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sah—he (Brahma); ittham—in this way; udviksya—contemplating; tat—that; abja—lotus; nala—stem; nadibhih—by the pipe; antah-jalam—within the water; avivesa—entered into; na—not; arvak-gatah—in spite of going inside; tat-khara-nala—the stem of the lotus; nala—pipe; nabhim—of the navel; vicinvan—thinking much of it; tat—that; avindata—understood; ajah—the self-born.

Lord Brahma, thus contemplating, entered the water through the channel of the stem of the lotus. But in spite of entering the stem and going nearer to the navel of Visnu, he could not trace out the root.

tamasy apare viduratma-sargam

By dint of one’s personal endeavor one may go nearer to the Lord, but without the Lord’s mercy one cannot reach the ultimate point. Such understanding of the Lord is possible only by devotional service, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (18.55): bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah.

SB3.8.20

TEXT 20

vicinvato ’bhut sumahams tri-nemih

yo deha-bhajam bhayam irayanah

pariksinoty ayur ajasya hetih

tamasi apare—because of an ignorant way of searching; vidura—O Vidura; atma-sargam—the cause of his creation; vicinvatah—while contemplating; abhut—it so became; su-mahan—very great; tri-nemih—time of three dimensions; yah—which; deha-bhajam—of the embodied; bhayam—fearfulness; irayanah—generating; pariksinoti—diminishing the one hundred years; ayuh—duration of life; ajasya—of the self-born; hetih—the wheel of eternal time.

O Vidura, while searching in that way about his existence, Brahma reached his ultimate time, which is the eternal wheel in the hand of Visnu and which generates fear in the mind of the living entity like the fear of death.

SB3.8.21

TEXT 21

tato nivrtto ’pratilabdha-kamah

sva-dhisnyam asadya punah sa devah

sanair jita-svasa-nivrtta-citto

nyasidad arudha-samadhi-yogah

SYNONYMS

tatah—thereafter; nivrttah—retired from that endeavor; apratilabdha-kamah—without achievement of the desired destination; sva-dhisnyam—own seat; asadya—reaching; punah—again; sah—he; devah—the demigod; sanaih—without delay; jita-svasa—controlling the breathing; nivrtta—retired; cittah—intelligence; nyasidat—sat down; arudha—in confidence; samadhi-yogah—in meditation on the Lord.

TRANSLATION

Thereafter, being unable to achieve the desired destination, he retired from such searching and came back again to the top of the lotus. Thus, controlling all objectives, he concentrated his mind on the Supreme Lord.

PURPORT

Samadhi involves concentrating the mind upon the supreme cause of all, even if one is unaware of whether His actual nature is personal, impersonal or localized. Concentration of the mind on the Supreme is certainly a form of devotional service. To cease from personal sense endeavors and to concentrate on the supreme cause is a sign of self-surrender, and when self-surrender is present, that is a sure sign of devotional service. Each and every living entity needs to engage in devotional service to the Lord if he wishes to understand the ultimate cause of his existence.

SB3.8.22

TEXT 22

kalena so ’jah purusayusabhi-

pravrtta-yogena virudha-bodhah

svayam tad antar-hrdaye ’vabhatam

apasyatapasyata yan na purvam

kalena—in due course of time; sah—he; ajah—the self-born Brahma; purusa-ayusa—by the duration of his age; abhipravrtta—being engaged; yogena—in meditation; virudha—developed; bodhah—intelligence; svayam—automatically; tat antah-hrdaye—in the heart; avabhatam—manifested; apasyata—saw; apasyata—did see; yat—which; na—not; purvam—before.

At the end of Brahma’s one hundred years, when his meditation was complete, he developed the required knowledge, and as a result he could see in his head the Supreme within himself, whom he could not see before with the greatest endeavor.

mrnala-gaurayata-sesa-bhoga-

The Supreme Lord can be experienced only through the process of devotional service and not by one’s personal endeavor in mental speculation. The age of Brahma is calculated in terms of divya years, which are distinct from the solar years of human beings. The divya years are calculated in Bhagavad-gita (8.17): sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmano viduh. Brahma’s one day is equal to one thousand times the aggregate of the four yugas (calculated to be 4,300,000 years). On that basis, Brahma meditated for one hundred years before he could understand the supreme cause of all causes, and then he wrote the Brahma-samhita, which is approved and recognized by Lord Caitanya and in which he sings, govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. One has to wait for the mercy of the Lord before one can either render service unto Him or know Him as He is.

SB3.8.23

TEXT 23

paryanka ekam purusam sayanam

phanatapatrayuta-murdha-ratna-

dyubhir hata-dhvanta-yuganta-toye

mrnala—lotus flower; gaura—white all over; ayata—gigantic; sesa-bhoga—body of Sesa-naga; paryanke—on the bed; ekam—alone; purusam—the Supreme Person; sayanam—was lying; phana-atapatra—umbrella of a serpent hood; ayuta—bedecked with; murdha—head; ratna—jewels; dyubhih—by the rays; hata-dhvanta—darkness dissipated; yuga-anta—devastation; toye—in the water.

Brahma could see that on the water there was a gigantic lotuslike white bedstead, the body of Sesa-naga, on which the Personality of Godhead was lying alone. The whole atmosphere was illuminated by the rays of the jewels bedecking the hood of Sesa-naga, and that illumination dissipated all the darkness of those regions.

SB3.8.24

TEXT 24

preksam ksipantam haritopaladreh

sandhyabhra-niver uru-rukma-murdhnah

ratnodadharausadhi-saumanasya

vana-srajo venu-bhujanghripanghreh

SYNONYMS

preksam—the panorama; ksipantam—deriding; harita—green; upala—coral; adreh—of the hell; sandhya-abhra-niveh—of the dress of the evening sky; uru—great; rukma—gold; murdhnah—on the summit; ratna—jewels; udadhara—waterfalls; ausadhi—herbs; saumanasya—of the scenery; vana-srajah—flower garland; venu—dress; bhuja—hands; anghripa—trees; anghreh—legs.

TRANSLATION

The luster of the transcendental body of the Lord mocked the beauty of the coral mountain. The coral mountain is very beautifully dressed by the evening sky, but the yellow dress of the Lord mocked its beauty. There is gold on the summit of the mountain, but the Lord’s helmet, bedecked with jewels, mocked it. The mountain’s waterfalls, herbs, etc., with a panorama of flowers, seem like garlands, but the Lord’s gigantic body, and His hands and legs, decorated with jewels, pearls, tulasi leaves and flower garlands, mocked the scene on the mountain.

PURPORT

The panoramic beauty of nature, which strikes one with wonder, may be taken as a perverted reflection of the transcendental body of the Lord. One who is therefore attracted by the beauty of the Lord is no longer attracted by the beauty of material nature, although he does not minimize its beauty. In Bhagavad-gita (2.59) it is described that one who is attracted by param, the Supreme, is no longer attracted by anything inferior.

SB3.8.25

TEXT 25

ayamato vistaratah sva-mana-

dehena loka-traya-sangrahena

vicitra-divyabharanamsukanam

krta-sriyapasrita-vesa-deham

ayamatah—by length; vistaratah—by breadth; sva-mana—by His own measurement; dehena—by the transcendental body; loka-traya—the three (upper, middle and lower) planetary systems; sangrahena—by total absorption; vicitra—variegated; divya—transcendental; abharana-amsukanam—rays of the ornaments; krta-sriya apasrita—beauty created by those dresses and ornaments; vesa—dressed; deham—transcendental body.

His transcendental body, unlimited in length and breadth, occupied the three planetary systems, upper, middle and lower. His body was self-illuminated by unparalleled dress and variegatedness and was properly ornamented.

The length and breadth of the transcendental body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead could only be measured by His own measurement because He is all-pervading throughout the complete cosmic manifestation. The beauty of material nature is due to His personal beauty, yet He is always magnificently dressed and ornamented to prove His transcendental variegatedness, which is so important in the advancement of spiritual knowledge.

SB3.8.26

TEXT 26

pumsam sva-kamaya vivikta-margair

abhyarcatam kama-dughanghri-padmam

pradarsayantam krpaya nakhendu-

mayukha-bhinnanguli-caru-patram

pumsam—of the human being; sva-kamaya—according to the desire; vivikta-margaih—by the path of devotional service; abhyarcatam—worshiped; kama-dugha-anghri-padmam—the lotus feet of the Lord, which can award all desired fruits; pradarsayantam—while showing them; krpaya—by causeless mercy; nakha—nails; indu—moonlike; mayukha—rays; bhinna—divided; anguli—figures; caru-patram—very beautiful.

The Lord showed His lotus feet by raising them. His lotus feet are the source of all awards achieved by devotional service free from material contamination. Such awards are for those who worship Him in pure devotion. The splendor of the transcendental rays from His moonlike toenails and fingernails appeared like the petals of a flower.

mukhena lokarti-hara-smitena

The Lord fulfills the desires of everyone just as one desires. Pure devotees are interested in achieving the transcendental service of the Lord, which is nondifferent from Him. Therefore, the Lord is the only desire of the pure devotees, and devotional service is the only spotless process for achieving His favor. Srila Rupa Gosvami says in his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.1.11) that pure devotional service is jnana-karmady-anavrtam: [Madhya 19.167] pure devotional service is without any tinge of speculative knowledge and fruitive activities. Such devotional service is able to award the pure devotee the highest result, namely direct association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krsna. According to the Gopala-tapani Upanisad, the Lord showed one of the many thousands of petals of His lotus feet. It is said: brahmano’sav anavaratam me dhyatah stutah parardhante so ’budhyata gopa-veso me purastat avirbabhuva. After penetrating for millions of years, Lord Brahma could understand the transcendental form of the Lord as Sri Krsna, in the dress of a cowherd boy, and thus he recorded his experience in the Brahma-samhita in the famous prayer, govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **.

SB3.8.27

TEXT 27

parisphurat-kundala-manditena

sonayitenadhara-bimba-bhasa

pratyarhayantam sunasena subhrva

mukhena—by a gesture of the face; loka-arti-hara—vanquisher of the distress of the devotees; smitena—by smiling; parisphurat—dazzling; kundala—earrings; manditena—decorated with; sonayitena—acknowledging; adhara—of His lips; bimba—reflection; bhasa—rays; pratyarhayantam—reciprocating; su-nasena—by His pleasing nose; su-bhrva—and pleasing eyebrows.

He also acknowledged the service of the devotees and vanquished their distress by His beautiful smile. The reflection of His face, decorated with earrings, was so pleasing because it dazzled with the rays from His lips and the beauty of His nose and eyebrows.

Devotional service to the Lord is very much obliging to Him. There are many transcendentalists in different fields of spiritual activities, but devotional service to the Lord is unique. Devotees do not ask anything from the Lord in exchange for their service. Even the most desirable liberation is refused by devotees, although offered by the Lord. Thus the Lord becomes a kind of debtor to the devotees, and He can only try to repay the devotees, service with His ever-enchanting smile. The devotees are ever satisfied by the smiling face of the Lord, and they become enlivened. And by seeing the devotees so enlivened, the Lord Himself is further satisfied. So there is continuous transcendental competition between the Lord and His devotees by such reciprocation of service and acknowledgement.

SB3.8.28

TEXT 28

kadamba-kinjalka-pisanga-vasasa

svalankrtam mekhalaya nitambe

harena cananta-dhanena vatsa

srivatsa-vaksah-sthala-vallabhena

kadamba-kinjalka—saffron dust of the kadamba flower; pisanga—dress of the color; vasasa—by clothing; su-alankrtam—well decorated; mekhalaya—by the belt; nitambe—on the waist; harena—by the garland; ca—also; ananta—highly; dhanena—valuable; vatsa—my dear Vidura; srivatsa—of the transcendental marking; vaksah-sthala—on the chest; vallabhena—very pleasing.

O my dear Vidura, the Lord’s waist was covered with yellow cloth resembling the saffron dust of the kadamba flower, and it was encircled by a well-decorated belt. His chest was decorated with the srivatsa marking and a necklace of unlimited value.

SB3.8.29

TEXT 29

parardhya-keyura-mani-praveka-

paryasta-dordanda-sahasra-sakham

avyakta-mulam bhuvananghripendram

ahindra-bhogair adhivita-valsam

SYNONYMS

parardhya—very valuable; keyura—ornaments; mani-praveka—highly valuable jewels; paryasta—disseminating; dordanda—arms; sahasra-sakham—with thousands of branches; avyakta-mulam—self-situated; bhuvana—universal; anghripa—trees; indram—the Lord; ahi-indra—Anantadeva; bhogaih—by hoods; adhivita—surrounded; valsam—shoulders.

TRANSLATION

As a sandalwood tree is decorated with fragrant flowers and branches, the Lord’s body was decorated with valuable jewels and pearls. He was the self-situated tree, the Lord of all others in the universe. And as a sandalwood tree is covered with many snakes, so the Lord’s body was also covered by the hoods of Ananta.

PURPORT

The word avyakta-mulam is significant here. Generally, no one can see the roots of a tree. But as far as the Lord is concerned, He is the root of Himself because there is no other separate cause of His standing but He Himself. In the Vedas it is said that the Lord is svasrayasraya; He is His own support, and there is no other support for Him. Therefore, avyakta means the Supreme Lord Himself and no one else.

SB3.8.30

TEXT 30

caracarauko bhagavan-mahidhram

ahindra-bandhum salilopagudham

kirita-sahasra-hiranya-srngam

avirbhavat kaustubha-ratna-garbham

cara—moving animals; acara—nonmoving trees; okah—the place or situation; bhagavat—the Personality of Godhead; mahidhram—the mountain; ahi-indra—Sri Anantadeva; bandhum—friend; salila—water; upagudham—submerged; kirita—helmets; sahasra—thousands; hiranya—gold; srngam—peaks; avirbhavat—manifested; kaustubha—the Kaustubha jewel; ratna-garbham—ocean.