Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvitiya Skandha, Shloka 30
Brahmā’s Tapasya, the Vision of Vaikuṇṭha, and the Lord’s Seed Instructions
Catuḥ-śloki
यावत् सखा सख्युरिवेश ते कृत: प्रजाविसर्गे विभजामि भो जनम् । अविक्लवस्ते परिकर्मणि स्थितो मा मे समुन्नद्धमदोऽजमानिन: ॥ ३० ॥
yāvat sakhā sakhyur iveśa te kṛtaḥ prajā-visarge vibhajāmi bho janam aviklavas te parikarmaṇi sthito mā me samunnaddha-mado ’ja māninaḥ
ໂອ້ ພຣະອົງ ຜູ້ບໍ່ເກີດ, ພຣະອົງໄດ້ຈັບມືຂ້າພະເຈົ້າເຫມືອນມິດຈັບມືມິດ ດັ່ງກັບເທົ່າທຽມ. ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຈະປະກອບການສ້າງສັດມີຊີວິດຫຼາຍປະເພດ ແລະຈະຢືນຢັນໃນການຮັບໃຊ້ພຣະອົງ; ຂໍຢ່າໃຫ້ຫວັ່ນໄຫວ ແລະຢ່າໃຫ້ເກີດຄວາມທະນົງວ່າຂ້າພະເຈົ້າແມ່ນຜູ້ສູງສຸດ
Lord Brahmā is definitely situated in the humor of friendship with the Lord. Every living being is eternally related with the Personality of Godhead in one of five different transcendental humors, namely śānta, dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya and mādhurya. We have already discussed these five kinds of humors in relationship with the Personality of Godhead. It is clearly exhibited herein that Lord Brahmā is related to the Personality of Godhead in the transcendental humor of friendship. A pure devotee may be related with the Lord in any one of the transcendental humors, even in the humor of parenthood, but the devotee of the Lord is always a transcendental servitor. No one is equal to or greater than the Lord. That is the version of the Bhagavad-gītā. Brahmājī, although eternally related with the Lord in the transcendental humor of friendship, and although entrusted with the most exalted post of creating different grades of living entities, is still conscious of his position, that he is neither the Supreme Lord nor supremely powerful. It is possible that some extremely powerful personality, within or without the universe, may sometimes show more power than the Lord Himself. Still the pure devotee knows that this power is a vibhūti delegated by the Lord, and such a delegated powerful living entity is never independent. Śrī Hanumānjī crossed the Indian Ocean by jumping over the sea, and Lord Śrī Rāmacandra engaged Himself in marching over the bridge, but this does not mean that Hanumānjī was more powerful than the Lord. Sometimes the Lord gives extraordinary powers to His devotee, but the devotee knows always that the power belongs to the Personality of Godhead and that the devotee is only an instrument. The pure devotee is never puffed up like the nondevotee class of men who falsely think that they are God. It is astonishing to see how a person who is being kicked by the laws of the Lord’s illusory energy at every step can falsely think of becoming one with the Lord. Such thinking is the last snare of the illusory energy offered to the conditioned soul. The first illusion is that he wants to become Lord of the material world by accumulating wealth and power, but when he is frustrated in that attempt he wants to be one with the Lord. So both becoming the most powerful man in the material world and desiring to become one with the Lord are different illusory snares. And because the pure devotees of the Lord are surrendered souls, they are above the illusory snares of māyā. Because Lord Brahmā is a pure devotee, even though the first dominating deity in the material world and therefore able to do many wonderful things, he would never, like the nondevotee with a poor fund of knowledge, have the audacity to think of becoming one with the Lord. People with a poor fund of knowledge should take lessons from Brahmā when they are puffed up with the false notion of becoming God.
FAQs
This verse shows Brahmā praying to remain steady in his divinely assigned duty and to never become proud or think himself independent; true service stays rooted in the Lord’s sanction.
While receiving empowerment for prajā-sarga (creation of living beings), Brahmā acknowledges that his authority depends on the Lord and prays for humility so his cosmic role does not lead to ego.
Do your responsibilities as service—crediting the Divine and those who support you—so success does not become arrogance, and duty remains calm, focused, and ethical.