him out of the deadly grip of crocodile in a lake. The story goes that Pothana wrote the first line of the verse, but could not continue (because he did not know how vaikuntha looks!). So he paused the writing at that point, and went to farm (he was a cultivator by profession). When he came back in the evening, he saw the verse completed. He enquired his daughter about who wrote the other three lines. The daughter replied – "You yourself came in the afternoon and wrote some thing!". So Pothana understood that Lord Sri Rama himself came and completed the verse. In fact, Pothana himself ascribed in the following poem, the purpose of his writing the Bhagavatam: పలికెడిది భాగవతమట పలికించెడి వాడు రామభధృండట నే పలికిన భవహర మగునట పలికెద వేరొండు గాథ పలుకగనేల PalikeDidhi Bhagavatamata Palikinchedivadu Ramabhadrundata Ne Palikina Bhavaharamagunata PalikedaVerondu Gaatha PalukagaNela Translated it means : "That which is spoken is the Bhagavatam and the one who made me speak/chant this is Lord Rama. The result of chanting this (Bhagavatamata) is ultimate freedom, the Liberation of soul. So, let me sing it, since there is no other story better than this (Bhagavatam)." Sample verses This verse is Prahlada's reply to his father asking him to give up glorifying the One he hated bitterly, Sri Hari. మందార మకరంద మాధుర్యమునఁ దేలు మధుపంబు వోవునే మదనములకు నిర్మల మందాకినీ వీచికలఁ దూఁగు రాయంచ సనునె తరంగిణులకు లలిత రసాలపల్లవ ఖాది యై చొక్కు కోయిల సేరునే కుటజములకు బూర్ణేందు చంద్రికా స్ఫురిత చకోరక మరుగునే సాంద్ర నీహారములకు అంబుజోదర దివ్య పాదారవింద చింతనామృత పానవిశేష మత్త చిత్త మేరీతి నితరంబు జేరనేర్చు వినుతగుణశీల! మాటలు వేయునేల? Approximate translation: A honeybee reveling in the honey-sweetness of Hibiscus, would he seek grass flowers? A royal swan swaying in the pure breezes of the Ganges, would he go to the oceans? A nightingale relishing the juices of smooth young leaflets, will he approach rough leaves? A chakora bird blossoming in the moonlight of a full moon, would he go to dark places with thick fog? Minds attention on the lotus-wearer's (God's) divine lotus-feet, a heightened headiness brought on by that nectar-like contemplation In what way will it learn to seek another? Listen good one, what is the point of discussing (it's obvious)? Following is the first verse in his Sri Maha Bhagavatam- The book that explains the nature of the God. This is the beginning Verse of SriMahabhagavatamu శ్రీకైవల్య పదంబు జేరుటకునై చింతించదన్ లోకర క్షైకారంభకు భక్తపాలన కళా సంరంభకున్ దానవో ద్రేకస్థంభకు కేళిలోల విలసద్ద్రుగ్జాల సంభూత