Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 49
Parīkṣit’s Final Absorption, Takṣaka’s Bite, Janamejaya’s Snake Sacrifice, and the Vedic Sound-Lineage
अस्मिन्नप्यन्तरे ब्रह्मन् भगवान्लोकभावन: । ब्रह्मेशाद्यैर्लोकपालैर्याचितो धर्मगुप्तये ॥ ४८ ॥ पराशरात् सत्यवत्यामंशांशकलया विभु: । अवतीर्णो महाभाग वेदं चक्रे चतुर्विधम् ॥ ४९ ॥
asminn apy antare brahman bhagavān loka-bhāvanaḥ brahmeśādyair loka-pālair yācito dharma-guptaye
Ô brāhmaṇa, en ce temps de Vaivasvata Manu, les gouverneurs de l’univers, menés par Brahmā et Śiva, implorèrent Bhagavān, le soutien de tous les mondes, de préserver les principes du dharma. Ô Śaunaka fortuné, le Seigneur tout-puissant, manifestant une étincelle divine d’une portion de Sa portion plénière, apparut dans le sein de Satyavatī comme fils de Parāśara et, sous le nom de Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa, divisa l’unique Veda en quatre.
FAQs
This verse states that the Supreme Lord, the benefactor of all worlds, is petitioned by Brahmā, Śiva, and the lokapālas to safeguard dharma—showing that divine protection of righteousness is central to the Bhagavatam.
Because dharma required protection; as cosmic administrators, Brahmā, Śiva, and the lokapālas appeal to the Supreme Lord, who alone can fully restore and uphold righteousness.
Align daily choices with truthfulness, compassion, and self-discipline, and support spiritual study and practice—seeing dharma as something to be actively preserved in one’s conduct.