Shloka 19
Parīkṣit’s Questions and the Prelude to Kṛṣṇa’s Advent
Earth’s Burden, Viṣṇu’s Order, and Kaṁsa’s Fear
ब्रह्मा तदुपधार्याथ सह देवैस्तया सह । जगाम सत्रिनयनस्तीरं क्षीरपयोनिधे: ॥ १९ ॥
brahmā tad-upadhāryātha saha devais tayā saha jagāma sa-tri-nayanas tīraṁ kṣīra-payo-nidheḥ
Having heard Mother Earth’s distress, Lord Brahmā, accompanied by her, Lord Śiva, and all the demigods, went to the shore of the Ocean of Milk.
After Lord Brahmā understood the precarious condition of the earth, he first visited the demigods headed by Lord Indra, who are in charge of the various affairs of this universe, and Lord Śiva, who is responsible for annihilation. Both maintenance and annihilation go on perpetually, under the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (4.8) , paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām. Those who are obedient to the laws of God are protected by different servants and demigods, whereas those who are undesirable are vanquished by Lord Śiva. Lord Brahmā first met all the demigods, including Lord Śiva. Then, along with mother earth, they went to the shore of the Ocean of Milk, where Lord Viṣṇu lies on a white island, Śvetadvīpa.
FAQs
They go to Kṣīra-samudra, the traditional place of approaching Lord Viṣṇu, to seek divine intervention for relieving the Earth’s burden and to facilitate the Lord’s descent.
The ‘three-eyed’ (tri-nayana) refers to Lord Śiva, who accompanies Brahmā and the demigods.
It models taking collective responsibility and approaching the highest divine shelter with humility—seeking guidance rather than relying only on personal power.