Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 3: “The Status Quo”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter Eight
SB3.8.18
TEXT 18
ka esa yo ’sav aham abja-prstha
etat kuto vabjam ananyad apsu
asti hy adhastad iha kincanaitad
adhisthitam yatra sata nu bhavyam
SYNONYMS
kah—who; esah—this; yah asau aham—that I am; abja-prsthe—on top of the lotus; etat—this; kutah—wherefrom; va—either; abjam—lotus flower; ananyat—otherwise; apsu—in the water; asti—there is; hi—certainly; adhastat—from below; iha—in this; kincana—anything; etat—this; adhisthitam—situated; yatra—wherein; sata—automatically; nu—or not; bhavyam—must be.
TRANSLATION
Lord Brahma, in his ignorance, contemplated: Who am I that am situated on the top of this lotus? Wherefrom has it sprouted? There must be something downwards, and that from which this lotus has grown must be within the water.
PURPORT
The subject matter of the speculations of Brahma in the beginning regarding the creation of the cosmic manifestation is still a subject matter for mental speculators. The most intelligent man is he who tries to find the cause of his personal existence and that of the whole cosmic creation and thus tries to find the ultimate cause. If his attempt is properly executed with penances and perseverance, it is sure to be crowned with success.
sa ittham udviksya tad-abja-nala-
narvag-gatas tat-khara-nala-nala-
nabhim vicinvams tad avindatajah
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.
vicinvato ’bhut sumahams tri-nemih
yo deha-bhajam bhayam irayanah
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.
pravrtta-yogena virudha-bodhah
svayam tad antar-hrdaye ’vabhatam
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.
phanatapatrayuta-murdha-ratna-
dyubhir hata-dhvanta-yuganta-toye
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.
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.
pumsam sva-kamaya vivikta-margair
abhyarcatam kama-dughanghri-padmam
pradarsayantam krpaya nakhendu-
mayukha-bhinnanguli-caru-patram
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 **.
pratyarhayantam sunasena subhrva
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.
kadamba-kinjalka-pisanga-vasasa
srivatsa-vaksah-sthala-vallabhena
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.
caracarauko bhagavan-mahidhram
ahindra-bandhum salilopagudham
avirbhavat kaustubha-ratna-garbham
SB3.8.31
TEXT 31
nivitam amnaya-madhu-vrata-sriya
sva-kirti-mayya vana-malaya harim
suryendu-vayv-agny-agamam tri-dhamabhih
parikramat-pradhanikair durasadam
SYNONYMS
nivitam—so being enclosed; amnaya—Vedic wisdom; madhu-vrata-sriya—sweet sound in beauty; sva-kirti-mayya—by His own glories; vana-malaya—flower garland; harim—unto the Lord; surya—the sun; indu—the moon; vayu—the air; agni—the fire; agamam—unapproachable; tri-dhamabhih—by the three planetary systems; parikramat—circumambulating; pradhanikaih—for fighting; durasadam—very difficult to reach.
TRANSLATION
Lord Brahma, thus looking upon the Lord in the shape of a mountain, concluded that He was Hari, the Personality of Godhead. He saw that the garland of flowers on His chest glorified Him with Vedic wisdom in sweet songs and looked very beautiful. He was protected by the Sudarsana wheel for fighting, and even the sun, moon, air, fire, etc., could not have access to Him.
SB3.8.32
TEXT 32
tarhy eva tan-nabhi-sarah-sarojam
atmanam ambhah svasanam viyac ca
dadarsa devo jagato vidhata
natah param loka-visarga-drstih
SYNONYMS
tarhi—therefore; eva—certainly; tat—His; nabhi—navel; sarah—lake; sarojam—lotus flower; atmanam—Brahma; ambhah—the devastating water; svasanam—the drying air; viyat—the sky; ca—also; dadarsa—looked upon; devah—demigod; jagatah—of the universe; vidhata—maker of the destination; na—not; atah param—beyond; loka-visarga—creation of the cosmic manifestation; drstih—glance.
TRANSLATION
When Lord Brahma, the maker of the universal destination, thus saw the Lord, be simultaneously glanced over creation. Lord Brahma saw the lake in Lord Visnu’s navel, and the lotus flower, as well as the devastating water, the drying air and the sky. All became visible to him.
SB3.8.33
TEXT 33
sa karma-bijam rajasoparaktah
prajah sisrksann iyad eva drstva
astaud visargabhimukhas tam idyam
avyakta-vartmany abhivesitatma
SYNONYMS
sah—he (Brahma); karma-bijam—seed of worldly activities; rajasa uparaktah—initiated by the mode of passion; prajah—living entities; sisrksan—willing to create progeny; iyat—all the five causes of creation; eva—thus; drstva—looking on; astaut—prayed for; visarga—creation after the creation by the Lord; abhimukhah—towards; tam—that; idyam—worshipable; avyakta—transcendental; vartmani—on the path of; abhivesita—fixed; atma—mind.
TRANSLATION
Lord Brahma, thus being surcharged with the mode of passion, became inclined to create, and after seeing the five causes of creation indicated by the Personality of Godhead, he began to offer his respectful prayers on the path of the creative mentality.
PURPORT
Even if one is in the material mode of passion, to create something in the world he has to take shelter of the Supreme for the necessary energy. That is the path of the successful termination of any attempt.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Third Canto, Eighth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “Manifestation of Brahma from Garbhodakasayi Visnu.”