Great sages (CC)
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
This verse appears in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.1.2). The words mahā-muni-kṛte indicate that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was compiled by the great sage Vyāsadeva, who is sometimes known as Nārāyaṇa Mahā-muni because he is an incarnation of Nārāyaṇa. Vyāsadeva, therefore, is not an ordinary man but is empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He compiled the beautiful Bhāgavatam to narrate some of the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His devotees.
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has placed the verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam quoted in text 52 (kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇam (SB 11.5.32)) as the auspicious introduction to his Bhāgavata-sandarbha, or Ṣaṭ-sandarbha. He has composed this text (81), which is, in effect, an explanation of the Bhāgavatam verse, as the second verse of the same work. The verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was enunciated by Karabhājana, one of the nine great sages, and it is elaborately explained by the Sarva-saṁvādinī, Jīva Gosvāmī’s commentary on his own Ṣaṭ-sandarbha.