Verse 1.2.8

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 1.2.8:

প্রচোদিতা যেন পুরা সরস্বতী বিতন্বতাজস্য সতীং স্মৃতিং হৃদি স্ব-লক্ষণা প্রাদুরভূত্ কিলাস্যতঃ স মে ঋষীণাম্ ঋষভঃ প্রসীদতাম্ ॥ ৮ ॥

प्रचोदिता येन पुरा सरस्वती वितन्वताजस्य सतीं स्मृतिं हृदि स्व-लक्षणा प्रादुरभूत् किलास्यतः स मे ऋषीणाम् ऋषभः प्रसीदताम् ॥ ८ ॥

pracoditā yena purā sarasvatī vitanvatājasya satīṃ smṛtiṃ hṛdi sva-lakṣaṇā prādurabhūt kilāsyataḥ sa me ṛṣīṇām ṛṣabhaḥ prasīdatām || 8 ||

pracodita yena pura sarasvati vitanvatajasya satim smrtim hrdi sva-laksana pradurabhut kilasyatah sa me rsinam rsabhah prasidatam (8)

English translation:

(8) May the Lord, who in the beginning of the creation amplified the potent knowledge of Brahmā from within his heart and inspired him with full knowledge of creation and of His own Self, and who appeared to be generated from the mouth of Brahmā, be pleased with me.

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

When Mahārāja Parīkṣit inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī about Lord Hari’s pastimes of creation, Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī first remembered the Supreme Lord and then offered his prayers, such as this verse from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (2.4.22). There are many passages in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam that describe how Lord Brahmā, the original spiritual master in the Brahma-sampradāya, heard Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, the ripened fruit of the Vedas, from Lord Nārāyaṇa. Some of those passages are as follows: tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye—“It is He only who first imparted Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmājī, the original living

being.” (Bhāg. 1.1.1); mayādau brahmaṇe proktā dharmo yasyāṃ mad- ātmakaḥ—“I spoke the Vedic knowledge to Brahmā because I Myself am the religious principles enunciated in the Vedas.” (Bhāg. 11.14.3); idaṃ bhagavatā pūrvaṃ brahmaṇe nābhi-paṅkajesamprakāśitam—“It was to Lord Brahmā that the Supreme Personality of Godhead first revealed the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam in full.” (Bhāg. 12.13.10); kasmai yena vibhāsito ‘yam atulo jñāna-pradīpaḥ purā—“Who in the beginning personally revealed this incomparable torchlight of knowledge to Brahmā.” (Bhāg.

12.13.19); and ya idam kṛpayā kasmai vyācacakṣe mumukṣave—“Who mercifully explained this science to Brahmā when he anxiously desired salvation.” (Bhāg. 12.13.20)

This fact is also confirmed in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.18) as follows:

yo brahmāṇaṃ vidadhāti pūrvaṃ yo vai vedāṃś ca prahiṇoti tasmai

taṃ ha devam ātma-buddhi-prakāśaṃ mumukṣur vai śaraṇam ahaṃ prapadye

“Because I desire liberation, let me surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who first enlightened Lord Brahmā in Vedic knowledge through Lord Brahmā’s heart. The Lord is the original source of all enlightenment and spiritual advancement.” Also in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.18) it is stated: vedānte paramaṃ guhyaṃ purā kalpe pracoditam—“The confidential knowledge of the Vedas was spoken long ago in a previous kalpa.” And in the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad (4.5.11) it is stated: asya mahato bhūtasya niśvasitam etad yad ṛg-vedo yajur-vedaḥ sāma-vedo ‘tharvāṅgirasa itihāsaḥ purāṇaṃ vidyā upaniṣadaḥ ślokāḥ sūtrānyānuvyākhyānānyasyai vaitāni sarvāṇi niśvasitāni—“The Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda, Sāma Veda, and Atharva Veda, the Itihāsas, or histories, the Purāṇas, the Upaniṣads, the ślokas or mantras chanted by the brāhmaṇas, the sūtras, or accumulations of Vedic statements, as well as vidyā, transcendental knowledge, and the explanations of the sūtras and mantras

are all emanations from the breathing of the great Personality of Godhead.”