purāṇa-saṁhitām etām ṛṣir nārāyaṇo’vyayaḥ
purāṇa-saṁhitām etām ṛṣir nārāyaṇo’vyayaḥ |
nāradāya purā prāha kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyanāya saḥ ||
sa vai mahyaṁ mahārāja bhagavān bādarāyaṇaḥ |
imāṁ bhāgavatīṁ prītaḥ saṁhitāṁ veda-sammitām ||
imāṁ vakṣyaty asau sūta ṛṣibhyo naimiṣālaye |
dīrgha-satre kuru-śreṣṭha sampṛṣṭaḥ śaunakādibhiḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 12.4.41–43)
“[Śrī Śukadeva to Mahārāja Parīkṣit:] In the past, the Seer, Nārāyaṇa, spoke this compendium of the Purāṇas [viz., Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, to Brahmā], the unhindered one [viz., Brahmā, spoke it] to Nārada, and he [viz., Nārada, spoke it] to Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana [viz., Vyāsa]. O Great King, he, Bhagavān Bādarāyaṇa [viz., Vyāsa], being pleased, [spoke] this compendium related to Bhagavān [viz., Śrīmad Bhāgavatam], like the Veda, to me. He, Suta, spoke this to the seers at Naimiṣāraṇya during a long sacrifice, O best of the Kurus, upon being questioned by those led by Śaunaka.”