12 BOOKS Srimad-Bhagavatam, an epic philosophical and literary classic. The timeless wisdom of India is expressed in the Vedas, ancient Sanskrit texts that touch upon all realms of human knowledge and offer illuminating answers on everything from the nature of the self to the origin of the universe. Originally preserved through oral tradition, the Vedas were first written by Srila Vyasadeva, the “literary incarnation of God.” Known as “the ripened fruit from the tree of Vedic literature,” Srimad-Bhagavatam is the most complete and authoritative exposition of Vedic knowledge. This 18-chapter edition of Srimad-Bhagavatam is the only complete English translation with an extensive and scholarly commentary, and it is the first edition widely available to an English-speaking audience. This work is the product of the scholarly and devotional effort of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the world’s foremost teacher of Indian religious and philosophical thought.