Shloka 26
Raivata and Cākṣuṣa Manvantaras; Brahmā’s Prayers at Śvetadvīpa
Prelude to Samudra-manthana
श्रीब्रह्मोवाच अविक्रियं सत्यमनन्तमाद्यं गुहाशयं निष्कलमप्रतर्क्यम् । मनोऽग्रयानं वचसानिरुक्तं नमामहे देववरं वरेण्यम् ॥ २६ ॥
śrī-brahmovāca avikriyaṁ satyam anantam ādyaṁ guhā-śayaṁ niṣkalam apratarkyam mano-’grayānaṁ vacasāniruktaṁ namāmahe deva-varaṁ vareṇyam
Lord Brahmā said: O Supreme Lord—unchanging, true, limitless, and primeval—You dwell within the cave of the heart, stainless and inconceivable. The mind cannot reach You, nor can words define You. O best of the gods, most worshipable, we offer You our respectful obeisances.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is not anything of material creation. Everything material must change from one form to another — for example, from earth to earthen pot and from earthen pot to earth again. All our creations are temporary, impermanent. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, however, is eternal, and similarly the living entities, who are parts of Him, are also eternal ( mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ ). The Supreme Personality of Godhead is sanātana, eternal, and the individual living entities are also eternal. The difference is that Kṛṣṇa, or God, is the supreme eternal, whereas the individual souls are minute, fragmental eternals. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (13.3) , kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. Although the Lord is a living being and the individual souls are living beings, the Supreme Lord, unlike the individual souls, is vibhu, all-pervading, and ananta, unlimited. The Lord is the cause of everything. The living entities are innumerable, but the Lord is one. No one is greater than Him, and no one is equal to Him. Thus the Lord is the supreme worshipable object, as understood from the Vedic mantras ( na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate ). The Lord is supreme because no one can evaluate Him by mental speculation or jugglery of words. The Lord can travel more quickly than the mind. In the śruti-mantras of Īśopaniṣad it is said:
FAQs
This verse calls the Supreme Lord “apratarkya”—not reachable by mere logic—indicating that the Absolute Truth is ultimately known through devotion, realization, and divine revelation rather than debate alone.
In this chapter the devas seek the Supreme Lord’s shelter; Brahmā leads them in glorification, describing the Lord’s transcendental nature—unchanging, infinite, and indwelling—to invoke His protection and guidance.
Practice daily remembrance—japa, prayer, and ethical living—seeing the Lord as the inner witness; this cultivates humility, self-control, and steady devotion even amid stress and uncertainty.