Srimad Bhagavata Skanda 2 – Brahma's Revelations on Lord’s Sovereignty in Creation
"The Lord Sriman Narayana is the very essence of divine virtues, self-sustained, radiant with light, overflowing with boundless knowledge and bliss. He is the ‘Creator of The Universe,’ which encompasses countless forms of Himself, both the living beings and the non-living things. He sustains, transforms, and governs it all — bestowing both ignorance and wisdom, binding beings to the cycle of birth and death, and offering liberation to those who seek moksha. Thus, He is the Param, the Supreme.
In the dawn of creation, He manifested the first being, the four-faced Brahma, and gifted him the knowledge required to bring the cosmos into being. Through His blessings, wisdom unfolds. Though He seeks no gain for Himself, He creates and upholds the cosmos for the welfare of all living beings, endowed with all the wisdom necessary for such a grand design. For He is neither a juggler, nor a deceiver, crafting illusions in this world. Untainted by any flaw, He is the Satyam — the absolute truth.
With reverence, let us meditate upon Lord Sriman Narayana, the embodiment of Satyam and Param."
"The Srimad Bhagavata encompasses the entirety of Dharma, safeguarding the soul from falling by purifying it, and guiding the individual soul towards the divine path leading to the Lord. This sacred path calls for unwavering devotion — a life dedicated to honoring, worshipping, admiring, and praising the Lord, free from jealousy, expectation, or deceit. As one treads upon this path, all obstacles dissolve, prosperity is bestowed, and the heart becomes imbued with virtue, turning one into a Sajjana, a virtuous soul. Above all, it fortifies bhakti, deepening one’s devotion.
Thus, the Srimad Bhagavata, composed by the Lord in the form of sage Veda Vyasa shines as a beacon of truth, revealing Himself as Supreme Soul eternally resides in the heart of every living being."
"Salutations to Lord Sriman Narayana, the eternal support of all, including the divine Goddess Lakshmi, and the very essence of the Srimad Bhagavata. Salutations to Lord Veda Vyasa, the revered composer of this sacred scripture. Salutations to Devi, the Goddess of Fortune, who perpetually serves the Lord and bestows the blessings of abundance upon all Bhagavatas, enriching them with the divine knowledge of Srimad Bhagavata — a wealth that encompasses Jnana, Bhakti, and Vairagya.
Salutations to the Gods Brahma and Vayu, the noblest of beings. Salutations to Sarasvati, the Goddess of Knowledge and Devotion, who inspires both wisdom and bhakti. Salutations to the divine Garuda, Sesha and Shiva, the greatest among the Vaishnavas.
Salutations to the Srimad Bhagavata, the sacred text that brings forth eternal victory and spiritual triumph."
The brightness of the Sun, Fire, Moon, Planets, Stars, Gems, Precious stones and Lightening put together is just like a firefly near the astonishing brilliance emanating from your lotus of Heart wherein the five forms of Lord Sri Rama, Sri Narasimha, Sri Veda Vyasa, Sri Krishna and Sriman Narayana are present in a significant way bestowing you the Brahmavarchas or the Sacred Knowledge.
Gentle & Holy Sage, Sri Raghavendra, I worship you by surrendering myself.
Thus, in response to Nārada’s humble inquiries, Brahmā continued to reveal deeper truths. He explained that all Vedas, sacrifices, and paths—whether of yoga, austerity, or knowledge—ultimately converge on none other than Lord Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Refuge.
Though Brahmā is revered as the creator, he humbly acknowledged that he is not the independent source of creation. It is the Supreme Lord alone who, by His divine will, activates the three guṇas of Prakṛti, sets into motion Kāla (Time), Karma (Action and Consequence), and Svabhāva (Innate Nature), and orchestrates the emergence of both the gross and subtle elements of the cosmos. Just as a spider effortlessly spins and retracts its web, so too does the Lord manifest and dissolve creation—effortlessly, as His bhagavad līlā—ever untouched, ever transcendent.
With deep reverence, Brahmā began to describe step by step the unfolding of the cosmos—the evolution of the five elements, the birth of the senses and their deities, and the mysterious workings of Ahankāra (ego), all orchestrated by the eternal will of Śrīman Nārāyaṇa.”
ब्रह्मोवाच
नारायणपरा वेदा देवा नारायणाङ्गजाः ।
नारायणपरा लोका नारायणपरा मखाः ॥ १५॥
नारायणपरो योगो नारायणपरं तपः ।
नारायणपरं ज्ञानं नारायणपरा गतिः ॥ १६॥
With gentleness and grace, Lord Brahmā continued his sacred discourse to his son, Nārada:
“O dear Nārada, The ultimate essence of all the Vedas is none other than Lord Nārāyaṇa. Even the deities entrusted with the articulation and preservation of these sacred texts are born from His divine limbs. Every offering made through ritual and fire is directed solely to Him, and the fruits of such sacrifices—even the celestial realms themselves—are sustained by Śrīman Nārāyaṇa.
All paths of Yoga, in their varied expressions of meditation and mysticism, are but means to realize Him. Every act of austerity, every vow of restraint, is undertaken for the sole purpose of attaining Śrīman Nārāyaṇa.
He is the Jñāna-Gamya—the One to be known and reached through true knowledge. And He alone is the bestower of final refuge, the eternal shelter for every soul who seeks Him with unwavering devotion.”
तस्यापि द्रष्टुरीशस्य कूटस्थस्याखिलात्मनः ।
सृज्यं सृजामि सृष्टोऽहमीक्षयैवाभिचोदितः ॥ १७॥
सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति निर्गुणस्य गुणास्त्रयः ।
स्थितिसर्गनिरोधेषु गृहीता मायया विभोः ॥ १८॥
कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वे द्रव्यज्ञानक्रियाश्रयाः ।
बध्नन्ति नित्यदा मुक्तं मायिनं पुरुषं गुणाः ॥ १९॥
स एष भगवांल्लिङ्गैस्त्रिभिरेभिरधोक्षजः ।
स्वलक्षितगतिर्ब्रह्मन् सर्वेषां मम चेश्वरः ॥ २०॥
“Though He stands as the silent witness to all that unfolds, He is not idle. He is the Supreme Soul—the eternal Lord of Lords, holding absolute sovereignty over all beings and elements. Though unchanging in essence, by His own divine will, He assumes various forms to fulfill sacred purposes — Ekoham bahusyam prajayeya iti. It is He who gave birth to me—and it is only by His command and inspiration that I engage in the act of creation,” said God Brahma.
The Lord is Mayapati—the sovereign over Maya itself. He is the Sripada, Goddess Mahalakshmi, who governs the three productive principles of Prakriti, standing in devoted service at His feet. He is forever beyond the three Gunas—Sattva (goodness), Rajas (passion), and Tamas (ignorance). Yet, out of compassion for the universe, He assumes these qualities—not as a limitation, but as a divine function—for the purposes of creation, preservation, and dissolution. Though He takes them on, He remains untouched, ever pure, and eternally supreme.
Though the living beings are, in truth, eternally spiritual entities, the three productive principles of Prakriti, when extended into action, manifest as matter, knowledge, and activity. Through these modes, the Lord influences all beings—bringing either ignorance or awakening. And thus, souls become entangled in the web of cause and effect, held responsible for their actions.
“O Nārada!” Brahmā continued, “the Lord is Māyāpati—the master of illusion and reality alike. He is Satchidānanda—the very embodiment of eternal being, consciousness, and bliss. He is Adhokṣaja, beyond the grasp of material perception, untouched by the senses of the conditioned soul. Yet even so, through these productive principles of nature, He governs all—including me, the creator of the worlds. Such is His transcendental charm that even Māyā Devī, the very force of illusion, becomes bewildered by the gentle smile on His divine face. What then can be said of others? He alone remains ever sovereign, ever untouched.”
कालं कर्म स्वभावं च मायेशो मायया स्वया ।
आत्मन् यदृच्छया प्राप्तं विबुभूषुरुपाददे ॥ २१॥
As the supreme controller of all energies, by His own divine potency, He brought forth eternal time (Kala), the spiritual principle of cause and effect of an action and its consequence (Karma) that unfolds the fate of all living beings, and the distinct nature (Svabhava) of each individual soul. Thus, Karma unfolds within the bounds of Kāla and finds expression through one’s Svabhāva.
Such is the Lord of Maya, who once thought, “I am one—let Me become many,” and with that will, wielding His Mayashakti, He appeared in manifold forms—embracing Kala, Karma, and Svabhava into His very being.
कालाद्गुणव्यतिकरः परिणामः स्वभावतः ।
कर्मणो जन्म महतः पुरुषाधिष्ठितादभूत् ॥ २२॥
महतस्तु विकुर्वाणाद्रजःसत्त्वोपबृंहितात् ।
तमःप्रधानस्त्वभवद् द्रव्यज्ञानक्रियात्मकः ॥ २३॥
सोऽहङ्कार इति प्रोक्तो विकुर्वन् समभूत्त्रिधा ।
वैकारिकस्तैजसश्च तामसश्चेति यद्भिदा ।
द्रव्यशक्तिः क्रियाशक्तिर्ज्ञानशक्तिरिति प्रभो ॥ २४॥
Over time, the Supreme Lord, by His own infinite power, stirred the three gunas—Sattva (goodness), Rajas (passion), and Tamas (ignorance)—in Prakriti, the primal nature. This divine agitation, unfolding through time and by its own inherent tendencies, led to the manifestation of Maha Tattva, the great elemental principle.
The Lord further intensified this movement within Maha Tattva, amplifying the modes of Rajas and Sattva. Through this divine processing emerged threefold expressions: Jnana (knowledge) shaped by Sattva; Kriya (action) driven by Rajas; and Dravya (matter), arising under the influence of Tamas.
From this dynamic interaction, Ahankara Tattva—the principle of ego—was formed by the will of the Lord. This Ahankara appeared in three distinct forms: Vaikarika Ahankara, where Sattva dominates, becomes the source of knowledge (Jnana); Taijasa Ahankara, governed by Rajas, gives rise to action (Kriya); Tamasa Ahankara, or Bhutadi, rooted in Tamas, brings forth the inanimate and material (Dravya).
O Narada! These manifestations, though distinct, are all orchestrated by the Lord alone—He who is ever beyond change yet causes all change; untouched, yet the mover of all.
तामसादपि भूतादेर्विकुर्वाणादभून्नभः ।
तस्य मात्रा गुणः शब्दो लिङ्गं यद्द्रष्टृदृश्ययोः ॥ २५॥
नभसोऽथ विकुर्वाणादभूत्स्पर्शगुणोऽनिलः ।
परान्वयाच्छब्दवांश्च प्राण ओजः सहो बलम् ॥२६॥
वायोरपि विकुर्वाणात्कालकर्मस्वभावतः ।
उदपद्यत तेजो वै रूपवत्स्पर्शशब्दवत् ॥रूपवत्स्पर्शशब्दवत् २७॥
तेजसस्तु विकुर्वाणादासीदम्भो रसात्मकम् ।
रूपवत्स्पर्शवच्चाम्भो घोषवच्च परान्वयात् ॥ २८॥
विशेषस्तु विकुर्वाणादम्भसो गन्धवानभूत् ।
परान्वयाद्रसस्पर्शशब्दरूपगुणान्वितः ॥ २९॥
From Tamasa Ahankara, known as Bhutadi and steeped in Tamas, the inanimate and material (Dravya) emerged. When this was further processed by the will of the Supreme Lord, Aakasha Tattva—the subtle element of Ether—was born. The essential quality of Ether is Shabda (sound), the first spark of sensory experience. It marks the beginning of the sacred relationship between the Seer and the seen, where consciousness meets the external world through the medium of hearing.
From Aakasha, Air (Vayu) was produced. Touch (sparsha) is its defining quality, while it retains the sound of its origin. Air is not merely movement—it is the Pravāha Vāyu, the wind deity, that is vital for the functioning of the breath and movement of air.
As Time (Kala) progressed—guided by the law of Karma and the distinct nature (Svabhava) of all things—Air gave rise to Fire (Agni). The primary quality of Fire is Form (rupa), the visible. Yet, it also carries within it the qualities of Sound and Touch, inherited from its predecessors. Fire is the principle of transformation, of illumination, and clarity.
From the divine processing of Fire arose Water (Apah), whose essential quality is Taste (rasa). Water, being born of Fire, also retains the qualities of Sound, Touch, and Form. It nurtures, flows, and gives life, embodying both sustenance and purification.
Finally, through the further transformation of Water, Earth (Prthvi) was formed. Its chief attribute is Smell (gandha), the most concrete of the sensory qualities. Yet Earth holds within it all the earlier elements—Sound, Touch, Form, and Taste—making it the most complete and dense among the five.
वैकारिकान्मनो जज्ञे देवा वैकारिका दश ।
दिग्वातार्कप्रचेतोऽश्विवह्नीन्द्रोपेन्द्रमित्रकाः ॥ ३०॥
तैजसात्तु विकुर्वाणादिन्द्रियाणि दशाभवन् ।
ज्ञानशक्तिः क्रियाशक्तिर्बुद्धिः प्राणश्च तैजसौ ।
श्रोत्रं त्वग्घ्राणदृग्जिह्वा वाग्दोर्मेढ्राङ्घ्रिपायवः ॥ ३१॥
From Vaikārika Ahankāra, where Sattva reigns supreme and knowledge (Jñāna) finds its root, the Lord brought forth the presiding deities of the ten sense and action organs—divine intelligences who govern perception and function in all living beings.
Among them, Indra, King of the Devas, and Kāma, the god of desire, hold charge over the senses and actions through their subordinate deities. Chandra, god of the moon, and the Dikpālas, the Guardians of the Directions, preside over hearing and space. Kubera, born of Prāṇa Ahankāra, is the deity linked to the sense of touch and the skin.
For sight, the twin deities—Sūrya, the Sun, for the right eye, and Chandra, the Moon, for the left—shine forth, while Varuṇa, lord of the waters, governs the tongue and the experience of taste. Aśvinī Kumāras, along with Pravāha Vāyu, preside over smell and the nose. Agni, the fire god, along with Bṛhaspati, Svāhādevī, Pārvatī, and Sarasvatī, govern speech, sound, and expression.
Prajāpati commands the hands; Jayanta governs the feet; Yama, the lord of justice, together with Prajāpati and Manu, preside over the generative organs. Pravāha Vāyu, the wind deity, is vital for the functioning of the breath and movement of air. Other divine overseers include Upendra (a form of Lord Vishnu) and Mitra, guardian of cosmic harmony.
From Taijasa Ahankāra, where Rajas dominates, were born the five jñānendriyas (organs of knowledge): Śrotra (ears) for hearing; Tvak (skin) for touch; Netra (eyes) for sight; Jihvā (tongue) for taste; and Ghrāṇa (nose) for smell.
So too emerged the five karmendriyas (organs of action): Pāṇi (hands); Pāda (feet); Vāk (speech); Upastha (genitals); and Pāyu (anus). Alongside them arose the faculties of Manas - the argumentative and questioning mind and Buddhi—the intellect that discerns, and Prāṇa—the vital force that enables action. These manifestations, born of the Lord's will, are not independent but ever subordinate to Him, the Supreme Controller (Sarvottama), who alone is the source of all knowledge and power.
Thus, in answer to Nārada’s inquiry, Brahmā has revealed that creation does not rest upon his sovereignty, but upon the eternal will of Śrīman Nārāyaṇa—the Lord who is beyond guṇas and Māyā, yet who directs all through them. Time (kāla), karma, and svabhāva arise from Him alone, and the unfolding of elements and senses reflects His supreme design. With this, the dialogue between Brahmā and Nārada deepens, leading us further into the mysteries of divine creation and the glory of the Supreme Lord.
॥ Hari Om ॥
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