17 h 7 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 17 h 7 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if stories of creation, kings and Krishna hold another meaning beneath their surface?
In A Study of the Bhâgavata Purâna; or, Esoteric Hinduism, Purnendu Narayana Sinha explores a sacred Hindu text through its hidden meanings. His study approaches its tales as spiritual teaching, guiding readers beyond the events themselves toward questions of devotion, creation and the nature of the world.
The Bhagavata Purana centers on Vishnu and his forms, above all Krishna. According to the text, worlds come into being, pass away and begin again. Sages and kings share its pages with Krishna’s childhood among the cowherds of Vrindavan. Sinha asks readers to consider the inner sense of these stories, not just their surface.
What you’ll discover
- Stories with an inner life Explore Sinha’s view that sacred tales carry spiritual meanings beyond the events they describe.
- Devotion at the center Meet bhakti, loving devotion to a personal God, at the heart of the Purana.
- Worlds that begin again Consider the vast, cyclical vision of time that shapes the text’s accounts of creation.
- Krishna among the cowherds Approach stories of Krishna’s childhood, play and closeness to the cowherd women of Vrindavan.
- A tradition of reading Discover a sacred work that inspires commentary, devotional movements and public recitation across centuries.
Who will love it
You will enjoy this if you love sacred stories, cosmic maps and the thought behind them. It suits readers curious about Krishna, devotion and Hindu ideas of time.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A dying king asks what matters
- Knowledge becomes whole through love
- Meditation moves toward the heart
- Creation reveals divine service
- Devotion frees the clinging mind
- Pride and faith lead apart
- Surrender matters more than possession
- Krishna turns play into worship
- Let devotion guide daily duty
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- Large print hardcover
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A Study of the Bhâgavata Purâna; or, Esoteric Hinduism
by Pürnendu Narayana Sinha · 1901
A king has seven days to live, and a sixteen-year-old sage arrives to teach him everything about God.
Medium level10–20 hours to readEnglish
Excellent
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In short
A king has been cursed to die in seven days. He leaves his throne, sits on the bank of the Ganges among the great sages, and asks what a dying person should do.
A Study of the Bhâgavata Purâna; or, Esoteric Hinduism at a glance
- Reading time
- About 10 h 10 min8 h 5 min fast, 12 h 5 min slow
- Length
- 145,000 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1901by Pürnendu Narayana Sinha
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Vyasa finishes his work and still feels incomplete
Veda Vyasa has gathered the meaning of the Vedas into the Mahabharata and opened sacred knowledge to everyone. Still, as he sits on the bank of the Sarasvati, his heart feels heavy. Then the wandering sage Narada appears and asks what is wrong.
Narada is frank. The Gita teaches duty, but it says little about the grandeur of the higher planes and Bhagavan. Duty alone leaves a person attached to the ordinary world. Only a picture of that grandeur can create holy attachment, called Bhakti. So he tells Vyasa to sing the glory of Vasudeva.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1901
- Language
- English
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Sinha, Pürnendu Narayana. A Study of the Bhâgavata Purâna; or, Esoteric Hinduism. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-study-of-the-bhagavata-purana-or-esoteric-hinduism.
Sinha, P. N. (2026). A study of the Bhâgavata Purâna; or, esoteric Hinduism. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-study-of-the-bhagavata-purana-or-esoteric-hinduism (Original work published 1901)
Sinha, Pürnendu Narayana. A Study of the Bhâgavata Purâna; or, Esoteric Hinduism. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-study-of-the-bhagavata-purana-or-esoteric-hinduism.
@book{sinha2026study,
author = {Sinha, Pürnendu Narayana},
title = {A Study of the Bhâgavata Purâna; or, Esoteric Hinduism},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-study-of-the-bhagavata-purana-or-esoteric-hinduism},
note = {First published 1901}
}
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What is the Bhagavata Purana about?
It tells of God as Bhagavan, from the making of the universe through the cycles of time to the lives of sages, kings and Avatars. Its tenth book gives the fullest account of Krishna and the call to devotion.
Who is Suka and who is Parikshit?
Parikshit is a king cursed to die in seven days. Suka is the young sage, son of Vyasa, who appears on the bank of the Ganges and recites the Purana to him over those days.
What are Skandhas and Avataras?
Skandhas are the twelve books of the Purana. An Avatara is a descent of Vishnu into the world, such as the Boar, Rama or Krishna, to restore order and protect those who are devoted.
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