The Srimad Bhagwatam 203
and He said, “My dear sir, I am an ordinary living entity. I cannot know the
meaning of Vedanta Sutra, but Vyasadeva, Who is an incarnation of Narayan,
knows the real meaning of the Vedanta Sutra. No ordinary living being can
interpret the Vedanta Sutra with his mundane education. In order to curb
commentary on Vedanta Sutra by unscrupulous persons, the author, Vyasadeva
Himself, has already commented on the Vedanta Sutra by writing Srimad
Bhagwatam.” In other words, if the author himself explains the purport of his
book, that is excellent. Nobody can understand the author’s mind unless the
author himself discloses the purport of his language. Therefore Vedanta Sutra
should be understood by the commentary of the Author Himself, which is
Srimad Bhagwatam.

Pranava or Omkara is the divine substance of all the Vedas. Omkara is
explained further in the Gayatri Mantra, as exactly explained in the Srimad
Bhagwatam. There are four verses in this connection. These verses are explained
to Brahma, and Brahma explained them again to Narada, and Narada explained
them to Vyasa. Therefore the purport of the verses in the Srimad Bhagwatam
comes down in disciplic succession. It is not that anyone and everyone can
make his own commentary on the Vedanta Sutra foolishly, and mislead the
readers. Anyone who wants to understand Vedanta Sutra must read Srimad
Bhagwatam carefully. Under the instruction of Narada Muni, Vyasadeva
compiled Srimad Bhagwatam with the purpose of explaining the Vedanta Sutra
codes. Vedanta Sutra was written before Bhagwatam. After hearing from Narada
Muni, Vyasadeva commentated on the Vedanta Sutra. By writing Srimad
Bhagwatam He collected all the essence of the Upanishads, the purpose of which
was explained also in the Vedanta Sutra. Srimad Bhagwatam is therefore the
essence of all Vedic knowledge. That which is stated in the Upanishads and
stated in the Vedanta Sutra is explained very nicely in the Srimad Bhagwatam.

There is a passage from Isho Upanishad, similiar to one in the Srimad
Bhagwatam, Eighth Canto, First Chapter, the purport of which is that what-
ever one sees in the cosmic manifestation, everywhere, is the Supreme Lord’s
energy, which is non-different from Him. Therefore, He is the Controller of
all living entities, and the Friend and Maintainer of everyone. We should live
by the mercy of God, and by the things allotted to our particular living con-
dition. Thus one enjoys life, and nobody should encroach on any other’s
property.

In other words, the purpose of the Upanishad and Vedanta, and that of Srimad
Bhagwatam, are one and the same. If anyone studies Srimad Bhagwatam carefully,
he will find that all the Upanishads and Vedanta Sutra codes are nicely explained
