kathaá¹ vÄ pÄṇá¸aveyasya
rÄjará¹£er muninÄ saha
saá¹vÄdaḥ samabhÅ«t tÄta
yatraiá¹£Ä sÄtvatÄ« Å›rutiḥ
katham - how is it; vÄ - also; pÄṇá¸aveyasya - of the descendant of PÄṇá¸u (ParÄ«ká¹£it); rÄjará¹£eḥ - of the king who was a sage; muninÄ - with the muni; saha - with; saá¹vÄdaḥ - discussion; samabhÅ«t - took place; tÄta - O darling; yatra - whereupon; eá¹£Ä - like this; sÄtvatÄ« - transcendental; Å›rutiḥ - essence of the Vedas.
How did it so happen that King ParÄ«ká¹£it met this great sage, making it possible for this great transcendental essence of the Vedas [BhÄgavatam] to be sung to him?
ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam is stated here as the essence of the Vedas. It is not an imaginary story as it is sometimes considered by unauthorized men. It is also called Åšuka-saá¹hitÄ, or the Vedic hymn spoken by ÅšrÄ« Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ«, the great liberated sage.
