Verse 2.2.96

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.2.96:

अन्तर्-ध्यानेन दृष्टोऽपि साक्षाद् दृष्ट इव प्रभुः ।
कृपा-विसेषां तनुते प्रमाणं तत्र पद्मजः ॥ ९६ ॥

antar-dhyānena dṛṣṭo'pi sākṣād dṛṣṭa iva prabhuḥ |
kṛpā-viseṣāṃ tanute pramāṇaṃ tatra padmajaḥ || 96 ||

antaḥ dhyānena–by internal contemplation; dṛṣṭaḥ–seen; api–although; sākṣāt–directly; dṛṣṭaḥ–seen; iva–as if; prabhuḥ–the Lord; kṛpā–mercy; viśeṣam–special; tanute–bestows; pramāṇam–the evidence; tatra–in this instance; padma-jaḥ–the lotus-born, Brahmājī.

Seeing Bhagavān in one’s meditation is like seeing Him directly. When seen in meditation, He bestows special mercy by giving boons and blessings. The lotus-born Brahmā is evidence of this.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)

Śrī Gopa-kumāra might say, “The bliss of seeing the Lord in meditation (dhyāna) may be greater than the bliss of direct darśana, but it is a well-known fact that the incomparable delight of receiving a blessing from Bhagavān or conversing with Him can only be had when you see Him personally.”

Pippalāyana replies, “When Bhagavān reveals Himself to His meditating devotee, by His special mercy, He can bestow desired boons and give His devotee pleasures like conversing with Him and touching

Him. All this is possible due to Śrī Bhagavān’s special potencies.”

“Is there anyone who has ever received this mercy?” “The lotus-born Brahmā is evidence of this.”

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam states:

(2.9.9):

तस्मै स्व-लोकं भगवान् सभाजितः
सन्दर्शयाम् आस परं न यत्-परम्

tasmai sva-lokaṃ bhagavān sabhājitaḥ
sandarśayām āsa paraṃ na yat-param

(2.9.15):

ददर्श तत्राखिल-सात्वतां पतिं

dadarśa tatrākhila-sātvatāṃ patiṃ

(2.9.18–19):

तद्-दर्शनाह्लाद-परिप्लुतान्तरो हृष्यत्-तनू प्रेम-भराश्रु-लोचनः
ननाम पादाम्बुजम् अस्य विश्व-सृग् यत् पारमहंस्येन पथाधिगम्यते
तं प्रीयमाणं समुपस्थितं कविं प्रजा-विसर्गे निज-शासनार्हणम्
बभाष ईषत्-स्मित-शोचिषा गिरा प्रियः प्रियं प्रीत-मनाः करे स्पृशन्

tad-darśanāhlāda-pariplutāntaro hṛṣyat-tanū prema-bharāśru-locanaḥ
nanāma pādāmbujam asya viśva-sṛg yat pāramahaṃsyena pathādhigamyate
taṃ prīyamāṇaṃ samupasthitaṃ kaviṃ prajā-visarge nija-śāsanārhaṇam
babhāṣa īṣat-smita-śociṣā girā priyaḥ priyaṃ prīta-manāḥ kare spṛśan

(2.9.38):

सम्प्रदिश्यैवम् अजनो जनानां परमेष्ठिनम्
पश्यतस् तस्य तद् रूपम् आत्मनो न्यरुणद् धरिः

sampradiśyaivam ajano janānāṃ parameṣṭhinam
paśyatas tasya tad rūpam ātmano nyaruṇad dhariḥ

This verse is famous:

“Śrī Bhagavān was pleased with Brahmā’s devout austerities. In Brahmā’s state of samādhi, Śrī Bhagavān showed him His supremely attractive abode, above which no superior realm exists.” (2.9.9)

Then, Brahmājī saw:

“Śrī Bhagavān, the Lord of all the devotees, was present there, served by His eternal associates.” (2.9.15)

Next, it is explained:

“Seeing that form of the Lord, Brahmā became overwhelmed with joy. His hairs standing on end and tears of love flowing from his eyes, he fell down at the Lord’s lotus feet. Śrī Bhagavān caught his hand and smiling with pleasure, said, ‘O Brahmā, without following the path of the paramahaṃsas (perfected souls), no one can have darśana of this planet. You are the recipient of My exclusive mercy and are qualified to receive My orders. You have pleased Me with your austerities to procreate living beings, so ask for whatever you wish.’” (2.9.18–19)

Hearing this, Brahmājī asked for a boon, and thus received the instruction contained in catūḥ-ślokī bhāgavata, the four seed verses of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Then, it is stated:

“After Śrī Bhagavān instructed Brahmā in this manner, and as Brahmā watched, the Lord disappeared.” (2.9.38)

This narration demonstrates the Lord’s supreme mercy by showing how Bhagavān shows Himself to a devotee who is in samādhi and further benedicts him by conversing with him and touching him.

This subject is continued in the Third Canto of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, Chapters Eight and Nine:

(3.8.22–23):

कालेन सो’जः पुरुषायुषाभि प्रवृत्त-योगेन विरूढ-बोधः
स्वयं तद् अन्तर्-हृदये’वभातम् अपश्यतापश्यत यन् न पूर्वम्
मृणाल-गौरायत-शेष-भोग- पर्यङ्क एकं पुरुषं शयानम्

kālena so’jaḥ puruṣāyuṣābhi pravṛtta-yogena virūḍha-bodhaḥ
svayaṃ tad antar-hṛdaye’vabhātam apaśyatāpaśyata yan na pūrvam
mṛṇāla-gaurāyata-śeṣa-bhoga- paryaṅka ekaṃ puruṣaṃ śayānam

(3.8.33):

अस्तौद् विसर्गाभिमुखस् तम् ईड्यम् अव्यक्त-वर्त्मन्य् अभिवेशितात्मा

astaud visargābhimukhas tam īḍyam avyakta-vartmany abhiveśitātmā

(3.9.29):

मा वेद-गर्भ! गास् तन्द्रीं सर्ग उद्यमम् आवह
तन् मयापादितं ह्य् अग्रे यन् मां प्रार्थयते भवान्

mā veda-garbha! gās tandrīṃ sarga udyamam āvaha
tan mayāpāditaṃ hy agre yan māṃ prārthayate bhavān

(3.9.39):

प्रीतो’हम् अस्तु भद्रं ते

prīto’ham astu bhadraṃ te

It is stated:

“When a fraction of a moment had elapsed for the Supreme Lord, and a hundred of Brahmā’s years had elapsed, Brahmā concluded his meditation. True knowledge about Bhagavān then manifested in his heart. Previously, with the greatest endeavor he had searched everywhere for Bhagavān but to no avail. Now, in the trance of samādhi, Brahmājī saw that the Supreme Person was seated in his heart. The Lord, who had a lustrous dark complexion, was resting in the waters of the cosmic inundation on a bed of the lotus-like white coils of the snake Ananta-deva’s vast body.” (3.8.22–23)

It is further stated:

“Brahmā absorbed his mind in the inconceivable Lord, who is most mysterious, and in order to acquire the strength to manifest the creation, he began to praise Him.” (3.8.33)

After Brahmā offers his praises, Śrī Bhagavān says:

“O Veda-garbha, O depth of Vedic wisdom, do not lament. The creation you are praying for has already been completed by Me.” (3.9.29)

Bhagavān also says:

Your praise has pleased Me. May everything be auspicious for you.” (3.9.39)