Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 21
Brahmā’s Prayers to Lord Nārāyaṇa and the Lord’s Empowering Instructions for Creation
यन्नाभिपद्मभवनादहमासमीड्य लोकत्रयोपकरणो यदनुग्रहेण । तस्मै नमस्त उदरस्थभवाय योग- निद्रावसानविकसन्नलिनेक्षणाय ॥ २१ ॥
yan-nābhi-padma-bhavanād aham āsam īḍya loka-trayopakaraṇo yad-anugraheṇa tasmai namas ta udara-stha-bhavāya yoga- nidrāvasāna-vikasan-nalinekṣaṇāya
Ô Seigneur, objet de mon culte : par Ta grâce je suis né de la demeure du lotus de Ton nombril afin d’accomplir la création des trois mondes. Durant Ton yoga-nidrā, tous les mondes demeuraient dans Ton ventre transcendantal ; à présent, le sommeil cessé, Tes yeux s’ouvrent comme des lotus épanouis à l’aurore. Je me prosterne devant Toi.
Brahmā is teaching us the beginning of arcanā regulations from morning (four o’clock) to night (ten o’clock). Early in the morning, the devotee has to rise from his bed and pray to the Lord, and there are other regulative principles for offering maṅgala-ārati early in the morning. Foolish nondevotees, not understanding the importance of arcanā, criticize the regulative principles, but they have no eyes to see that the Lord also sleeps, by His own will. The impersonal conception of the Supreme is so detrimental to the path of devotional service that it is very difficult to associate with the stubborn nondevotees, who always think in terms of material conceptions.
FAQs
This verse states that Brahmā arises from the Lord’s navel-lotus and becomes capable of arranging the three worlds only by the Lord’s grace, highlighting Viṣṇu as the ultimate source and Brahmā as His empowered servant.
Because Brahmā is situated within the cosmic form—born from the Lord’s navel-lotus—and acknowledges his dependent position inside the Lord’s universal manifestation.
Recognize that ability and success come by divine grace; cultivate humility, gratitude, and devotion, seeing oneself as an instrument rather than the ultimate controller.