Shloka 10

Hiraṇyakaśipu’s Austerities and Brahmā’s Boons

The Architecture of ‘Conditional Immortality’

Devanagari script

सृष्ट्वा चराचरमिदं तपोयोगसमाधिना । अध्यास्ते सर्वधिष्ण्येभ्य: परमेष्ठी निजासनम् ॥ ९ ॥ तदहं वर्धमानेन तपोयोगसमाधिना । कालात्मनोश्च नित्यत्वात्साधयिष्ये तथात्मन: ॥ १० ॥

Transliteration

sṛṣṭvā carācaram idaṁ tapo-yoga-samādhinā adhyāste sarva-dhiṣṇyebhyaḥ parameṣṭhī nijāsanam

Translation

ດ້ວຍພະລັງແຫ່ງຕະປະ ໂຍຄະ ແລະ ສະມາທິ ພຣະພຣົມ (ປະຣະເມດຖີ) ໄດ້ສ້າງໂລກທັງທີ່ເຄື່ອນໄຫວແລະບໍ່ເຄື່ອນໄຫວ ແລ້ວປະທັບເທິງອາສນະສູງສຸດ ເປັນຜູ້ຄວນບູຊາທີ່ສຸດໃນຈັກກະວານ. ເມື່ອການແລະອາຕະມັນເປັນນິດ ຂ້ອຍຈະບຳເນັດຕະປະ-ໂຍຄະ-ສະມາທິຫຼາຍຊາດ ເພື່ອໄດ້ຕຳແໜ່ງດຽວກັນກັບພຣະພຣົມ.

Synonyms

• सृष्ट्वा: having created
• सृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), from √सृज्; ‘having created’

• चर-अचरम्: the moving and the non-moving (world)
• चर-अचरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर (प्रातिपदिक) + अचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (itaretara-dvandva) ‘moving and non-moving’

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• तपस्-योग-समाधिना: by (means of) the samādhi of austerity and yoga
• तपस्-योग-समाधिना: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + योग (प्रातिपदिक) + समाधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; समासः (श्रृङ्खला-तत्पुरुष) ‘by the samādhi of tapas and yoga’

• अध्यास्ते: sits/abides
• अध्यास्ते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि-आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; ‘sits/abides upon’

• सर्व-धिष्ण्येभ्यः: from all abodes/seats
• सर्व-धिष्ण्येभ्यः: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + धिष्ण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय ‘all seats/abodes’

• परमेष्ठी: Parameṣṭhī (Brahmā)
• परमेष्ठी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमेष्ठिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; title of Brahmā

• निज-आसनम्: his own seat
• निज-आसनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक) + आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय ‘one’s own seat’

Purport

Hiraṇyakaśipu’s determination was to occupy the post of Lord Brahmā, but this was impossible because Brahmā has a long duration of life. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (8.17) , sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ: one thousand yugas equals one day of Brahmā. The duration of Brahmā’s life is extremely great, and consequently it was impossible for Hiraṇyakaśipu to occupy that post. Nonetheless, his decision was that since the self ( ātmā ) and time are both eternal, if he could not occupy that post in one lifetime he would continue to execute austerities life after life so that sometime he would be able to do so.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Brahmā creating the universe through austerity?

This verse states that Brahmā manifests the moving and nonmoving creation by the power of tapas, yoga, and samādhi, indicating creation is accomplished through divine concentration and discipline, not mere physical effort.

Why is Brahmā called Parameṣṭhī in the Bhagavatam?

Parameṣṭhī means the foremost among created beings—Brahmā occupies the highest administrative post within the universe and resides above the planetary abodes on his own seat.

Practical application of tapas and samādhi in modern life?

The verse highlights that sustained discipline and focused absorption lead to powerful results—devotees can apply this by steady sādhana (japa, study, regulated life) to gain clarity and spiritual strength.