ABSTRACT
The earliest reference to the selection of four verses (i.e. 2.9.32–35) as the essence of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa is found in Śrīdhara Svāmī’s Bhāvārthabodhinī commentary on the Bhāgavata Purāṇa 2.9.43. 73 Jīva Gosvāmī follows this scheme in the Kramasandarbha, his commentary on the Bhāgavata Purāṇa. Since the Bhāgavata Purāṇa is central to Jīva Gosvāmī’s philosophy, and since he accepts these four verses as the essence of the Purāṇa, reading his commentary on these verses is vital to understanding Jīva’s metaphysical system. Jīva’s writing is sophisticated and highly technical; thus, even in translation, multiple readings are often necessary to understand his argument. Some of the concerns Jīva has in his commentary are to establish (1) that knowledge of Bhagavān, the Lord, is different from that of the jīva or individual self, (2) that Bhagavān is with qualities (saviśeṣa), and (3) that Bhagavān is always accompanied by His eternal associates.
