Shloka 28
Brahmā’s Creation: The Kumāras, Rudra, the Prajāpatis, and the Manifestation of Vedic Sound
वाचं दुहितरं तन्वीं स्वयम्भूर्हरतीं मन: । अकामां चकमे क्षत्त: सकाम इति न: श्रुतम् ॥ २८ ॥
vācaṁ duhitaraṁ tanvīṁ svayambhūr haratīṁ manaḥ akāmāṁ cakame kṣattaḥ sa-kāma iti naḥ śrutam
Hỡi Vidura, chúng ta nghe rằng Phạm Thiên Tự Sinh đã sinh ra từ thân mình một ái nữ tên Vāk, người khiến tâm trí bị cuốn hút. Dẫu nàng không khởi dục đối với Ngài, Brahmā lại trở nên đầy dục vọng đối với nàng.
Balavān indriya-grāmo vidvāṁsam api karṣati ( Bhāg. 9.19.17 ). It is said that the senses are so mad and strong that they can bewilder even the most sensible and learned man. Therefore it is advised that one should not indulge in living alone even with one’s mother, sister or daughter. Vidvāṁsam api karṣati means that even the most learned also become victims of the sensuous urge. Maitreya hesitated to state this anomaly on the part of Brahmā, who was sexually inclined to his own daughter, but still he mentioned it because sometimes it so happens, and the living example is Brahmā himself, although he is the primeval living being and the most learned within the whole universe. If Brahmā could be a victim of the sexual urge, then what of others, who are prone to so many mundane frailties? This extraordinary immorality on the part of Brahmā was heard to have occurred in some particular kalpa, but it could not have happened in the kalpa in which Brahmā heard directly from the Lord the four essential verses of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam because the Lord blessed Brahmā, after giving him lessons on the Bhāgavatam, that he would never be bewildered in any kalpa whatsoever. This indicates that before the hearing of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam he might have fallen a victim to such sensuality, but after hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam directly from the Lord, there was no possibility of such failures.
FAQs
This verse states that even Brahmā (Svayambhū) became momentarily overcome by desire when his mind was captivated—showing that lust can arise and must be checked by dharma and higher consciousness.
In the creation narrative of Canto 3, Śukadeva highlights a cautionary incident to teach the seriousness of sense-control and the need to avoid irreligious impulses, even when one is powerful or learned.
Guard the mind from tempting impressions, maintain ethical boundaries in relationships, and strengthen inner discipline through prayer, sādhana, and association that supports purity.