86 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 2

yah—he who; svanubhavam—self-assimiliated (experienced); akhila—all
around; sruti—Vedas; saram—cream; ekam—the only one; adhyatma—
transcendental; dipam—torchlight; atititirsatam—desiring to overcome;
tamah andam—deeply dark material existence; sarmsarindm— of the material-
istic men; karunaya—out of causeless mercy; Gha—said; purana—supplemen-
tary to the Vedas; guhyam—very confidential; tam—unto him; vyasa
sunum—the son of Vyasadeva; upayami—let me offer my obeisances;
gurum—spiritual master; muninam—of the great sages.

TRANSLATION

Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto him [Suka], the spiritual
master of all sages, the son of Vyasadeva, who, out of his great compassion
for those gross materialists who struggle to cross over the darkest regions
of material existence, spoke this Purana [supplement to the Vedas], the
cream of Vedic knowledge, after having personally assimilated it by
experience.

PURPORT

In this prayer, Srila Sita Gosvami practically summarizes the complete
introduction of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Srimad-Bhdgavatam is the natural
supplementary commentary on the Veddnta-sittras. The Veddnta-sittras or
the Brahma-siitras were compiled by Vy4sadeva with a view to presenting
just the cream of Vedic knowledge. Srimad-Bhagavatam is the natural
commentary on this cream. Srila Sukadeva Gosvami was a thoroughly
realized master of the Veddnta-siitra, and consequently he also personally
realized the commentary, Srimad-Bhdgavatam. And just to show his
boundless mercy upon bewildered materialistic men who want to cross
completely over nescience, he recited for the first time this confidential
knowledge.

There is no point in arguing that a materialistic man can be happy. No
materialistic creature—be he the great Brahma or an insignificant ant—
can be happy. Everyone tries to make a permanent plan for happiness,
but everyone is baffled by the laws of material nature. Therefore the
materialistic world is called the darkest region of God’s creation. Yet the
unhappy materialists can get out of it simply by desiring to get out.
Unfortunately they are so foolish that they do not want to escape. There-
fore they are compared to the camel who relishes thorny twigs because
