Why Study the Vedantra Sutra? 209

Therefore, in this prayer of the Author of Bhagwatam, the first proposi-
tion is that Lord Sri Krishna is the Primeval Lord, and if any transcendental
nomenclature for the Absolute Personality of Godhead has to be understood,
it must be the Name indicated by the word Krishna, the All-attractive. In
the Bhagavad Gita in many passages the Lord has affirmed Himself as the
Original Personality of Godhead, and it is confirmed by Arjuna, with the
authorized statements of great sages like Narada, Vyasa, and many others.
In the Padma Puranam also it is said that, of innumerable Names of the Lord,
the Name of Krishna is the principal Name. Therefore, although Vasudeva
indicates the plenary portion of the Personality of Godhead, and although
all the different Forms of the Lord are identical with Vasudeva, in this text
Vasudeva is principally meant to indicate the Divine Son of Vasudeva and
Devaki. Sri Krishna is always meditated upon by the Paramhansas, or the most
perfect of the renounced order of life. This Vasudeva, or Lord Sri Krishna,
is the Cause of all causes. Everything that exists is an emanation from the
Lord, and how this so happens is explained in later chapters of Srimad Bhag-
watam.

The Bhagwat Puranam (Srimad Bhagwatam) is described by Mahaprabhu
Sri Chaitanya as the spotless Puranam, because It contains the transcendental
narration of the Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna. The history of Srimad
Bhagwatam is also very glorious. It was compiled by Sri Vyasadeva from His
mature experience of transcendental knowledge under the instruction of Sri
Naradaji, His Sprirtual Master. Vyasadeva compiled all the Vedic literature,
namely the four divisions of the Vedas, the Vedanta Sutra or Brahma Sutras,
the Puranas, and the Mahabarata. But He was still not delighted in His mind.
This was observed by His Spiritual Master, and thus Narada advised Him
to write on the transcendental activities of the Lord, Sri Krishna. The tran-
scendental activities of Lord Sri Krishna are described specifically in the Tenth
Canto of the Book, which is considered to be the substance. But, in order to
reach the substance of the Tenth Canto, one has to approach gradually by
developed knowledge of the categories.

Generally, a philosophical mind is inquisitive to know what is the Origin
of all creations. He sees the night sky and naturally asks what are the stars,
how are they situated, who lives there, and so on. All these inquiries are quite
natural for a human being, because he has a more developed consciousness
than the animals. And to answer at once such a sincere inquirer, the Author
of the Srimad Bhagwatam says that the Lord is the Origin of all creations. He
is not only the Creator, but He is also the Maintainer of the cosmic situation,
