Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.1.7

yāni veda-vidām śreshtho

bhagavān bādarāyanah

anye ca munayah sūta

parāvara-vido viduh

SYNONYMS

yāni — all that; veda-vidām — scholars of the Vedas; śreshthah — seniormost; bhagavān — incarnation of Godhead; bādarāyanah — Vyāsadeva; anye — others; ca — and; munayah — the sages; sūta — O Sūta Gosvāmī; parāvara-vidah — amongst the learned scholars, one who is conversant with physical and metaphysical knowledge; viduh — one who knows.

TRANSLATION

Being the eldest learned Vedāntist, O Sūta Gosvāmī, you are acquainted with the knowledge of Vyāsadeva, who is the incarnation of Godhead, and you also know other sages who are fully versed in all kinds of physical and metaphysical knowledge.

PURPORT

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is a natural commentation on the Brahma-sūtra, or the Bādarāyani Vedānta-sūtras. It is called natural because Vyāsadeva is author of both the Vedānta-sūtras and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, or the essence of all Vedic literatures. Besides Vyāsadeva, there are other sages who are the authors of six different philosophical systems, namely Gautama, Kanāda, Kapila, Patañjali, Jaimini and Ashtāvakra. Theism is explained completely in the Vedānta-sūtra, whereas in other systems of philosophical speculations, practically no mention is given to the ultimate cause of all causes. One can sit on the vyāsāsana only after being conversant in all systems of philosophy so that one can present fully the theistic views of the Bhāgavatam in defiance of all other systems. Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī was the proper teacher, and therefore the sages at Naimishāranya elevated him to the vyāsāsana. Śrīla Vyāsadeva is designated herein as the Personality of Godhead because he is the authorized empowered incarnation.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness