Everything that is spoken in the Srimad Bhagavatam was spoken four to five thousand years ago in the forest of Naimisharanya, in a conversation between Suta Goswami and a group of great sages led by Saunaka Rishi. This happened already after the beginning of Kali-Yuga. These sages executed a great sacrifice for 1,000 years to try to counteract the negative influences of this age. They chose the forest of Naimisharanya for that because it’s mentioned in the scriptures that by performing sacrifices in this forest the strength of demoniac people is reduced.

That’s the symptom of saintly people, they are always concerned about the well-being of others. Srila Prabhupada comments about that in his purport to 1.1.4:

“The great sages are always anxious to do good to the people in general, and as such the sages headed by Śaunaka and others assembled at this holy place of Naimiṣāraṇya with a program of performing a great and continuous chain of sacrificial ceremonies. Forgetful men do not know the right path for peace and prosperity. However, the sages know it well, and therefore for the good of all men they are always anxious to perform acts which may bring about peace in the world. They are sincere friends to all living entities, and at the risk of great personal inconvenience they are always engaged in the service of the Lord for the good of all people.”

However, the sages were not only concerned about executing sacrifices. They were also concerned about their own spiritual development, and therefore they asked Suta Goswami to speak to them about the transcendental message of the Srimad Bhagavatam, so they could also develop pure love for Krsna.

The story of Suta Goswami and how he came to narrate the Srimad Bhagavatam is quite interesting. The father of Suta Goswami, Romahasana was a disciple of Vyasadeva who learned the Puranas from him.

Romahasana was a great scholar who divided the 18 Puranas into four compilations and wrote six anthologies that were taught to six different disciples, as well as to his son, Suta. All of this happened during the time Krsna was still present on the planet. Romahasana was also the sage who was originally speaking the Puranas to the sages in the forest of Naimisharanya.

The problem was that Romahashana became a little proud somehow, and he ended up offending Lord Balarama when he visited the assembly.

The story is that Romahasana was seated in the Vyasasana, speaking to the sages, and it’s the custom that when one is speaking from the Vyasasana he doesn’t get down to greet people who come. However, in this case, the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally came. Romahasana however just continued speaking, ignoring the appearance of Lord Balarama, even though the other sages got up and then offered Him obeisances.

Noticing his pride, Balarama used a blade of grass to cut off his head. One may question how this is possible, but Prabhupada reminds us that Balarama is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he is all-powerful. There is no problem for him in using a blade of grass or anything else as a weapon.

After receiving prayers from the sages, Lord Balarama offered to bring Romahasana back to life, but the sages asked him instead to bless his son, Suta Goswami to speak and continue the narration of the Puranas started by his father, probably understanding that later the same Suta Goswami would be able to speak the Srimad Bhagavatam to them.

The history of the Srimad Bhagavatam is that Vyasadeva first spoke the original version he had composed to his son, Sukadeva Goswami, who later explained the Srimad Bhagavatam to Maharaja Pariksit. Suta Goswami was also present, and later he described the Bhagavatam to the sages in the forest of Naimisharanya, bearing the full blessings of Lord Balarama.

Both Vyasadeva and Sukadeva are far from being ordinary persons. Vyasadeva is an incarnation of Krsna, who comes to restore Vedic knowledge when it’s almost lost at the end of Dvapara Yuga, while Sukadeva Goswami is considered to be an incarnation of the parrot of Srimati Radharani, who came especially to speak the Srimad Bhagavatam, illuminating thus the age of Kali. Being such an exalted soul, Sukadeva had a very profound understanding of spiritual relationships and was thus elected as the speaker of the Srimad Bhagavatam, even in the presence of both Vyasadeva and Narada Muni, who appeared at the assembly to hear him.

Although Sukadeva Goswami was an eternally liberated soul, he played the role of a Brahmavadi while inside the womb, showing fear of the material energy and thus refusing to come out. There are two types of impersonalists: The Brahmavadis are more attracted to the impersonal aspect, but can become Vaishnavas if they hear about Krsna, while the Mayavadis are offensive and reject the form of Krsna as material.

In total, Sukadeva stayed inside the womb for 12 years, coming out only when Vyasadeva brought Krsna Himself and He reassured him that he would not be captured by Maya. Even then, he immediately ran away from home, leaving for the forest to live as a renunciant. With great difficulty, Vyasadeva was able to bring him back for a short period to listen to the Bhagavata Purana, which Sukadeva later expanded in the form of the Srimad Bhagavatam he spoke to Maharaja Pariksit.

After hearing the Bhagavata Purana from Vyasadeva, Sukadeva Goswami used his mystic powers to expand himself in two forms, with the original Sukadeva remaining as renounced sage and later speaking the Srimad Bhagavatam to Maharaja Pariksit, and the expansion returning home to stay with his father. This expansion of Sukadeva later entered family life and had a daughter. It may sound strange that a person may expand into two, but this is actually quite common in higher personalities. Demigods and great yogis can also do it.

Srila Prabhupada mentions this story with Sukadeva Goswami in his purport on SB 9.21.25:

“Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the son of Vyāsadeva, is described in great detail in the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa. There it is said that Vyāsadeva maintained the daughter of Jābāli as his wife and that after they performed penances together for many years, he placed his seed in her womb. The child remained in the womb of his mother for twelve years, and when the father asked the son to come out, the son replied that he would not come out unless he were completely liberated from the influence of māyā. Vyāsadeva then assured the child that he would not be influenced by māyā, but the child did not believe his father, for the father was still attached to his wife and children. Vyāsadeva then went to Dvārakā and informed the Personality of Godhead about his problem, and the Personality of Godhead, at Vyāsadeva’s request, went to Vyāsadeva’s cottage, where He assured the child in the womb that he would not be influenced by māyā. Thus assured, the child came out, but he immediately went away as a parivrājakācārya. When the father, very much aggrieved, began to follow his saintly boy, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the boy created a duplicate Śukadeva, who later entered family life. Therefore, the śuka-kanyā, or daughter of Śukadeva, mentioned in this verse is the daughter of the duplicate or imitation Śukadeva. The original Śukadeva was a lifelong brahmacārī.