knowledge. Yet, when people ask us, “What is your, our, philosophy of education?”, we usually understand they are asking, “What is our strategy for education?”. What are our goals and means of education in the most broad sense.
This said, let us look at the article on the ‘Philosophy of Education’ from the Encyclopedia Britannica. Oxford scholars have told us the Britannica is accepted as a bona fide source of knowledge by academicians.
“The Western philosophical tradition began in ancient Greece, and philosophy of education began with it. The major historical figures developed philosophical views of education that were embedded in their broader metaphysical, epistemological, ethical, and political theories. The introduction by Socrates of the “Socratic method” of questioning (see dialectic) began a tradition in which reasoning and the search for reasons that might justify beliefs, judgments, and actions was (and remains) fundamental; such questioning in turn eventually gave rise to the view that education should encourage in all students and persons, to the greatest extent possible, the pursuit of the life of reason. This view of the central place of reason in education has been shared by most of the major figures in the history of philosophy of education, despite the otherwise substantial differences in their other philosophical views.”
We would then say that Western education has as its aim, not only to inspire the student to acquire information, Karma, but also to acquire speculative mental techniques of organizing that information, Jnana. These would include grammar, mathematics etc.
“Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura writes in hisAnuvṛtticommentary that too much endeavor to acquire knowledge on the part of mental speculators or dry philosophers falls within the category ofatyāhāra(collecting more than needed)”, http://www.vedabase.com/en/noi/2
Beyond Karma and Jnana we would next look for Dhyana, knowing by contemplating. This is taught in most large universities at least in the Drama Department under the title of Improvisational Theater. A very excellent reading on this is the first part of Viola Spolin’s, Improvisation for the Theater. It seems that we can classify our ISKCON yoga as Gandharva Veda, acquiring knowledge, education, through singing, dancing and drama. In the Introduction to his translation of Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Prof. David Haberman gives an excellent history of this. We need to read the books but we also need to act the books.
Karma, Jnana, Dhyana in education and then Prema. We can read the books, memorize the books, understand and contemplate them but the final goal is to love the books. We remember that Srila Prabhupada said that it is more important than learning anything from a class that you go away from the class with a desire to read more.
From the Preface of the NOI we read that it constitutes first instructions for neophyte devotees. Since we take all Vedic knowledge as eternal, then we see NOI as the basis or our resources. The truths there are eternal, perfect and all other instructions are just expanding the NOI truths.
What then is out Mission Statement. We take it from the Preface: We want to qualify ourselves to help Lord Caitanya in His mission of giving the science of Krsna to humanity at large by studying the literature left by the Six Goswamis. Of course, the purports to SB are from the Six Goswamis and their followers.
Sankirtan is the heart of our strategy of education. Draw a big red heart and write, “Sankirtan” on it. This is Kali-yuga, our method of learning and teaching is Sankirtan. Our goal of education is to help people to find their place in ISKCON’s Sankirtan, book distribution.
Then below the heart put a little horizontal crescent moon and write, “VAD”, Varna-ashrama-dharma. Also in the NOI, probably Text Two, Srila Prabhupada says that everyone should have a basic education in the rules of civilized life. If this is the case then our education, study of SB, should also be to educate in the basic principles of VAD, ghrihasta, sannyasa, brahmana, ksatriya.
Sankirtan with an underpinning of VAD with a goal of Prema. We can draw an arrow behind our crescent moon and heart with the tip sticking out at the top labeled Prema.
For this we have the verse, “adau sraddha, sadhu sanga…” which is paraphrased in Text Seven or Eight of the NOI. This is our level of education. Kinder, primary, secondary is a VAD designation. Preliminary faith to Prema is the intrinsic grading. What level are you on? Your students? Developing love for Pada-padma?
In summary, our goal in education is Prema by the media of Sankirtan backed up by VAD.
To take this strategy into practical implementation we present an idea that came to us in a flash while we were sitting at Rama-ghatta during Lokanatha Swami’s Vraja-mandala-parikrama:
1. Who am I?
2. Who are we?
3. What is the plan?
4. What do we need?
We have applied it for many years with success, have been shown that I matches such acclaimed secular books of management as From Good to Great and satisfies the universal dictum: Purusa, Kala, Desa, Patra; Who, When, Where, What.
First keep clear why you are doing Bhakti-vaibhava. In the beginning it will be from a sense of duty and fear, and your tendency in Karma-yoga. “I like to read and teach”. If you have your own motives a little straight then you can find other people with relative motives, “Who are we?”. A primary goal of our learning effort is that we learn how to associate with those associated with SB.
Who am I? Who are we? What’s the plan? Once you have some association then naturally you will develop systems, calendars, schedules, programs of study.
“In this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we require everyone to rise early in the morning, by four A.M., and attendmaṅgala-ārati,or morning worship, then readŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam, performkīrtana,and so forth.” http://www.vedabase.com/en/noi/3.
Here we see a basic, required, schedule. Without these things we will advance very slowly. Our Bhava, attitude, will change very slowly. We base our PdP study on regular morning SB class. Adjust it, enrich and systematize it. Without this we don´t see the Deity worship makes an ISKCON building a Temple.
Finally, after personal motivation, association through scheduled jazz, we need to acquire information: Learn logical structure of PdP, the SB, memorize verses, Sanskrit concepts etc.
Association, Techniques, Content. This is a nice basis for the application of our philosophy of education. Let’s go on developing it more and more as we read SB 1 & 2 et al. Now let’s look at the content of PdP with joy in our hearts.
Bhaktivedanta Library
The Big Picture
First let us look at this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam study from the perspective of the broader educated world. Let us contribute that after reading Shakespeare, Solomon, Cervantes and Rama [Confucious, Journey to the West, Agatha Christie. . .] we have come to the conclusion that the ancient, mystical, religious Bhagavata Purana as relished in medieval Bengal is the greatest of all world classical literature.
George L. Harte, University of California, A Rapid Sanskrit Method, Motilal Banarsidass, Dehli, 1989
Preface
“It [sanskrita]is, like Chinese, Arabic, Greek and Latin, one of the few languages which has been a carrier of a culture over a long period of time.
Thus, the variety of writings in it, and the quantity of those writings are staggering. . . . Kalidasa ranks with the greatest poets, Panini is without question the greatest pre-modern grammarian, the Mahabharata ranks with the Iliad and the Odyssey, and the Bhagavata-purana is among the finest works of devotion every written, being equaled in my opinion only by other works in Indian languages.”
David Haberman, Bhakti-rasa-amrta Sindhu of Rupa Goswami, Motilala Banarsidass, 2003
The Bhāgavata holds a particularly eminent position in the school of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism, for whereas other Vedantic schools produced commentaries on the Vedanta Sutra, the Gaudiyas consider the Bhāgavata as Vyasa’s own commentary on the Vedānta Sūtra.
The Bhāgavata is complete in 12-cantos, comprising about 18,000 verses. It systematically takes the auditor from the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, God, to his smiling face. This reminds us of St. Bernard of Clairvaux’s extensive number of sermons on theSong of Solomon wherein he describes that yes, with God there is the kiss of the lips, but first we must learn the kiss of the feet and then the kiss of the hand.
In his commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam 2.2.12 (http://www.vedabase.com/en/sb/2/2/12), Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami writes,
“And as one gets free from the intoxication of sex indulgence by purification of intelligence, one should step forward for the next meditation, or in other words, the progress of meditation on the different limbs of the transcendental body of the Lord should be enhanced in proportion to the progress of purification of the heart. The conclusion is that those who are still entrapped by sex indulgence should never progress to meditation above the feet of the Lord; therefore recital ofŚrīmad-Bhāgavatamby them should be restricted to the first and second cantos of the great literature. One must complete the purificatory process by assimilating the contents of the first nine cantos. Then one should be admitted into the realm of the Tenth Canto ofŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam.”