Shloka 20
Manu Offers Devahūti to Kardama; The Sage Accepts with a Devotional Vow
यतोऽभवद्विश्वमिदं विचित्रं संस्थास्यते यत्र च वावतिष्ठते । प्रजापतीनां पतिरेष मह्यं परं प्रमाणं भगवाननन्त: ॥ २० ॥
yato ’bhavad viśvam idaṁ vicitraṁ saṁsthāsyate yatra ca vāvatiṣṭhate prajāpatīnāṁ patir eṣa mahyaṁ paraṁ pramāṇaṁ bhagavān anantaḥ
អំណាចខ្ពស់បំផុតសម្រាប់ខ្ញុំគឺ ព្រះបុគ្គលភាពដ៏អសীম (Bhagavān Ananta) ដែលពីព្រះអង្គ ពិភពលោកដ៏អស្ចារ្យនេះកើតឡើង ក្នុងព្រះអង្គវាត្រូវបានថែរក្សា ហើយក្នុងព្រះអង្គវាលាយបាត់។ ព្រះអង្គជាព្រះអធិបតីលើព្រះប្រាជាបតិទាំងឡាយ ដែលត្រូវបានតែងតាំងសម្រាប់បង្កើតសត្វមានជីវិត។
Kardama Muni was ordered by his father, Prajāpati, to produce children. In the beginning of creation the Prajāpatis were meant to produce the large population which was to reside in the planets of the gigantic universe. But Kardama Muni said that although his father was Prajāpati, who desired him to produce children, actually his origin was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, because Viṣṇu is the origin of everything; He is the actual creator of this universe, He is the actual maintainer, and when everything is annihilated, it rests in Him only. That is the conclusion of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. For creation, maintenance and annihilation there are the three deities Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara (Śiva), but Brahmā and Maheśvara are qualitative expansions of Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu is the central figure. Therefore He takes charge of maintenance. No one can maintain the whole creation but Him. There are innumerable entities, and they have innumerable demands; no one but Viṣṇu can fulfill the innumerable demands of all the innumerable living entities. Brahmā is ordered to create, and Śiva is ordered to annihilate. The middle function, maintenance, is taken charge of by Viṣṇu. Kardama Muni knew very well, by his power in progressive spiritual life, that Viṣṇu, the Personality of Godhead, was his worshipable Deity. Whatever Viṣṇu desired was his duty, and nothing else. He was not prepared to beget a number of children. He would beget only one child, who would help the mission of Viṣṇu. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, whenever there is a discrepancy in the discharge of religious principles, the Lord descends to the surface of the earth to protect religious principles and to annihilate the miscreants.
FAQs
This verse states that the universe arises from the Supreme Lord, is sustained in Him, and finally rests back in Him—He is the ultimate source, support, and end of all existence.
Kardama identifies the Lord as the highest standard of truth and proof because all cosmic functions and all rulers like the Prajapatis depend upon Him; thus His existence and supremacy are self-evident through everything that exists.
It nurtures humility and steadiness: recognizing a single divine source behind change helps one act responsibly, reduce ego-driven anxiety, and anchor decisions in devotion and dharma.