Shloka 54
Brahmā’s Prayers to Lord Kṛṣṇa (Brahmā-stuti) and the Restoration of Vraja’s Lunch Pastime
तस्मात् प्रियतम: स्वात्मा सर्वेषामपि देहिनाम् । तदर्थमेव सकलं जगदेतच्चराचरम् ॥ ५४ ॥
tasmāt priyatamaḥ svātmā sarveṣām api dehinām tad-artham eva sakalaṁ jagad etac carācaram
Therefore, for every embodied living being, one’s own self (ātman) is most dear; and it is solely for the satisfaction of this self that the entire world of moving and nonmoving beings exists.
The word carācaram indicates moving living entities, such as animals, and nonmoving living entities, such as trees. Or the word may also refer to moving possessions, such as one’s family and pets, and nonmoving possessions, such as one’s house and household paraphernalia.
FAQs
This verse states that every embodied being naturally holds the self (svātmā) as most dear, and that all pursuits in the world ultimately revolve around protecting, pleasing, or fulfilling that sense of self.
In his prayers after being humbled by Kṛṣṇa’s supremacy, Brahmā reflects on fundamental truth: all beings act from self-interest—yet the highest realization is to see Kṛṣṇa as the true Self (Paramātmā), making devotion the perfection of that innate self-love.
Notice how decisions often center on ‘my happiness’ or ‘my security,’ then redirect that same drive toward spiritual identity—serving and remembering Kṛṣṇa—so self-interest becomes purified into bhakti rather than mere material striving.