Shloka 32
Raivata and Cākṣuṣa Manvantaras; Brahmā’s Prayers at Śvetadvīpa
Prelude to Samudra-manthana
पादौ महीयं स्वकृतैव यस्य चतुर्विधो यत्र हि भूतसर्ग: । स वै महापूरुष आत्मतन्त्र: प्रसीदतां ब्रह्म महाविभूति: ॥ ३२ ॥
pādau mahīyaṁ sva-kṛtaiva yasya catur-vidho yatra hi bhūta-sargaḥ sa vai mahā-pūruṣa ātma-tantraḥ prasīdatāṁ brahma mahā-vibhūtiḥ
This earth rests upon His lotus feet, and by His own power the fourfold creation of living beings comes forth here. He is the great Mahāpuruṣa, self-supreme, filled with vast opulence and might. O Brahmā, may that Lord be pleased with us.
The word mahī refers to the five material elements — earth, water, air, fire and sky — which rest upon the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ. The mahat-tattva, the total material energy, rests on His lotus feet, for the cosmic manifestation is but another opulence of the Lord. In this cosmic manifestation there are four kinds of living entities — jarāyu-ja (those born from embryos), aṇḍa-ja (those born from eggs), sveda-ja (those born from perspiration), and udbhij-ja (those born from seeds). Everything is generated from the Lord, as confirmed in the Vedānta-sūtra ( janmādy asya yataḥ ). No one is independent, but the Supreme Soul is completely independent. Janmādy asya yato ’nvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ sva-rāṭ. The word sva-rāṭ means “independent.” We are dependent, whereas the Supreme Lord is completely independent. Therefore the Supreme Lord is the greatest of all. Even Lord Brahmā, who created the cosmic manifestation, is but another opulence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The material creation is activated by the Lord, and therefore the Lord is not a part of the material creation. The Lord exists in His original, spiritual position. The universal form of the Lord, vairāja-mūrti, is another feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
FAQs
This verse calls the Lord ātma-tantraḥ—fully self-governed—teaching that creation and cosmic order proceed by His own will and power, not by any external force.
In this chapter, the devas seek divine shelter and help; they glorify the Lord as the source of the cosmos and pray, “prasīdatām”—may He be pleased—so their crisis can be resolved by His grace.
It fosters humility and steady faith: instead of anxiety over outcomes, one focuses on sincere duty and devotion, trusting the Supreme as the ultimate controller and well-wisher.