Chapter 8 - Creation of Brahmā—His Vision of Nārāyaṇa

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Maitreya said:

1. The lineage of Pūru is really worthy of being served by the good, as you, who (as an incarnation of Yama) are one of the Protectors of the world, and who regard the Lord as the chief object, are born in it. At every step and at every moment, you bring freshness to the garland of the glory of the invincible Lord (Hari).

2. It is for removing the great misery of people who get into it for the sake of petty pleasures, that I commence the Bhāgavata Purāṇa which the venerable Lord narrated to sages.

3. With a desire to know the real nature of the God, higher than Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa, sages, of whom (Sanat-) Kumāra was prominent, asked the respectable Saṅkarṣaṇa, the first of gods, whose ken of knowledge was unobstructed, and who was seated on the ground.

4. (Saṅkarṣaṇa) who was highly worshipful of his support whom (they)call Vāsudeva, and who had turned unto himself his eyes which were closed like a lotus-bud (while in meditation), and who slightly opened them for favouring wise sages (like Sanaka and others).

5. Sages (like Sanatkumāra) touched with their matted hair dripping with the sacred waters of the heavenly Ganges (Mandākinī) the lotus-foot stool of Saṅkarṣaṇa—the foot-stool which the daughters of the king of Snakes worship by offering various gifts with love for getting (good) husbands.

6. (The sages) who knew Saṅkarṣaṇa and (hence) constantly eulogised his deeds in words pronounced falteringly due to intenselove, (asked) Saṅkarṣaṇa whose thousand raised hoods were brightened by excellent precious stones studded in a thousand crowns.

7. It is traditionally reported that the most venerable Saṅkarṣaṇa taught this to Sanatkumāra who was devoted to the duties of the path of renunciation; and that he (Sanatkumāra), when requested, taught it to Sāṅkhyāyana,^[1] the observer of vows.

8. With a desire to extol the powers and glories of the Lord, Sāṅkhyāyana, the foremost among the Paramahaṃsas, narrated it first to his disciple and our preceptor Parāśara and then to Bṛhaspati.

9. The merciful sage, blessed by Pulastya^[2], expounded to me the first (i.e. the most important) Purāṇa (viz. the Bhāgavata). Oh child (Vidura), I narrate this to you who are faithful, and always devoted (to the Lord).^[3]

10. When Viṣṇu delighted in the blissful stage of his own self, inactive and alone, lay on the bed of the king of Snakes (Śeṣa) and closed his eyes in sleep without any interruption of his vision (power of intelligence), this whole universe was immersed in water.

11. Having conserved the subtle elements within his body, and arousing his power called Time, he stayed in the water which was his abode, just like the fire which resides in the wood, without exhibiting his power (of burning).

12. Sleeping over the waters for a period of one thousand aggregates of four yugas, he who had obtained the whole system of doing actions through his power called Time, which was vigilant, visualized all the worlds lying dormant in his own body.

13. Then the (aggregate of) subtle elements lying within him which he viewed intently, got agitated by the attribute called rajas, (which was) impelled by Time. It sprouted forth from the region of his navel, in the process of evolution.

14. By (the propelling force of) Time which awakens the adṛṣṭa (fate) of beings, the Self-born lotus-bred sprouted forth suddenly, illuminating like the Sun, the vast expanse of water with its splendour.

15. Oh Vidura, that very Viṣṇu entered (as an antaryāmin) the world-lotus which shows all the guṇas (objects) essential for the enjoyment of jīvas. Within the lotus was born the creator of the world, the Veda incarnate, whom they call self-born (svayambhu).

16. Occupying the stalk of that lotus, and not seeing the worlds, the self-born god Brahmā cast his glances on all sides in the sky, and thus got four faces corresponding to the four directions (of world).

17. The first god Brahmā, seated upon the lotus which sprang up from the unending high billows of waters, tossed heavily by world-annihilating stormy winds, did not under stand with certainty, the real nature of the lotus which contained, the world, and even of his own self.

18. “Who am I seated on this lotus? Whence has this solitary lotus grown on the waters? There must be something beneath, on which this lotus rests supported. That must be surely some positive existence.”

19. Thinking thus, the unborn god (Brahmā) entered through the hollow passage in the stalk of the lotus, into the waters. Going deep down in search of the support of the rough stalk of that lotus, he did not reach it.

20. Oh Vidura I A very long time with three tyres (divisions, viz. the past, the present, the future) elapsed while he (Brahmadeva) was searching the source of the lotus (the cause of his creation) in the fathomless darkness—Time which is a weapon in God’s hand which creates terror in beings and reduces (their) life.

21. Then the God (Brahmā) who did not achieve his objective, returned thence. Having resumed his seat, he gradually restrained his mind by controlling his breath, and sat down resorting to samādhi-yoga (the path of deep meditation).

22. The unborn God (Brahmā) in whom knowledge arose by the practice of yoga for a period of man’s life-span (100 years), visualized that unforeseen Brahman manifested of its own accord in his heart.

23. He saw a Man (Puruṣa) lying on the bed of the spacious body of Śeṣa white like lotus fibres, on the waters of the deluge, the darkness of which was dispelled by the lustre of gems on the myriad heads of the umbrella-like hoods (of Śeṣa).

24. Who excelled in beauty a mountain of emeralds, with (golden) evening clouds overhanging its slopes like garments (which is surpassed by his Pītāmbara—yellow silken garment), with a number of gold peaks (which are outdone in their splendour by his crown), with its Vanamālā—garland of forest flowers—abounding in precious stones, springs, herbs and flowers (excelled in beauty by his Vanamālā), and with bamboos resembling its arms, and trees as its feet (surpassed his arms and feet).

25. Who, by the dimensions of his beautiful and uncomparable body, accommodated the three worlds (viz. Svarga, Mṛtyu and Pātāla), and who (with his body) decorated by a variety of heavenly ornaments and silken garments beautified the ornaments and garments themselves, by his beautiful person.

26. To men who, for attaining their desired objects, worship him in the pure ways, prescribed in the Vedas, he shows, out of grace, his lotus-like feet with toes beautiful like petals and shining in the rays of his moon-like nails.

27. Who (reciprocally) honours his devotees by his face with a smile that removes the afflictions of the world, (with ears) beautified by resplendent earrings, (face) appearing reddish on account of his lower lip like bimba fruit, and shapely with its beautiful nose and eyebrows.

28. Oh child (Vidura), (he saw the Puruṣa) who appeared beautiful and adorned with a garment, golden in colour, like the pollen of the Kadamba flowers, and with a girdle round his waist, and his chest adorned with an invaluable necklace, and with(his) favourite decoration called Śrīvatsa.

29. Who was (like) a great tree of the universe with thousand branches in the forms of arms resplendent with priceless precious stones, and the armlets (keyūra), with its root invisible (in Brahman), and whose arms are coiled round by the body of great snake (or Śeṣa).

30. Who was like a great mountain, the support of the movables and immovables, a dear friend of the best of snakes (Śeṣa), who is surrounded by waters, whose thousand crowns are like golden peaks, and the gem Kaustubha (adorning) his chest (was like a mine of precious stones).

31. (Brahmā saw) Hari who wore a Vanamālā (garland of Tulasī leaves, etc.) in the form of his glory, (Vanamālā) which beautified by the Veda singing sweetly his glory like humming bees and who is unapproachable to (gods like) the Sun, the Moon, the Wind and the Fire, and who is unassailable due to the weapons with range throughout the three worlds, circling round him.

32. At that very instant (when Brahmā saw Hari), he obtained the knowledge necessary for the creation of the world. He saw the lotus sprouting out of the (Lord’s) pondlike navel, himself, the (cosmic) waters, the Wind (blowing tempestuously during the deluge) and the sky. He saw nothing more (than these).

33. When he (Brahmā), being associated with the attribute rajas, became desirous of creating beings, and having seen only these (the abovementioned five objects such as the lotus, the cosmic water, the wind, etc.) as the causes of the world, fixed his heart on God and, began to praise the Lord who deserved it.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Sāṅkhyāyana—A sage of the Vasiṣṭha family, probably the same as the author of the Sāṃkhyāyana Brāhmaṇa of the Ṛgveda and. other Śrautasūtras known by his name Bhāratīya Paurāṇika Kośa 341, DHM. 280.

[2]:

Bhāvāratha Dīpikā records a traditional story: When Parāśara’s father was eaten up by a Rākṣasa, Parāśara wanted to destroy the Rākṣasa race. But Vasiṣṭha dissuaded him. Pulastya finding that his progeny was thus spared, blessed Parāśara that he would be a narrator of Purāṇas.

[3]:

This tradition of the Bhāgavata is different from that given in the previous Skandhas (vide supra 1.4, II. 9).