Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvitiya Skandha, Shloka 21
Brahmā’s Tapasya, the Vision of Vaikuṇṭha, and the Lord’s Seed Instructions
Catuḥ-śloki
वरं वरय भद्रं ते वरेशं माभिवाञ्छितम् । ब्रह्मञ्छ्रेय:परिश्राम: पुंसां मद्दर्शनावधि: ॥ २१ ॥
varaṁ varaya bhadraṁ te vareśaṁ mābhivāñchitam brahmañ chreyaḥ-pariśrāmaḥ puṁsāṁ mad-darśanāvadhiḥ
Wohlergehen sei dir, o Brahmā. Bitte Mich, den Spender aller Segnungen, um die Gabe, die du begehrst. Wisse: Die höchste Segnung, Frucht aller Askese und Mühe, ist es, Mich zu verwirklichen und Mich zu schauen.
The ultimate realization of the Supreme Truth is knowing and seeing face to face the Personality of Godhead. Realization of the impersonal Brahman and localized Paramātmā features of the Personality of Godhead is not ultimate realization. When one realizes the Supreme Lord, one does not struggle hard to perform such penances. The next stage of life is to discharge devotional service to the Lord just to satisfy Him. In other words, one who has realized and seen the Supreme Lord has attained all perfection because everything is included in that highest perfectional stage. The impersonalists and the pseudo mystics, however, cannot reach this state.
FAQs
This verse states that the supreme success and final fruit of all spiritual endeavor culminates in the direct vision (darśana) of the Lord.
After Brahmā’s intense tapasya and prayers, the Lord reveals Himself and invites Brahmā to ask a boon, affirming that divine darśana is the true perfection of Brahmā’s effort.
By orienting practice toward devotion—hearing and chanting the Lord’s names, sincere prayer, and steady sādhana—so that spiritual effort aims at realizing the Lord’s presence rather than only worldly outcomes.