Shloka 4
Bhṛgu Tests the Trimūrti; Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna Visit Mahā-Viṣṇu and Recover the Brāhmaṇa’s Sons
स आत्मन्युत्थितं मन्युमात्मजायात्मना प्रभु: । अशीशमद् यथा वह्निं स्वयोन्या वारिणात्मभू: ॥ ४ ॥
sa ātmany utthitam manyum ātmajāyātmanā prabhuḥ aśīśamad yathā vahniṁ sva-yonyā vāriṇātma-bhūḥ
Though anger toward his son rose within his heart, Lord Brahmā subdued it by his intelligence, just as fire is quenched by its own product, water.
Lord Brahmā is sometimes affected by his contact with the mode of passion. But because he is ādi-kavi, the firstborn and foremost learned scholar in the universe, when anger begins to disturb his mind he can control it by means of discriminating self-examination. In this instance he reminded himself that Bhṛgu was his son. Thus in this verse Śukadeva Gosvāmī draws the analogy that Brahmā’s own expansion (his son) served to put out his anger just as water, which originally evolved from elemental fire in the primeval creation, puts out a fire.
FAQs
This verse shows that even when anger arises, it can be immediately checked by higher intelligence and inner strength; Bhagavān exemplifies perfect mastery over the mind.
The comparison highlights self-originated control: just as Brahmā uses water arising from his own source to extinguish fire, the Lord restrains anger arising within Himself by His own divine potency.
When anger arises, pause and redirect it through conscious restraint—remembering the Lord’s example—using inner disciplines like prayer, reflection, and deliberate non-reaction.