Bhagavata Purana

1. Canto 1 – Creation
2. Canto 2 – The Cosmic Manifestation
3. Canto 3 – The Status Quo
4. Canto 4 – The Creation of the Fourth Order
5. Canto 5 – The Creative impetus
6. Canto 6 – Prescribed duties for mankind
7. Canto 7 – The Science of God
8. Canto 8 – Withdrawal of Cosmic Creations
9. Canto 9 – Liberation
10. Canto 10 – The Summum Bonnum
11. Canto 11 – General History
12. Canto 12 – The Age of Deterioration

The above Canto headings are taken from www.srimadbhagavatam.org, which also features a good translation of this Purana.

This Purana is narrated by sage Suta to other sages assembled in the forest of Naimsaranya during a great (thousand-year) sacrifice being conducted there.

Canto 1

The sages ask Suta to narrate the glory of Vishnu – The Protector of his incarnation as Krishna – An Incarnation of Vishnu and of how salvation may be attained. Suta tells them of the glory of the divine, of Krishna – An Incarnation of Vishnu, who is the source of all creation. He then narrates how sage Vyasa – Composer of the Mahabharata was asked by sage Narada to compose this Bhagavata Purana. Then he tells the story of how Ashwatthama was punished for his wicked acts at the end of the great war in the Mahabharata. He had tried to exterminate the race of Kurus, but the child Parikshit – Son of Abhimanyu was revived by Kunti – Mother of Karna, Yudhishtra, Bheema and Arjuna at the behest of Kunti – Mother of Karna, Yudhishtra, Bheema and Arjuna. Next, he tells of Bhishma‘s death, in the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the presense of Krishna – An Incarnation of Vishnu. Next, the narrative turns to the departure of King Dhritharashtra to the forest, and to the disappearance of Lord Krishna – An Incarnation of Vishnu. He then tells of how King Parikshit – Son of Abhimanyu ascended to the throne after the Pandavas – The Five Sons of Pandus retired to the Himalayas. The advent of the final era, the Kali Yuga is described. When King Parikshit – Son of Abhimanyu insults a Rishi, the son of that sage curses that the King will die, bitten by a snake. The King repents his rash act and resolves to do meritorious deeds before his death. He is collects wise seers to tell him about the glory of God. Shuka – Son of Vyasa, the son of sage Vyasa – Composer of the Mahabharata also comes there.

Canto 2

In this Canto, Shuka – Son of Vyasa extolls the virtues of devotion to Lord Krishna – An Incarnation of Vishnu, in response to a question from King Parikshit – Son of Abhimanyu. The creation of worlds by Narayana – The Lord Himself (Krishna – An Incarnation of Vishnu) is retold, as having been originally described by Lord Brahma himself to sage Narada. Some philosophical questions are answered in the form of dialogue between the creator and sage Narada. Lord Brahma then gives a brief descriptions of all the avatars (incarnations) of Lord Vishnu – The Protector that have taken place so far, as well as those that will take place in the future. These do not strictly correspond to the ten avatars commonly attributed to Lord Vishnu – The Protector. This canto concludes with Shuka – Son of Vyasa describing the Bhagavatam as the answer to all questions. According to him, it contains answers about: the creatio of the universe, the secondary creation, the different worlds, support by the Lord, the creation drive, the changes of Manus, following divine instruction, returning to God, finding liberation and the description of the actions of Lord Krishna – An Incarnation of Vishnu.