Bhāgavatam Mahimā — The Glory, Measure, Transmission, and Gift of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
ब्राह्मं दशसहस्राणि पाद्मं पञ्चोनषष्टि च । श्रीवैष्णवं त्रयोविंशच्चतुर्विंशति शैवकम् ॥ ४ ॥ दशाष्टौ श्रीभागवतं नारदं पञ्चविंशति । मार्कण्डं नव वाह्नं च दशपञ्च चतु:शतम् ॥ ५ ॥ चतुर्दश भविष्यं स्यात्तथा पञ्चशतानि च । दशाष्टौ ब्रह्मवैवर्तं लैङ्गमेकादशैव तु ॥ ६ ॥ चतुर्विंशति वाराहमेकाशीतिसहस्रकम् । स्कान्दं शतं तथा चैकं वामनं दश कीर्तितम् ॥ ७ ॥ कौर्मं सप्तदशाख्यातं मात्स्यं तत्तु चतुर्दश । एकोनविंशत्सौपर्णं ब्रह्माण्डं द्वादशैव तु ॥ ८ ॥ एवं पुराणसन्दोहश्चतुर्लक्ष उदाहृत: । तत्राष्टदशसाहस्रं श्रीभागवतमिष्यते ॥ ९ ॥
brāhmaṁ daśa sahasrāṇi pādmaṁ pañcona-ṣaṣṭi ca śrī-vaiṣṇavaṁ trayo-viṁśac catur-viṁśati śaivakam
El Brahma Purāṇa consta de 10.000 versos; el Padma Purāṇa, de 55.000; el Śrī Viṣṇu Purāṇa, de 23.000; el Śiva Purāṇa, de 24.000; y el Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, de 18.000. El Nārada Purāṇa tiene 25.000; el Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, 9.000; el Agni Purāṇa, 15.400; el Bhaviṣya Purāṇa, 14.500; el Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa, 18.000; y el Liṅga Purāṇa, 11.000. El Varāha Purāṇa contiene 24.000; el Skanda Purāṇa, 81.100; el Vāmana Purāṇa, 10.000; el Kūrma Purāṇa, 17.000; el Matsya Purāṇa, 14.000; el Garuḍa Purāṇa, 19.000; y el Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa, 12.000. Así, el total de versos en los Purāṇas es 400.000; y 18.000 pertenecen al sagrado Bhāgavatam.
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has quoted from the Matsya Purāṇa as follows:
In Canto 12, Chapter 13, Sūta Gosvāmī lists the Purāṇas and states their traditional śloka totals—here giving the counts for the Vārāha, Skanda, and Vāmana Purāṇas.
He was summarizing the Purāṇic corpus to situate Śrīmad Bhāgavatam within the broader Vedic literature and to highlight its recognized place and stature.
It encourages a disciplined approach to sacred study—recognizing the vastness of Vedic literature while valuing focused hearing and reading of core texts like Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.