SB 3.8.2 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

सोऽहं नृणां क्षुल्लसुखाय दु:खं महद्‌गतानां विरमाय तस्य । प्रवर्तये भागवतं पुराणं यदाह साक्षाद्भगवानृषिभ्य: ॥ २ ॥

Verse text

so ’haṁ nṛṇāṁ kṣulla-sukhāya duḥkhaṁ mahad gatānāṁ viramāya tasya pravartaye bhāgavataṁ purāṇaṁ yad āha sākṣād bhagavān ṛṣibhyaḥ

Synonyms

saḥ — that ; aham — I ; nṛṇām — of the human being ; kṣulla — very little ; sukhāya — for happiness ; duḥkham — distress ; mahat — great ; gatānām — entered into ; viramāya — for mitigation ; tasya — his ; pravartaye — in beginning ; bhāgavatam — Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam ; purāṇam — Vedic supplement ; yat — which ; āha — said ; sākṣāt — directly ; bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead ; ṛṣibhyaḥ — unto the sages .

Translation

Let me now begin speaking on the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, which was directly spoken to the great sages by the Personality of Godhead for the benefit of those who are entangled in extreme miseries for the sake of very little pleasure.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

I explain this Bhāgavata Purāṇa, spoke by the Lord to the sages, for removing the suffering of persons who have fallen into great distress by seeking insignificant happiness. The answers to all of your questions are found in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa. I will tell you the glories of this work. That famous disciple of Parāśara (saḥ), I (aham) spoke this work to remove the suffering of hell (tasya) for men who have fallen into great distress for insignificant material pleasure. You have said: sukhāya karmāṇi karoti loko na taiḥ sukhaṁ vānyad-upāramaṁ vā vindeta bhūyas tata eva duḥkhaṁ yad atra yuktaṁ bhagavān vaden naḥ O sage! Men in this world engage in action for material happiness, but do not attain happiness and do not destroy distress. Nor do they become detached. Rather by this, they increase their suffering. You know everything. Therefore please tell my about this. SB 3.5.2 This Bhāgavatam is a suitable answer to your first question.

Purport

The sage Maitreya proposed to speak on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam because it was especially compiled, and traditionally comes down in the disciplic succession, for the solution of all the problems of human society. Only one who is fortunate can have the opportunity to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the association of pure devotees of the Lord. Under the spell of material energy, the living entities are entrapped in the bondage of many difficulties simply for the sake of a little bit of material happiness. They engage in fruitive activities, not knowing the implications. Under the false impression that the body is the self, the living entities foolishly relate to so many false attachments. They think that they can engage with materialistic paraphernalia forever. This gross misconception of life is so strong that a person suffers continually, life after life, under the external energy of the Lord. If one comes in contact with the book Bhāgavatam as well as with the devotee bhāgavata, who knows what the Bhāgavatam is, then such a fortunate man gets out of the material entanglement. Therefore Śrī Maitreya Muni, out of compassion for the suffering men in the world, proposes to speak on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam first and last.