Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 18
Brahmā’s Creation: The Kumāras, Rudra, the Prajāpatis, and the Manifestation of Vedic Sound
तप आतिष्ठ भद्रं ते सर्वभूतसुखावहम् । तपसैव यथापूर्व स्रष्टा विश्वमिदं भवान् ॥ १८ ॥
tapa ātiṣṭha bhadraṁ te sarva-bhūta-sukhāvaham tapasaiva yathā pūrvaṁ sraṣṭā viśvam idaṁ bhavān
Mon cher fils, établis-toi dans la pénitence, propice et source de bonheur pour tous les êtres. Par la pénitence seule tu pourras recréer cet univers tel qu’il était auparavant.
In the creation, maintenance and dissolution of the cosmic manifestation, the three deities Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara, or Śiva, are respectively in charge. Rudra was advised not to destroy while the period of creation and maintenance was going on, but to situate himself in penance and wait for the time of dissolution, when his services would be called for.
FAQs
This verse teaches that tapasya is auspicious and welfare-giving, and that by austerity one gains the power and clarity to carry out divinely guided duties—here, Brahmā’s universal creation.
Because Brahmā’s role as secondary creator is empowered by the Lord; Viṣṇu instructs him that through tapasya he will again receive the capacity to manifest the universe, as in previous cycles.
Adopt disciplined spiritual practice—regulated habits, self-control, prayer and devotion—so your work becomes purifying and beneficial to others rather than driven by restlessness or ego.