Bhagwat Puran First Skandh: How the Bhagwat Began, Kunti's Prayer and Parikshit

The first skandh is the doorway to the Bhagwat. It explains why the Bhagwat was composed, which are the avatars of God, and how the situation arose in which Shukadeva told this story to King Parikshit.

Chapters 1 to 3: the sages' question and the avatars

At Naimisharanya, Shaunaka and the sages asked Suta ji: "What is the good of people in the Kali age? Why did God take avatars? And with Krishna gone to his abode, where has dharma taken refuge?" Suta ji said the highest dharma is that which brings selfless, unbroken devotion to God.

Then the avatars are listed: the Kumaras, Varaha, Narada, Nara-Narayana, Kapila, Dattatreya, Yajna, Rishabhadeva, Prithu, Matsya, Kurma, Dhanvantari, Mohini, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Vyasa, Rama, Balarama, Krishna, Buddha and Kalki. "Ete chamsha kalah pumsah krishnas tu bhagavan svayam": all these are portions of the Lord, but Krishna is the Lord himself (1.3.28).

Chapters 4 to 6: Vyasa's unrest and Narada's story

Even after dividing the Vedas and writing the Mahabharata and the Puranas, Vyasa's mind was restless. Narada came and said: "You have described dharma, but you have not openly sung of the Lord's leelas and of devotion; that is why your mind has no peace."

Narada told the story of his own former life: he was the son of a maidservant. As a boy, serving sages during the four months of the rains, he ate their leftovers and heard their katha, and his heart was purified. After his mother died he went to the forest, glimpsed the Lord in meditation, and a voice said: "You will not see me again in this life, but in the next you will be my attendant." Hearing this, Vyasa composed the Bhagwat.

Chapter 7: Ashvatthama punished

At the end of the war Ashvatthama killed Draupadi's five sons in their sleep. Arjuna captured him and brought him before her. Even facing her sons' killer, Draupadi said: "Do not kill him; he is our teacher's son. Let his mother not suffer as I do." At Krishna's word Arjuna took the jewel from his forehead, shaved his head and let him go.

Chapter 8: Kunti's prayer

After protecting the child in Uttara's womb from Ashvatthama's weapon, as Krishna prepared to leave for Dwarka, Mother Kunti praised him and asked for a famous boon: "Vipadah santu tah shashvat tatra tatra jagadguro, bhavato darshanam yat syad apunar bhava darshanam": let calamities come to us again and again, Lord of the world, for in them we see you, and seeing you ends rebirth (1.8.25).

Chapter 9: Bhishma's passing

Yudhishthira and Krishna went to Bhishma on his bed of arrows. Bhishma taught Yudhishthira dharma, then, praising Krishna and meditating on him, gave up his body in the northern course of the sun, remembering how in battle Krishna had even broken his own vow not to take up arms, for Bhishma's sake.

Chapters 10 to 15: Krishna returns to Dwarka; the Pandavas depart

Krishna returned to Dwarka to a joyous welcome. Parikshit was born to Uttara; having seen the Lord in the womb, he searched for Him in everyone, hence his name, "the examiner". Vidura returned from pilgrimage, taught Dhritarashtra and Gandhari detachment and led them to the forest. When news came of Krishna's departure, the Pandavas gave the kingdom to Parikshit and set out on their last journey to the Himalayas.

Chapters 16 to 19: Parikshit, Kali and the curse

One day King Parikshit saw a man (Kali) beating a bull (dharma) and a cow (the earth); the bull had only one leg, truth, left. Parikshit was about to kill Kali, who begged for refuge. The king allowed him five places: gambling, liquor, illicit relations, violence, and gold (ill-gotten wealth).

Once, thirsty after hunting, Parikshit reached the hermitage of the sage Shamika, who sat in meditation and did not answer. Under the influence of Kali, who sat in his golden crown, the angry king draped a dead snake round the sage's neck. The sage's son Shringi cursed that the king would die of Takshaka's bite on the seventh day. Repenting, Parikshit handed the kingdom to Janamejaya and sat on the bank of the Ganga, giving up food and water. Many sages came, and then Shukadeva, sixteen years old, unclad, a supreme renunciate. Parikshit asked: "What should one do whose death is near?" Here the Bhagwat katha begins.

What this skandh teaches

• Even after knowledge and action, the mind finds peace only in the love of God.
• Through satsang and service the son of a maidservant became the divine sage Narada.
• Draupadi's forgiveness: even in her own grief she thought of another mother's grief.
• Sorrow is a chance to remember God; Kunti asked for calamities.
• A moment's anger can bring great consequences, but sincere repentance can turn even that to good.