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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 1, Ch. 2]
nārāyaṇam namaskṛtya naram caiva narottamam devīm sarasvatīm vyāsam tato jayam udīrayet
nārāyaṇam —the Personality of Godhead;  namaskṛtya —after offering respectful obeisances;  naram ca eva —and  Nārāyaṇa Rṣi ;  narottamam —the supermost human being;  devīm —the goddess;  sarasvatīm —the mistress of learning;  vyāsam —Vyāsadeva;  tataḥ —thereafter;  jayam —all that is meant for conquering;  udīrayet —be announced.
TRANSLATION
Before reciting this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is our very means of conquest, I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Personality of Godhead,  Nārāyaṇa , unto  Nara-nārāyaṇa Rṣi , the supermost human being, unto  Mother Śarasvatī , the goddess of learning, and unto  Śrīla Vyāsadeva , the author.
PURPORT
All the Vedic literatures and the  Purāṇas  are meant for conquering the darkest region of material existence. The living being is in the state of forgetfulness of his relation with God due to his being overly attracted to material sense gratification from time immemorial. His struggle for existence in the material world is perpetual, and it is not possible for him to get out of it by making plans. If he at all wants to conquer this perpetual struggle for existence, he must reestablish his eternal relation with God. And one who wants to adopt such remedial measures must take shelter of literatures such as the  Vedas  and the  Purāṇas . Foolish people say that the  Purāṇas  have no connection with the  Vedas . However, the  Purāṇas  are supplementary explanations of the  Vedas  intended for different types of men. All men are not equal. There are men who are conducted by the mode of goodness, others who are under the mode of passion and others who are under the mode of ignorance. The  Purāṇas  are so divided that any class of men can take advantage of them and gradually regain their lost position and get out of the hard struggle for existence. Śrīla Śūta Gosvāmī shows the way of chanting the  Purāṇas . This may be followed by persons who aspire to be preachers of the Vedic literatures and the  Purāṇas .  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  is the spotless  Purāṇa , and it is especially meant for them who are desirous to get out of the material entanglement permanently.