Detailed Study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto 3: The Status Quo, Chapter Eight: Manifestation of Brahmā from Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu
यन्निद्रयामीलितदृङ् न्यमीलयत् ।
अहीन्द्रतल्पेऽधिशयान एक:
कृतक्षण: स्वात्मरतौ निरीह: ॥ १० ॥
yan nidrayāmīlita-dṛṅ nyamīlayat
ahīndra-talpe ’dhiśayāna ekaḥ
kṛta-kṣaṇaḥ svātma-ratau nirīhaḥ
uda — water; āplutam — submerged in; viśvam — the three worlds; idam — this; tadā — at that time; āsīt — it so remained; yat — in which; nidrayā — in slumber; amīlita — closed; dṛk — eyes; nyamīlayat — not completely closed; ahi-indra — the great snake Ananta; talpe — on the bed of; adhiśayānaḥ — lying on; ekaḥ — alone; kṛta-kṣaṇaḥ — being engaged; sva-ātma-ratau — enjoying in His internal potency; nirīhaḥ — without any part of external energy.
At that time when the three worlds were submerged in water, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu was alone, lying on His bedstead, the great snake Ananta, and although He appeared to be in slumber in His own internal potency, free from the action of the external energy, His eyes were not completely closed.
Purport by MGDAS
This verse states that what follows is the Naimittika-pralaya as the text says: udāplutaṁ viśvam idaṁ tadāsid - At that time when the three worlds were submerged in water. This means it can not be the first day of Brahma, i.e. the beginning of the universe, as the three worlds are submerged in water.
कालात्मिकां शक्तिमुदीरयाण: ।
उवास तस्मिन् सलिले पदे स्वे
यथानलो दारुणि रुद्धवीर्य: ॥ ११ ॥
kālātmikāṁ śaktim udīrayāṇaḥ
uvāsa tasmin salile pade sve
yathānalo dāruṇi ruddha-vīryaḥ
saḥ — the Supreme Lord; antaḥ — within; śarīre — in the transcendental body; arpita — kept; bhūta — material elements; sūkṣmaḥ — subtle; kāla-ātmikām — the form of time; śaktim — energy; udīrayāṇaḥ — invigorating; uvāsa — resided; tasmin — therein; salile — in the water; pade — in the place; sve — His own; yathā — as much as; analaḥ — fire; dāruṇi — in the fuel wood; ruddha-vīryaḥ — submerged strength.
Just like the strength of fire within fuel wood, the Lord remained within the water of dissolution, submerging all the living entities in their subtle bodies. He lay in the self-invigorated energy called kāla.
Purport by MGDAS
This verse further elaborates that the living entities in their subtle bodies are submerged within the Lord - so ’ntaḥ śarīre ’rpita-bhūta-sūkṣmaḥ - submerging all the living entities in their subtle bodies. This includes Lord Brahma as per ŚB 12.4.4: ātmasāt-kṛtya cātma-bhūḥ - ātma-sāt-kṛtya — absorbing within Himself; ca — also; ātma-bhūḥ — Lord Brahmā, in other words Lord Brahma also.
Please also note that uvāsa tasmin salile pade sve - the Lord remained within the water of dissolution. However the synonyms state: uvāsa — resided; tasmin — therein; salile — in the water; pade — in the place; sve — His own. This could also be understood to mean: He resided (uvāsa) in His place (pade sve) that was within that water (tasmin salile).
स्वपन् स्वयोदीरितया स्वशक्त्या ।
कालाख्ययासादितकर्मतन्त्रो
लोकानपीतान्ददृशे स्वदेहे ॥ १२ ॥
svapan svayodīritayā sva-śaktyā
kālākhyayāsādita-karma-tantro
lokān apītān dadṛśe sva-dehe
catuḥ — four; yugānām — of the millenniums; ca — also; sahasram — one thousand; apsu — in the water; svapan — dreaming in sleep; svayā — with His internal potency; udīritayā — for further development; sva-śaktyā — by His own energy; kāla-ākhyayā — by the name kāla; āsādita — being so engaged; karma-tantraḥ — in the matter of fruitive activities; lokān — the total living entities; apītān — bluish; dadṛśe — saw it so; sva-dehe — in His own body.
The Lord lay down for a thousand cycles of four yugas in His internal potency, and by His external energy He appeared to be sleeping within the water. When the living entities were coming out for further development of their fruitive activities, actuated by the energy called kāla-śakti, He saw His transcendental body as bluish.
Purport by MGDAS
This verse states that Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu was sleeping for catur-yugānāṁ ca sahasram - a thousand cycles of four yugas. This is during the so-called 'night' of Lord Brahma.
जलोर्मिचक्रात्सलिलाद्विरूढम् ।
उपाश्रित: कञ्जमु लोकतत्त्वं
नात्मानमद्धाविददादिदेव: ॥ १७ ॥
jalormi-cakrāt salilād virūḍham
upāśritaḥ kañjam u loka-tattvaṁ
nātmānam addhāvidad ādi-devaḥ
tasmāt — from there; yuga-anta — at the end of the millennium; śvasana — the air of devastation; avaghūrṇa — because of movement; jala — water; ūrmi-cakrāt — out of the circle of waves; salilāt — from the water; virūḍham — situated on them; upāśritaḥ — having the shelter of; kañjam — lotus flower; u — in astonishment; loka-tattvam — the mystery of creation; na — not; ātmānam — himself; addhā — perfectly; avidat — could understand; ādi-devaḥ — the first demigod.
Lord Brahmā, situated in that lotus, could not perfectly understand the creation, the lotus or himself. At the end of the millennium the air of devastation began to move the water and the lotus in great circular waves.
Purport by MGDAS
Here Maitreya Muni is explaining that tasmād yugānta - At the end of the millennium - meaning after Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu wakes up after 1000 maha-yugas - The Lord lay down for a thousand cycles of four yugas - (ŚB 3.8.12) - due to sva-śaktyā — by His own energy; kāla-ākhyayā or kāla-śakti as well as being (arthaḥ — purpose; rajasā — by the mode of passion of material nature; tanīyān — very subtle; guṇena — by the qualities; kāla-anugatena — in due course of time; viddhaḥ — agitated) - agitated by the material mode of passion, there is a śvasanā - the air of devastation.
प्रवृत्तयोगेन विरूढबोध: ।
स्वयं तदन्तर्हृदयेऽवभात-
मपश्यतापश्यत यन्न पूर्वम् ॥ २२ ॥
pravṛtta-yogena virūḍha-bodhaḥ
svayaṁ tad antar-hṛdaye ’vabhātam
apaśyatāpaśyata yan na pūrvam
kālena — in due course of time; saḥ — he; ajaḥ — the self-born Brahmā; puruṣa-āyuṣā — by the duration of his age; abhipravṛtta — being engaged; yogena — in meditation; virūḍha — developed; bodhaḥ — intelligence; svayam — automatically; tat antaḥ-hṛdaye — in the heart; avabhātam — manifested; apaśyata — saw; apaśyata — did see; yat — which; na — not; pūrvam — before.
At the end of Brahmā’s one hundred years, when his meditation was complete, he developed the required knowledge, and as a result he could see in his heart the Supreme within himself, whom he could not see before with the greatest endeavor.
Purport by MGDAS
It seems that this is a description of the Śveta-Vārāha-kalpa i.e. the current kalpa, ergo during Lord Brahma's 51st birthday (ie 18,360 days of Brahma, meaning he has performed this meditation 18,360 times before, and the first time it took 1000 celestial years). The following text ŚB 2.9.8 must be the first kalpa, the Brahma-kalpa, when Lord Brahma appeared for the first time and needed a longer time to meditate i.e. one thousand years by the calculations of the demigods. (ŚB 2.9.8)
जितानिलात्मा विजितोभयेन्द्रिय: ।
अतप्यत स्माखिललोकतापनं
तपस्तपीयांस्तपतां समाहित: ॥ ८ ॥
jitānilātmā vijitobhayendriyaḥ
atapyata smākhila-loka-tāpanaṁ
tapas tapīyāṁs tapatāṁ samāhitaḥ
divyam — pertaining to the demigods in the higher planets; sahasra — one thousand; abdam — years; amogha — spotless, without a tinge of impurity; darśanaḥ — one who has such a vision of life; jita — controlled; anila — life; ātmā — mind; vijita — controlled over; ubhaya — both; indriyaḥ — one who has such senses; atapyata — executed penance; sma — in the past; akhila — all; loka — planet; tāpanam — enlightening; tapaḥ — penance; tapīyān — extremely hard penance; tapatām — of all the executors of penances; samāhitaḥ — thus situated.
Lord Brahmā underwent penances for one thousand years by the calculations of the demigods. He heard this transcendental vibration from the sky, and he accepted it as divine. Thus he controlled his mind and senses, and the penances he executed were a great lesson for the living entities. Thus he is known as the greatest of all ascetics.
Purport by MGDAS
This verse describes the Brahma-kalpa, or the first day of Lord Brahma. It seems that Lord Brahma needed a longer time to meditate the first time, i.e. Brahma-kalpa or the first day of Brahma's life.
सन्ध्याभ्रनीवेरुरुरुक्ममूर्ध्न: ।
रत्नोदधारौषधिसौमनस्य
वनस्रजो वेणुभुजाङ्घ्रि पाङ्घ्रे : ॥ २४ ॥
sandhyābhra-nīver uru-rukma-mūrdhnaḥ
ratnodadhārauṣadhi-saumanasya
vana-srajo veṇu-bhujāṅghripāṅghreḥ
prekṣām — the panorama; kṣipantam — deriding; harita — green; upala — coral; adreḥ — of the hill; sandhyā-abhra-nīveḥ — of the dress of the evening sky; uru — great; rukma — gold; mūrdhnaḥ — on the summit; ratna — jewels; udadhāra — waterfalls; auṣadhi — herbs; saumanasya — of the scenery; vana-srajaḥ — flower garland; veṇu — dress; bhuja — hands; aṅghripa — trees; aṅghreḥ — legs.
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, tulasī leaves and flower garlands, mocked the scene on the mountain.
Purport by MGDAS
देहेन लोकत्रयसंग्रहेण ।
विचित्रदिव्याभरणांशुकानां
कृतश्रियापाश्रितवेषदेहम् ॥ २५ ॥
dehena loka-traya-saṅgraheṇa
vicitra-divyābharaṇāṁśukānāṁ
kṛta-śriyāpāśrita-veṣa-deham
āyāmataḥ — by length; vistarataḥ — by breadth; sva-māna — by His own measurement; dehena — by the transcendental body; loka-traya — the three (upper, middle and lower) planetary systems; saṅgraheṇa — by total absorption; vicitra — variegated; divya — transcendental; ābharaṇa-aṁśukānām — rays of the ornaments; kṛta-śriyā apāśrita — beauty created by those dresses and ornaments; veṣa — 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.
Purport by MGDAS
This description is simply an esoteric view that Lord Brahma experienced after he saw Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu on His island. It must be an internal heart-vision (antar-hṛdaye ’vabhātam), because at this point in the narrative, the physical planetary systems do not exist yet; dehena loka-traya-saṅgraheṇa - His transcendental body occupied the three planetary systems, upper, middle and lower.
विरिञ्चोऽपि तथा चक्रे दिव्यं वर्षशतं तप: ।
आत्मन्यात्मानमावेश्य यथाह भगवानज: ॥ ४ ॥
viriñco ’pi tathā cakre
divyaṁ varṣa-śataṁ tapaḥ
ātmany ātmānam āveśya
yathāha bhagavān ajaḥ
maitreyaḥ uvāca — the great sage Maitreya said; viriñcaḥ — Brahmā; api — also; tathā — in that manner; cakre — performed; divyam — celestial; varṣa-śatam — one hundred years; tapaḥ — penances; ātmani — unto the Lord; ātmānam — his own self; āveśya — engaging; yathā āha — as it was spoken; bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead; ajaḥ — the unborn.
The greatly learned sage Maitreya said: O Vidura, Brahmā thus engaged himself in penances for one hundred celestial years, as advised by the Personality of Godhead, and applied himself in devotional service to the Lord.
Purport by MGDAS
Now here, after Lord Brahma received instructions directly from the Personality of Godhead at the end of Chapter 9, Brahmā’s Prayers for Creative Energy, ŚB 3.9.43, Maitreya is describing Lord Brahma meditates for a second time, the first being in ŚB 3.8.22. This was to generate the focused spiritual power needed to generate the living entities as before (prajāḥ sṛja yathā-pūrvaṁ), as described in ŚB 3.9.43.
The following is the texts of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto 3: The Status Quo Chapter Eight:
Manifestation of Brahmā from Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu
Text 10: At that time when the three worlds were submerged in water, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu was alone, lying on His bedstead, the great snake Ananta, and although He appeared to be in slumber in His own internal potency, free from the action of the external energy, His eyes were not completely closed.
Text 11: Just like the strength of fire within fuel wood, the Lord remained within the water of dissolution, submerging all the living entities in their subtle bodies. He lay in the self-invigorated energy called kāla.
Text 12: The Lord lay down for a thousand cycles of four yugas in His internal potency, and by His external energy He appeared to be sleeping within the water. When the living entities were coming out for further development of their fruitive activities, actuated by the energy called kāla-śakti, He saw His transcendental body as bluish.
Text 13: The subtle subject matter of creation, on which the Lord’s attention was fixed, was agitated by the material mode of passion, and thus the subtle form of creation pierced through His abdomen.
Text 14: Piercing through, this sum total form of the fruitive activity of the living entities took the shape of the bud of a lotus flower generated from the Personality of Viṣṇu, and by His supreme will it illuminated everything, like the sun, and dried up the vast waters of devastation.
Text 15: Into that universal lotus flower Lord Viṣṇu personally entered as the Supersoul, and when it was thus impregnated with all the modes of material nature, the personality of Vedic wisdom, whom we call the self-born, was generated.
Text 16: Brahmā, born out of the lotus flower, could not see the world, although he was situated in the whorl. He therefore circumambulated all of space, and while moving his eyes in all directions he achieved four heads in terms of the four directions.
The above texts states that Maitreya Muni is describing a Naimittika-pralaya. as confirmed by text 10: udāplutaṁ viśvam idaṁ tadāsīd - At that time when the three worlds were submerged in water.
The understanding is that the three worlds and in fact the whole universe (viśvam), including Lord Brahma, then enter Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu's abdomen (nābhi) as per ŚB 12.4.4: ātmasāt-kṛtya cātma-bhūḥ - ātma-sāt-kṛtya — absorbing within Himself; ca — also; ātma-bhūḥ — Lord Brahmā, and after catur-yugānāṁ ca sahasram - a thousand cycles of four yugas - the living entities [are again] coming out. (ŚB 3.8.12)
Or as Srila Prabhupada says: "He goes to sleep with Nārāyaṇa at the time of devastation, and when there is another creation, he is born in this way." From ŚB 3.8.15, purport. Srila Prabhupada explains it even in more detail at the beginning of that same purport: "This lotus flower is the universal virāṭ form, or the gigantic form of the Lord in the material world. It becomes amalgamated in the Personality of Godhead Viṣṇu, in His abdomen, at the time of dissolution, and it becomes manifest at the time of creation." From ŚB 3.8.15, purport.
Notes
Brāhma-kalpa and Śveta-Vārāha-Kalpa
Each day (kalpa) of Brahma is Very Similar
1. Śrīdhara Svāmī's Reference
The Text: Bhāvārtha-Dīpikā on ŚB 3.8.22.
The Key Phrase: puruṣāyuṣā saṁvatsara-śatena ("By a duration of one hundred years").
Śrīdhara Svāmī' establishes that the baseline duration used by Maitreya Ṛṣi is a clean count of 100 years. He keeps it strictly literal rather than treating it as a generic, abstract idiom.
2. Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī's Reference
The Text: Krama-sandarbha on ŚB 3.8.22.
The Key Phrase: puruṣāyuṣā varṣa-śateneti śrī-maitreyo vartamāna-kali-yugāpekṣayā prāheti jñeyam.
Jīva Gosvāmī explicitly defines puruṣāyuṣā as 100 human years relative to our current Kali-yuga lifespan. He then links ŚB 2.9.8 (divyaṁ sahasrābdam - 1,000 celestial years) strictly to the Brāhma-kalpa (Day 1), explicitly separating it from Maitreya's current narration of the Śveta-Vārāha-kalpa (Day 51).
3. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākur's Reference
The Text: Sārārtha-Darśinī on ŚB 2.9.8 and ŚB 3.8.22.
The Key Phrase: divyaṁ sahasrābdam iti ("Thus, one thousand celestial years").
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākur handles ŚB 2.9.8 divyaṁ sahasrābdam iti - as a literal description during the Brāhma-kalpa ie Brahma's first day. In ŚB 3.8.22, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākur follows Śrīdhara Svāmī's path, confirming puruṣāyuṣā as "one hundred years". By keeping both definitions distinct across the cantos, he protects the separate execution times of the two distinct Kalpas.
Detailed Notes on Jiva Gosvami
Srila Jiva Goswami's Krama Sandarbha
puruṣāyuṣā varṣa-śateneti śrī-maitreyo vartamāna-kali-yugāpekṣayā prāheti jñeyam |
vastutas tu uttara-granthe bhūyastvaṁ tapa ātiṣṭha (ŚB 3.9.30) ity ādi śrī-bhagavad-vākyānantaraṁ daśamādhyāye viriñco’pi tathā cakre divyaṁ varṣa-śataṁ tapa (ŚB 3.10.4) ity uktyā etad eva jñeyam |
yat tu dvitīye divyaṁ sahasrābdaṁ (ŚB 2.9.8) ity-ādy-uktaṁ tad brāhma-kalpa-gataṁ jñeyam ||
Synonyms
puruṣāyuṣā — by a human lifespan; varṣa-śatena — by a hundred years; iti — thus; śrī-maitreyaḥ — the sage Maitreya; vartamāna-kali-yuga-apekṣayā — in consideration of/relative to the current Kali-yuga; prāha — spoke [this]; iti jñeyam — this should be understood; vastutaḥ tu — but in fact / in reality; uttara-granthe — in the subsequent portion of the text; bhūyas tvaṁ tapa ātiṣṭha — "O Brahmā, situate yourself in penance and meditation" (ŚB 3.9.30); iti ādi — thus and so forth; śrī-bhagavad-vākya-anantaram: immediately following these words of the Supreme Lord; daśama-adhyāye — in the tenth chapter; viriñcaḥ api — Brahmā also; tathā cakre — did so perform; divyaṁ varṣa-śataṁ tapaḥ — penances for a hundred celestial years (ŚB 3.10.4); iti uktyā — by this statement; etad eva — this very same thing / this exact calculation; jñeyam — should be understood; yat tu — however, that which; dvitīye — in the Second Canto; divyaṁ sahasra-abdam — a thousand celestial years (ŚB 2.9.8); iti-ādi-uktam — stated thus and so forth; tat — that; brāhma-kalpa-gatam — belonging to the Brāhma-kalpa; jñeyam —should be understood.
Translation
By the term puruṣāyuṣā (a human lifespan), it should be understood that Śrī Maitreya spoke of a hundred years in consideration of the current Kali-yuga. In reality, in the subsequent text, immediately following the words of the Supreme Lord, 'Situate yourself in further penances' (ŚB 3.9.30), the tenth chapter states, 'Brahmā also performed penances for a hundred celestial years' (ŚB 3.10.4). By this statement, this very same thing [the calculation relative to the human lifespan of the current Kali-yuga] should be understood. However, that which is stated in the Second Canto as 'a thousand celestial years' (ŚB 2.9.8) should be understood as belonging to the Brāhma-kalpa.
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