# Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam - [[sb/0a|Preface]] - [[sb/0b|Introduction]] 1. [[sb/1|Canto 1: Creation]] *The inquiry, the answers, and the history of the Bhāgavatam* 2. [[sb/2|Canto 2: The Cosmic Manifestation]] *The universal form and the process of creation* 3. [[sb/3|Canto 3: The Status Quo]] *Vidura's inquiries and Kapila's teachings* 4. [[sb/4|Canto 4: The Creation of the Fourth Order]] *The stories of Dhruva and Pṛthu Mahārāja* 5. [[sb/5|Canto 5: The Creative Impetus]] *The story of Ṛṣabhadeva and the structure of the universe* 6. [[sb/6|Canto 6: Prescribed Duties for Mankind]] *Ajāmila's deliverance and the battle of Vṛtrāsura* 7. [[sb/7|Canto 7: The Science of God]] *Prahlāda Mahārāja and Nṛsiṁhadeva* 8. [[sb/8|Canto 8: Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations]] *Gajendra's prayers and the churning of the ocean* 9. [[sb/9|Canto 9: Liberation]] *The dynasties of the sun and moon* 10. [[sb/10|Canto 10: The Summum Bonum]] *The transcendental pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa* --- ![[srimad-bhagavatam.jpg]] *Bhāgavata Purāṇa* **His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda** | | | |---|---| | **First Canto Published** | 1962 (Delhi, India) | | **Complete Set** | 1965–1977 (18 volumes) | | **Cantos** | 12 (10 completed by Prabhupāda) | | **Verses** | 18,000 | | **Language** | Sanskrit with English translation | **Download:** [Original Edition Scans](https://krishna.org/srimad-bhagavatam-original-edition-pdf-download/) --- ## From the Preface *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* is the transcendental science not only for knowing the ultimate source of everything but also for knowing our relation with Him and our duty toward perfection of the human society on the basis of this perfect knowledge. It is powerful reading matter in the Sanskrit language, and it is now rendered into English elaborately so that simply by a careful reading one will know God perfectly well, so much so that the reader will be sufficiently educated to defend himself from the onslaught of atheists. Over and above this, the reader will be able to convert others to accepting God as a concrete principle. *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* begins with the definition of the ultimate source. It is a bona fide commentary on the *Vedānta-sūtra* by the same author, Śrīla Vyāsadeva, and gradually it develops into nine cantos up to the highest state of God realization. The only qualification one needs to study this great book of transcendental knowledge is to proceed step by step cautiously and not jump forward haphazardly like with an ordinary book. It should be gone through chapter by chapter, one after another. The Tenth Canto is distinct from the first nine cantos because it deals directly with the transcendental activities of the Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa. One will be unable to capture the effects of the Tenth Canto without going through the first nine cantos. The book is complete in twelve cantos, each independent, but it is good for all to read them in small installments one after another. — *[[sb/0a|Preface]], Delhi, December 15, 1962* --- ## The Structure > [!summary] > Each verse in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is presented with: - **Sanskrit text** in Devanagari script - **Roman transliteration** for pronunciation - **Word-for-word synonyms** (anvaya) - **English translation** - **Elaborate purport** explaining the philosophical significance