Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 1
Bhāgavata-Māhātmya and the Complete Summary of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
सूत उवाच नमो धर्माय महते नम: कृष्णाय वेधसे । ब्रह्मणेभ्यो नमस्कृत्य धर्मान् वक्ष्ये सनातनान् ॥ १ ॥
sūta uvāca namo dharmāya mahate namaḥ kṛṣṇāya vedhase brahmaṇebhyo namaskṛtya dharmān vakṣye sanātanān
Sūta Gosvāmī said: Offering my obeisances to the supreme religious principle, devotional service; to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the supreme creator; and to all the brāhmaṇas, I shall now describe the eternal principles of religion.
In this Twelfth Chapter of the Twelfth Canto, Sūta Gosvāmī will summarize all the topics of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, beginning from the First Canto.
FAQs
This verse introduces dharma as “sanātana”—timeless principles—spoken after offering reverence to Dharma, to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and to the brāhmaṇas, indicating dharma is rooted in divine order and sacred transmission.
Sūta frames his teaching as authorized and devotional: he honors Kṛṣṇa as the supreme ordainer and the brāhmaṇas as custodians of Vedic wisdom, then proceeds to speak dharma in that spirit of humility and legitimacy.
Begin learning and sharing spiritual knowledge with humility—honor righteousness, seek guidance from realized teachers, and remember Kṛṣṇa as the ultimate source of order—so your practice aligns with enduring dharma rather than passing trends.