12 verses
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam describes the Supreme Lord, soul of the universe, from whose satisfaction Brahmā is born and from whose anger Rudra takes birth.
O King! Give up the animal mentality, thinking I will die. You have never been born, you were previously not non-existent, and you will not be destroyed in the future like your body.
The teachings on jñāna begin. The word tu indicates a different subject. Mariṣye should be mariṣyāmi. Give up the intelligence of animals. Destroy that with discrimination.
taṁ mopayātaṁ pratiyantu viprā
gaḍgā ca devī dhṛta-cittam īśe
dvijopasṛṣṭaḥ kuhakas takṣako vā
daśatv alaṁ gāyata viṣṇu-gāthāḥ
The brāhmaṇas and Gaḍgā-devī should know that I am surrendered, and have dedicated my heart to the Lord. Let the snake released by the brāhmaṇa, even if it is an imposter, bite me. Please sing topics concerning the Lord. SB 1.19.15
Since Parīkṣit had promised to dedicate himself to hearing Bhāgavatam, he cannot be accused of having animal intelligence. Thus these teaching on jñāna are not meant for Parīkṣit but for others who have animal intelligence. Since Parīkṣit is his disciple, he addresses him, though it is meant for others. Similarly Kṛṣṇa addresses Arjuna in the Gītā, though the teachings are meant for all people. The discrimination is described. Your body did not exist previously, now it exists and in the future it will be destroyed. But you are not born, and you were not previously non-existent. Nor will you die. You are jīvātmā, different from the material covering. This is not unfavorable for bhakti.
You will not take birth again in the form of your sons and grandsons, like a sprout taking birth from a seed and then generating a new seed. Rather, you are entirely distinct from the material body and its paraphernalia, in the same way that fire is distinct from its fuel.
Though bodies are continually born, the ātmā is not born repeatedly. You will not be born as your sons and grandsons. Śruti says aḍgād aḍgāt sambhavasi hṛdayāt abhijāyase ātmā vai putranāmāsi saṁjīva śaradah śatam: you are born from the limbs, you are born from the heart; you are born as your sons name-- live for a hundred years. Like a sprout from a seed, a body takes the form of a child. From the spout comes another seed, which produces a grandson. But you are not like this, since the ātmā is different from the material covering, just as a flame is different from the wood it burns. A body is born from another body, but the ātmā is not like this.
In a dream, one can see his own head being cut off and thus understand that his actual self is standing apart from the dream experience. Similarly, while awake, the ātmā sees his body, a product of the five material elements. Therefore the ātmā is unborn and without death.
The difference of the ātmā from the body which undergoes birth and death is shown by an example. One cannot actually witness ones head being cut off. Thus the separate ātmā is the seer in this case. In the waking state a separate being sees the body made of five elements. Therefore (tatah) the ātmā is without birth and without death.
When a pot is broken, the portion of sky within the pot becomes sky element as before. In the same way, when the gross and subtle bodies die, the living entity becomes Brahman as before.
When one attains jñāna, the covering of the subtle body difficult to destroy is dissolved. An example used by the ekātma-vādīs is given. When a pot is broken the ether in the pot becomes part of the great ether as previously, before the pot was made.
When the body dies, being dissolved by jñāna has another, esoteric meaning. The jīva and Paramātmā are both seen functioning in the body. When the subtle body is dissolved, both jīva and Paramātmā become liberated. Can we not say this? No. Paramātmā is free of covering in the three aspects of time. An example is given. As the ether exists even at present in the pot, when the pot is broken, it exists uncovered. Since the ether is present inside and outside the pot, how can the pot cover it? That is the meaning. Though the body is present, and not dead, Paramātmā (brahma) who is different from the jīva (ajīvaḥ)1, who pervades everywhere, remains as before.
The material bodies, qualities and activities of the ātmā, are created by the material mind. That mind is itself created by māyā. Because of the upādhis, the ātmā assumes material existence.
The method of how the covering consisting of the body, made of māyā, is produced is described, in order that it can be destroyed by knowledge. The mind creates the body of the ātmā.
yato yato dhāvati daiva-coditaṁ
mano vikārātmakam āpa pañcasu
guṇeṣu māyā-raciteṣu dehy asau
prapadyamānaḥ saha tena jāyate
At the time of death, according to the thinking, feeling and willing of the mind, which is involved in fruitive activities, one receives a particular body. In other words, the body develops according to the activities of the mind. Changes of body are due to the flickering of the mind, for otherwise the soul could remain in its original, spiritual body. SB 10.1.42
And the māyā creates the mind. From all of these upādhis or limitations starting with māyā (tataḥ), saṁsāra of the jīva takes.
A flame functions as such only by the combination of its fuel, vessel, wick and fire. Similarly, saṁsāra is composed of karma, the mind, the body and consciousness. Saṁsāra related to accepting the body appears and disappears by the actions of rajas, sattva and tamas.
An example is given. The transformation of light into a flame takes place by oil, a vessel, a wick and application of fire. Oil represents karma. The vessel represents the mind. The wick represents the body. Fire represents the imposition of consciousness. The lamp represents saṁsāra. Saṁsāra (bhavaḥ) related to accepting a body (deha-kṛtaḥ) arises and disappears by the actions of the guṇas.
The ātmā is not subject to creation and destruction. It is different from the gross and subtle bodies since it is self-luminous. Like the ether, it is the support for everything. It is without change, without end, and beyond comparison.
Saṁsāra like the lamp should be destroyed but the ātmā, like light, should not be destroyed. Where does the ātmā appear in saṁsāra? The ātmā is not involved in creation and destruction like bodies. Ātmā is different from the gross and subtle bodies of the jīva since it is self-luminous, self-revealing. Thus the basis of the body which is made of matter is without change (dhruvaḥ). It has no end (ananta) and nothing can compare to it (upamaḥ). The hidden meaning is as follows. What is superior to cause and effect is the final cause, Paramātmā (instead of ātmā or Brahman). Like the ether it is the basis of everything.
O King! By constantly meditating upon Vāsudeva, by using the mind and intelligence for inferring the souls existence, you should carefully consider your true self situated within the material coverings.
Carefully consider by the mind (ātmanā) the soul situated in the upādhis such as the body, using inferences for the ātmās existence through intelligence, as well as meditation on Vāsudeva.
The snake-bird Takṣaka, sent by the curse of the brāhmaṇa, will not burn your true self. The agents of death will never burn you who are capable of killing the servants of death.
Takṣaka will not burn you, the ātmā, different from your body. What to speak of Takṣaka, even death personified will not burn you. The esoteric meaning is as follows. You are independent of the body (īśvaram) since you are liberated from upādhis and you are the destroyer (mṛtyum) of obstacles to bhakti (mṛtyunām). Coming to you, the curse of the brāhmaṇa and other obstacles to bhakti will be destroyed.
daśantaṁ takṣakaṁ pāde lelihānaṁ viṣānanaiḥ na drakṣyasi śarīraṁ ca viśvaṁ ca pṛthag ātmanaḥ
I am that Brahman, the supreme state of being. Brahman is I, the supreme position. 2 Considering this, place yourself in the Brahman devoid of upādhis. You will not see Takṣaka biting your foot with fire and poison, and licking it with his tongue. You will not see your body or the universe to be separate from Brahman.
In two verses the method of deliberation and the bite of Takṣka are described. By thinking I am that Brahman, not a person in saṁsāra one can eliminate lamentation. By thinking Brahman is I, I am Brahman one can eliminate the invisibility of Brahman (one can attain realization of Brahman). You should place yourself in the Brahman (ātmani) free of upādhis (niṣkale).
The esoteric meaning is I am the spiritual particle (dhāma) of the Supreme Lord who is like the sun. Amara-koṣa says dhāma means body, house, splendor and beauty. I am the worshipper of Brahman (brahma-param). An example of para with this meaning is nārāyaṇa-paro vipraḥ: the brāhmaṇa is a worshipper of Nārāyaṇa. Brahma aham means I belong to the Supreme Lord. This is tat-puruṣa compound with a possessive meaning. Seeing the lotus feet of the Lord or his svarūpa (paramam padam), you should surrender yourself to Paramātmā, Kṛṣṇa, with a niṣka ornament on his chest (niṣkale).
You will not see Takṣaka, biting while pressing his two lips and relishing with his tongue, with fire combined with poison. You will not see your body bitten by the snake or the universe different from yourself. The other meaning is You will not see all this because you will be fainting with bliss from directly seeing the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.
Beloved King Parīkṣit, I have narrated to you the topics you originally inquired aboutthe pastimes of the Hari, the soul of the universe. Now, what more do you wish to hear?
I have spoken to you about jñāna, about which you did not inquire. I have previously given the answers to what you (ātmā) asked me concerning the pastimes of the Lord. He again asks Parīkṣit, in order to proclaim the perfection of his disciple.
Thus ends the commentary on the Fifth Chapter of the Twelfth Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.
In the Fifth Chapter Śukadeva teaches Parīkṣit about Brahman in order to hide the real meaning of Bhāgavatam.
Having completed the Bhāgavatam, Śukadeva considered the matter within himself. Ah! It is improper that I have disclosed from my heart the great jewel among secrets and made it visible to all people. The Lord has said that this bhakti is the king of knowledge and the king of secret: rāja-vidyā raja-guhyam. (BG 9.2) In this scripture I have explicitly revealed out of great mercy to Parīkṣit a subject which is the most secret: sarva-guhyatamam. (BG 18.64) I have shown bhakti to award all results both by negative and positive statements.
akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ |
tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena yajeta puruṣaṁ param ||
The person desiring destruction of all desires, the person with all desires, even the person with the intense desire for liberation, if he has good intelligence, will worship the Supreme Lord with pure bhakti. SB 2.3.10
mukha-bāhūru-pādebhyaḥ puruṣasyāśramaiḥ saha
catvāro jajñire varṇā guṇair viprādayaḥ pṛthak
ya eṣāṁ puruṣaṁ sākṣād ātma-prabhavam īśvaram
na bhajanty avajānanti sthānād bhraṣṭāḥ patanty adhaḥ
Each of the four social orders, headed by the brāhmaṇas, was born through different combinations of the modes of nature, from the face, arms, thighs and feet of the Supreme Lord in his universal form, along with the āśramas. If any of the members of the four varṇas and four āśramas fail to worship the Lord, who is the source of their own creation, they will fall down from their āśrama. SB 11.5.2-3
Karma, which bestows Svarga, is definitely rejected. And famous jñāna, which bestows liberation, is rejected.
naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ
na śobhate jñānam alaṁ nirañjanam
kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvare
na cārpitaṁ karma yad apy akāraṇam
Even the stage of jñāna without the bondage of karma is not glorious because it is devoid of bhakti to the Supreme Lord. What is the use of having destroyed ignorance? What to speak of sakāma-karma which is suffering during practice and perfection, and niṣkāma-karma, when not offered to the Lord? SB 1.5.12
Even jñānī sannyāsīs are rejected in .SB 11.5.3 quoted above. Practicing a tradition of jñāna without bhakti will not produce liberation.
ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas
tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ
āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ
patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aḍghrayaḥ
O lotus-eyed Lord, although nondevotees who accept severe austerities and penances to achieve the highest position may think themselves liberated, their intelligence is impure. They fall down from their position of imagined superiority because they have no regard for your lotus feet. SB 10.2.32
Since one attains liberation by bhakti without performance of jñāna, jñāna is not the exclusive process for attaining liberation:
yat karmabhir yat tapasā jñāna-vairāgyataś ca yat
yogena dāna-dharmeṇa śreyobhir itarair api
sarvaṁ mad-bhakti-yogena mad-bhakto labhate 'ñjasā
svargāpavargaṁ mad-dhāma kathañcid yadi vāñchati
Everything that can be achieved by fruitive activities, penance, knowledge, detachment, mystic yoga, charity, religious duties and all other means of perfecting life is easily achieved by my devotee through loving service unto me. If somehow or other my devotee desires promotion to heaven, liberation, or residence in my abode, he easily achieves such benedictions. SB 11.20.32-33
One may protest that jñāna is well known for producing liberation. One should understand that bhakti within jñāna, though acting as minor element, produces liberation. Jñāna is a producer of liberation in name only. Even performing jñāna along with bhakti for liberation is not recommended. Bhaktyāham ekayā grāhyaḥ: I am only achieved by bhakti.
nāsāṁ dvijāti-saṁskāro na nivāso gurāv api
na tapo nātma-mīmāṁsā na śaucaṁ na kriyāḥ śubhāḥ
These women have never undergone the purificatory rites of the twice-born classes, nor have they lived as brahmacārīs in the āśrama of a spiritual master, nor have they executed austerities, speculated on the nature of the self, followed the formalities of cleanliness or engaged in pious rituals. SB 10.23.43
kiṁ vā yogena sāḍkhyena nyāsa-svādhyāyayor api
kiṁ vā śreyobhir anyaiś ca na yatrātma-prado hariḥ
What is the use of yoga, sāḍkhya, sannyāsa, study of the Vedas, other auspicious acts, in which the Lord does not give realization of himself? SB 4.21.12
The practice of bhakti is recommended through upakrama (proposal), upasaṁhāra (conclusion) and abhyāsa (repetition). Including jñāna and yoga here and therein the text is only to teach the devotees about these philosophies and to show the superiority of bhakti. By performing even a small amount of bhakti one gains liberation:
yan-nāmadheya-śravaṇānukīrtanād
yat-prahvaṇād yat-smaraṇād api kvacit
śvādo 'pi sadyaḥ savanāya kalpate
kutaḥ punas te bhagavan nu darśanāt
By hearing or chanting your name, by offering respects to you, by occasional remembrance of you, even the dog-eater immediately becomes qualified for performing the soma sacrifice. O Lord! What then to speak of the person who sees you? SBG 3.33.6
aho bata śva-paco 'to garīyān
yaj-jihvāgre vartate nāma tubhyam
tepus tapas te juhuvuḥ sasnur āryā
brahmānūcur nāma gṛṇanti ye te
How astonishing! The outcaste on the tip of whose tongue is your name is the guru! All those who chant your name, most respectable, have completed all austerities, all sacrifices, all bathing and all study of the Vedas. SB 3.33.7
na hi bhagavann aghaṭitam idaṁ
tvad-darśanān nṛṇām akhila-pāpa-kṣayaḥ
yan-nāma sakṛc chravaṇāt
pukkaśo 'pi vimucyate saṁsārāt
O Lord! Nothing is impossible for you. Just from seeing you all my sins have been destroyed. By hearing one of your names once, even the outcaste is delivered from the material world. SB 6.16.44
It has been concluded by Uddhava and me that there is no other process of liberation from saṁsāra except bhakti:
tāpa-trayeṇābhihitasya ghore
santapyamānasya bhavādhvanīha
paśyāmi nānyac charaṇaṁ tavāḍghri-
dvandvātapatrād amṛtābhivarṣāt
My dear Lord, for one who is being cruelly burned in the blazing fire of material miseries, having fallen into the network of material existence, I do not see any other possible shelter besides your two lotus feet, which are a shower of nectar extinguishing the fire of suffering. SB 11.19.9
saṁsāra-sindhum ati-dustaram uttitīrṣor
nānyaḥ plavo bhagavataḥ puruṣottamasya
līlā-kathā-rasa-niṣevaṇam antareṇa
puṁso bhaved vividha-duḥkha-davārditasya
For a person who is suffering in the fire of countless miseries and who desires to cross the insurmountable ocean of material existence, there is no suitable boat except cultivating the nectar of the narrations of the Supreme Lord's pastimes. SB 12.4.40
And in the following verses, liberation is derided as the goal of life, and bhakti is established by me as the crown jewel of human goals.
yasyām eva kavaya ātmānam avirataṁ vividha-vṛjina-saṁsāra-paritāpopatapyamānam anusavanaṁ snāpayantas tayaiva parayā nirvṛtyā hy apavargam ātyantikaṁ parama-puruṣārtham api svayam āsāditaṁ no evādriyante bhagavadīyatvenaiva parisamāpta-sarvārthāḥ.
The wise, suffering from various calamities of material life, continually bathe themselves in the lake of bhakti, and because of its intense bliss, they do not strive for liberation, the highest goal, which comes of its own accord since they have attained everything by being the servants of the Lord. SB 5.6.17
evaṁ dharmair manuṣyāṇām uddhavātma-nivedinām
mayi sañjāyate bhaktiḥ ko 'nyo 'rtho 'syāvaśiṣyate
By those processes, those human beings who have actually surrendered themselves to me automatically develop love for me. What other purpose or goal could remain for my devotee? SB 11.19.24
duravagamātma-tattva-nigamāya tavātta-tanoś carita-mahāmṛtābdhi-parivarta-pariśramaṇāḥ
na parilaṣanti kecid apavargam apīśvara te caraṇa-saroja-haṁsa-kula-saḍga-visṛṣṭa-gṛhāḥ
My Lord, some fortunate souls have gotten relief from the fatigue of material life by diving into the vast nectar ocean of your pastimes, which you enact when you manifest your personal forms to propagate the unfathomable science of the self. These rare souls, indifferent even to liberation, renounce the happiness of home and family because of their association with devotees who are like flocks of swans enjoying at the lotus of your feet. SB 10.87.21
yā nirvṛtis tanu-bhṛtāṁ tava pāda-padma-
dhyānād bhavaj-jana-kathā-śravaṇena vā syāt
sā brahmaṇi sva-mahimany api nātha mā bhūt
kiṁ tv antakāsi-lulitāt patatāṁ vimānāt
The bliss for your servant available from meditating on your lotus feet or from hearing about your pastimes from the devotees is not available in your form of greatness, Brahman, what to speak of the happiness for those who fall from the pleasures of Svarga. SB 4.9.10
nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati
svargāpavarga-narakeṣv api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ
Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of Nārāyaṇa never fear any condition of life. For them the heavenly planets, liberation and the hellish planets are all the same. SB 6.17.28
The authority of the words of other sages is relative, but the authority of my words is absolute. Let those words be famous everywhere, even in Vaikuṇṭha.
However, the Lord prefers some matters to be secret.
vedā brahmātma-viṣayās tri-kāṇòa-viṣayā ime
parokṣa-vādā ṛṣayaḥ parokṣaṁ mama ca priyam
The Vedas, divided into three divisions, ultimately reveal the living entity as pure spirit soul. The Vedic seers and mantras, however, express their meaning secretly, and I also am pleased by hiding those descriptions. SB 10.87.2
Since I have revealed the greatest secret, I have become not so dear to the Lord. What shall I do now? I have finished writing the Purāṇa. Let that be. Now I will try to hide the great secret of bhakti. Some one may impetuously show off a great, secret jewel to all people, and then, considering the matter, hide it in a box and place it in his treasure vault. He shows off another jewel, praising it as the ultimate jewel. Thus now I will teach jñāna to King Parīkṣit, so that people will think, Śukadeva is teaching Parīkṣit jñāna. By the influence of the Lords māyā they will think that jñāna is ultimate and bhakti is only a means to attain jñāna.
The Lord sometimes appears before the perfected devotees and tests them by offering them liberation. I will test the development of bhakti in my disciple Parīkṣit by teaching him jñāna. The wise should know that this test is for the purpose of announcing to the world the steadiness of Parīkṣits bhakti. The ignorant people will explain that the result of bhakti and jñāna is only liberation, but one should understand that this is not my intention, because I have said that compared to liberation bhakti is much greater:
rājan patir gurur alaṁ bhavatāṁ yadūnāṁ
daivaṁ priyaḥ kula-patiḥ kva ca kiḍkaro vaḥ
astv evam aḍga bhagavān bhajatāṁ mukundo
muktiṁ dadāti karhicit sma na bhakti-yogam
O King Parīkṣit! Kṛṣṇa was the protector, instructor, object of worship, giver of affection, and the leader of both clans. But he was sometimes your servant. The Lord gives liberation but not bhāva-bhakti to those who worship him. SB 5.6.18
One should not fear that Parīkṣit will attain impersonal liberation by the jñāna that I will teach. Sūta, my disciple, has understood my intentions, and will later express them:
sa vai mahā-bhāgavataḥ parīkṣid
yenāpavargākhyam adabhra-buddhiḥ
jñānena vaiyāsaki-śabditena
bheje khagendra-dhvaja-pāda-mūlam
Parīkṣit, the great devotee, with pure intelligence, attained liberation in the form of the feet of the Lord who possesses a flag marked with Garuòa, through knowledge spoken by Śukadeva. SB 1.18.16
And I have also indicated in SB 5.6.18 that Parīkṣit will attain prema-bhakti.
Realization of Brahman cannot be achieved by these teachings of ātmā separate from body. The Lord has said that bhakti conquers jñāna:
dravyaṁ deśaḥ phalaṁ kālo jñānaṁ karma ca kārakaḥ
śraddhāvasthākṛtir niṣṭhā trai-guṇyaḥ sarva eva hi
sarve guṇa-mayā bhāvāḥ puruṣāvyakta-dhiṣṭhitāḥ
dṛṣṭaṁ śrutaṁ anudhyātaṁ buddhyā vā puruṣarṣabha
etāḥ saṁsṛtayaḥ puṁso guṇa-karma-nibandhanāḥ
yeneme nirjitāḥ saumya guṇā jīvena citta-jāḥ
bhakti-yogena man-niṣṭho mad-bhāvāya prapadyate
Therefore material substance, place, result of activity, time, knowledge, work, the performer of work, faith, state of consciousness, species of life and destination after death are all based on the three modes of material nature.
O best of human beings, all states of material being are related to the interaction of the enjoying soul and material nature. Whether seen, heard of or only conceived within the mind, they are without exception constituted of the modes of nature.
O gentle Uddhava, all these items related to the guṇas and karma are causes of saṁsāra. The living entity conquers these guṇas, manifested from the mind, by bhakti-yoga. Dedicated only to me, he surrenders and attains a loving relation to me. SB 11. 25.30-32
The devotee does not have any desire for liberation, the goal of jñāna. The Lord himself says this:
jñāne karmaṇi yoge ca vārtāyāṁ daṇòa-dhāraṇe
yāvān artho nṛṇāṁ tāta tāvāṁs te 'haṁ catur-vidhaḥ
Through analytic knowledge, ritualistic work, mystic yoga, mundane business and political rule, people seek to advance in religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and liberation. But because you are my devotee, whatever men can accomplish in these multifarious ways you will very easily find within me. SB 11.29.33
Finally I will produce a work including teachings of jñāna, which will be like Mohinī avatāra, with different faces for different people, so that the demons will be cheated from drinking the nectar. In teaching about jñāna, I will utter words first with one meaning and then indicate another meaning smeared with bhakti-rasa to please the devotees. And then, by doing that, I will make all the elements of jñāna that are unfavorable for bhakti favorable for bhakti by including them in bhakti. In this way Śukadeva thought.
Atra means in concluding this work. Brahmā was born from the Lords pleasure. This means that Brahmā was born from the Lords sattva-guṇa. However Brahmā is not born from sattva but rajoguṇa. Śiva arose from anger. Since the Lord is beyond the guṇas, it is impossible that he can have anger or tamas as part of his svarūpa. Therefore these statements are exaggeration, with another meaning.
The Lord beyond the guṇas is pleased with his devotee who serves him. He is angry at those who harm the devotees. The pleasure and anger of the Lord are śuddha-sattva. Brahmā is an example of attaining good fortune from the Lords pleasure. He is the cause of the sādhana and sādhya (bhakti and prema). The devotees should strive for this. The cause of destruction of sādhana and sādhya is the Lords anger. One should strive to avoid this. This is the conclusion of the Purāṇa.
If Śukadeva completed the Purāṇa, why do we consider that First Canto and the remainder of the Twelfth Canto part of the Bhāgavatam? Just as the preliminary and concluding portions of a sacrifice are also called the sacrifice, or the introduction to the drama and blessings at the end of a drama are part of the drama, so the beginning and concluding parts of the Bhāgavatam are considered part of the Bhāgavatam. Consider the following statement:
gītā su-gītā kartavyā kim anyaiḥ śāstra-vistaraiḥ
yā svayaṁ padmanābhasya mukha-padmād viniḥsṛtā
One should recite the Gītā. What is the necessity of any other scripture, when the Gītā emanates from the lotus mouth of the Supreme Lord? Gītā-māhātmya 4
Though all eighteen chapters of the Gītā were not completely spoken by the Lord, they are said to be spoken by him in this statement. Similarly though the last part of the Twelfth Canto was not spoken by Śukadeva, it is also said to be spoken by him. This is the conclusion.