The Srîmad Bhāgavatam or Bhāgavata Purâna is the most important sacred book of stories of India. India knows many such purānas or storybooks, but this collection of stories belonging to the portion of the so-called eight Vishnu purānas, is generally accepted as being the most complete and important one. Arranged in twelve so-called cantos, it comprises 335 chapters containing 18000 verses. It is a true bible of Hindu stories centering around the prime importance of Vishnu, the maintaining aspect of God personified by Lord Krishna, the avatāra or incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.