Srimad Bhagavata Skanda 2 – Chatushloki Bhagavata
"The Bhagvan 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 Bhagvan 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 Bhagvan. This sacred path calls for unwavering devotion — a life dedicated to honoring, worshipping, admiring, and praising the Bhagvan, 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 Bhagvan 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 Bhagvan Sriman Narayana, the eternal support of all, including the divine Goddess Lakshmi, and the very essence of the Srimad Bhagavata. Salutations to Bhagvan Veda Vyasa, the revered composer of this sacred scripture. Salutations to Devi, the Goddess of Fortune, who perpetually serves the Bhagvan 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 Bhagvan 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.
In the previous reflection, we stood beside Brahma at the threshold of divine revelation—having beheld Vaikuṇṭha, surrendered at the lotus feet of Bhagavan, and received the assurance that tapas, when born of obedience and humility, draws forth His compassion. Brahma himself seemed to hold his breath, absorbed in awe, as Bhagavan spoke—not merely instructions for cosmic order, but truth itself, distilled. What follows is not a continuation of narrative alone, but a descent into essence.
Now, Bhagavan Narayana unveils to Brahma the most secret heart of the Srimad Bhagavatam—four verses that are not bound by time, kalpa, or cosmology. These utterances do not merely explain creation; they reveal Being. They do not argue philosophy; they establish vision. Spoken once to the first-born creator, these verses have since echoed through the living lineage of sages—memorized, recited, and meditated upon by seekers of Vedanta and Bhakti alike as a direct gateway to realization.
Here, the Lord declares His absolute sovereignty—before creation, within creation, and beyond dissolution. He defines Maya not as non-existence, but as dependent reality; He reveals His immanence without compromise to transcendence; and He offers a method of knowing Truth through anvaya and vyatireka—presence and absence. These four seed-verses, the Chatushloki Bhagavata, are the lamp from which the entire Purana is lit.
As Brahma receives them with unwavering samadhi, the burden of doership dissolves, and creation proceeds without delusion. And as we, the listeners of this sacred dialogue, approach these verses with shraddha, we too are invited—not merely to understand—but to stand where Brahma stood: before the Eternal, instructed by the Eternal, and sustained by His grace alone.
अहमेवासमेवाग्रे नान्यद्यत्सदसत्परम् ।
पश्चादहं यदेतच्च योऽवशिष्येत सोऽस्म्यहम् ॥३२॥
Bhagavan continued: “O Brahma, before the tapestry of creation was woven, I alone existed—svatantra, the eternally independent. Apart from Me, no other reality stood on its own: neither the manifest world of names and forms, nor the unmanifest state where prakriti and the jivas lay dormant, awaiting My will. At that time, ignorance did not operate, for it arises only when manifestation begins.
During creation, whatever you behold—the cosmos with its beings, movements, and rhythms—exists only by My presence and under My governance. It is then, through ignorance, that the jiva imagines independence, though in truth it remains ever dependent upon Me.
And when all dissolves into subtle silence at the time of pralaya, I alone remain—unchanged, supreme, eternally independent—while all else continues only in complete dependence upon Me.”
ऋतेऽर्थं यत्प्रतीयेत न प्रतीयेत चात्मनि ।
तद्विद्यादात्मनो मायां यथाभासो यथा तमः ॥ ३३॥
“O Brahma, whatever appears to have value, if perceived apart from Me—the Bhagvan—is to be known as My maya, My dependent energy. It is like a reflection that mimics reality, or like darkness that conceals it. This maya causes ignorance by veiling the truth of My supremacy and your dependence. Yet both ignorance and wisdom are under My control. Therefore, seek knowledge that reveals your true relationship with Me—for only then does illusion lose its hold,” said Bhagvan.
The universe created from prakṛti is but a reflection of Bhagavan. Before creation, beings and guṇas remain inert within Him. When His will stirs, creation arises—not for His benefit, but out of compassion for beings. Just as an umbrella before a chariot has no role in its movement, so Bhagavan remains untouched by beings’ bondage, karma, or fruits. Thus, all existence is dependent on Him, yet He remains sovereign and unaffected.
यथा महान्ति भूतानि भूतेषूच्चावचेष्वनु ।
प्रविष्टान्यप्रविष्टानि तथा तेषु न तेष्वहम् ॥ ३४॥
“O Brahma, just as the great elements—earth, water, fire, air, and space—pervade all beings, both high and low, while yet remaining distinct from them, so too do I, the Supreme, dwell within all created beings and elements, yet remain eternally beyond and untouched by them,” said Bhagvan.
एतावदेव जिज्ञास्यं तत्त्वजिज्ञासुनाऽऽत्मनः ।
अन्वयव्यतिरेकाभ्यां यत्स्यात्सर्वत्र सर्वदा ॥ ३५॥
“O Brahma, this alone is the inquiry for one who truly seeks to know the Supreme Self: discern Me through anvaya and vyatireka—by seeing My presence in all things, at all times, and by knowing that when all else is removed, I alone remain. This is My eternal tattva: ever present, ever distinct. Let this be the focus of your inquiry,” said Bhagvan.
एतन्मतं समातिष्ठ परमेण समाधिना ।
भवान् कल्पविकल्पेषु न विमुह्यति कर्हिचित् ॥ ३६॥
Thus, Brahma’s plea was simple: how to create without pride, illusion, or bondage. In response, Bhagavan revealed the Chatushloki Bhagavata, four seed verses that distill the essence of all wisdom.
Svatantra Tattva (Independent Reality): Sri Hari alone is svatantra, the sole independent reality. All else—souls, matter, time, and karma—are real but dependent. Conceiving anything without Bhagavan is called maya, and maya is His dependent energy, real and operative, binding beings through the three gunas. Bhagavan is the bimba (original reality), while all else exists as pratibimba (reflections), deriving meaning only in relation to Him.
Sarvottamatva Tattva (Supremacy of the Lord): These verses declare His unsurpassed supremacy. He is complete in attributes (guna purnatva)—the source of creation, sustenance, and dissolution—and untouched by defect (dosha dooratva), eternally pure and flawless.
Pancha bheda Tattva (Five Eternal Distinctions): They uphold the knowledge of pancha bheda—the eternal distinctions between God, soul, matter, other souls, and material entities—as essential to understanding His sovereignty. Time and karma, though outside pancha bheda, are also real and governed by Him.
Soteriological Tattva (Path of Liberation): The seeker is directed to transcend maya’s effects by seeing Bhagavan in everything, through the limited free will He has granted, guided by devotion (bhakti) and discrimination (viveka). In this way, the verses become Brahma’s safeguard in creation and Parikshit’s solace in his final days, revered by Bhakti and Vedantic practitioners as a gateway to sharanagati (surrender), spiritual clarity, and liberation through service to Sri Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
श्रीशुक उवाच
सम्प्रदिश्यैवमजनो जनानां परमेष्ठिनम् ।
पश्यतस्तस्य तद्रूपमात्मनो न्यरुणद्धरिः ॥ ३७॥
Sri Shuka said: “O King Parikṣit, after imparting divine instruction and revealing His form to Brahma—the progenitor of all beings—Bhagavan Sri Hari withdrew His visible presence from Brahma’s sight. Though Brahma beheld Him directly, the Bhagvan, being unborn and supreme, chose to conceal His form, remaining ever present, yet beyond perception.”
अन्तर्हितेन्द्रियार्थाय हरये विहिताञ्जलिः ।
सर्वभूतमयो विश्वं ससर्जेदं स पूर्ववत् ॥ ३८॥
When Bhagavan Hari withdrew His visible form from Brahma’s sight, Brahma offered his praṇam with folded hands at the very place where the Bhagvan had appeared. Recognizing Him as the indwelling presence in all beings, Brahma then proceeded to recreate the universe—populated with living entities—just as it had been in the previous kalpa.
प्रजापतिर्धर्मपतिरेकदा नियमान् यमान् ।
भद्रं प्रजानामन्विच्छन्नातिष्ठत्स्वार्थकाम्यया ॥ ३९॥
Once, Brahma—the progenitor of beings and guardian of dharma—undertook the disciplined practice of yama and niyama, seeking to bring auspiciousness and well-being to all living entities. Motivated by his desire to fulfill his divine role, he engaged in this righteous observance for the benefit of his creation.
तं नारदः प्रियतमो रिक्थादानामनुव्रतः ।
शुश्रूषमाणः शीलेन प्रश्रयेण दमेन च ॥ ४०॥
मायां विविदिषन् विष्णोर्मायेशस्य महामुनिः ।
महाभागवतो राजन् पितरं पर्यतोषयत् ॥४१॥
At that time, O King, the great sage Narada—dearest son of Brahma and devoted inheritor of spiritual wealth—served his father with humility, discipline, and virtuous conduct. Desiring to understand the nature of Bhagavan Vishnu’s maya-Shakti, the energy that veils and governs creation, Narada—supreme among bhagavatas and master of the senses—pleased Brahmā through long and devoted service.
तुष्टं निशाम्य पितरं लोकानां प्रपितामहम् ।
देवर्षिः परिपप्रच्छ भवान् यन्मानुपृच्छति ॥ ४२॥
“O Parikshit, when Narada saw that his father Brahma—the great progenitor of all beings—was pleased by his devoted service, he approached him with reverence and asked the very same questions that you have now placed before me.”
तस्मा इदं भागवतं पुराणं दशलक्षणम् ।
प्रोक्तं भगवता प्राह प्रीतः पुत्राय भूतकृत् ॥ ४३॥
“Pleased by Narada’s inquiry, Brahma—the creator of beings—spoke to his dear son the Bhagavata Purana, which he had earlier received from Bhagavan Sri Hari Himself. This Purana, rich with ten defining characteristics (dasa-lakshana), was thus passed on with devotion and clarity,” said Shukacharya.
नारदः प्राह मुनये सरस्वत्यास्तटे नृप ।
ध्यायते ब्रह्म परमं व्यासायामिततेजसे ॥ ४४॥
“O Parikshit, in the serene setting of the Sarasvati River—amidst snow‑capped peaks that shimmered like divine swans—Narada, absorbed in the remembrance of Parabrahman, approached Bhagavan Veda Vyasa, the sage of immeasurable brilliance. There, as a devoted offering, he transmitted the Srimad Bhagavata, which he had received from his father, Brahma.”
यदुताहं त्वया पृष्टो वैराजात्पुरुषादिदम् ।
यथाऽऽसीत्तदुपाख्यास्ये प्रश्नानन्यांश्च कृत्स्नशः ॥ ४५॥
“O King Parikshit, since you have inquired how this universe arose from the cosmic form of the Virat Purusha, I shall now narrate it in full—together with answers to your other questions—through the sacred teachings of the Srimad Bhagavata Purana,” said Sri Shukacharya.
इति श्रीमद्भागवते महापुराणे पारमहंस्यां
संहितायां द्वितीयस्कन्धे नवमोऽध्यायः ॥ ९॥
Thus ends the Ninth Adhyaya of the Second Skandha of the Srimad Bhagavatam—the great Mahapurana, revered by the paramahamsas and composed as a divine samhita for seekers of the Supreme.
This reflection has been possible only through the grace of Guru Sri Raghavendra and the wisdom of his esteemed associates—Sri Saunaka and the Rishis, Sri Sutacharya, Sri Shukacharya, Vayu Deva, and Sri Hari Himself—whose gift of divine knowledge (Jnana Prasada) continues to guide our understanding.
Thus concludes the sacred unveiling of the Chatushloki Bhagavata—four verses spoken once, yet sufficient for all time. Having received them, Brahma resumed creation free from delusion, anchored in the certainty that Bhagavan alone is the beginning, the support, and the end of all that appears. Through this unbroken lineage—from Narayana to Brahma, from Brahma to Narada, from Narada to Vyasa, and from Vyasa to Shuka—the same light shines upon us today.
These verses do not merely instruct the intellect; they steady the soul. They teach the seeker where to stand when the world arises, where to rest when it dissolves, and whom to remember when all supports fall away. In contemplating them, the heart learns surrender, the mind gains clarity, and devotion finds its rightful object.
May this seed of revelation take root within us, so that amidst creation and dissolution alike, we remain unconfused—knowing, as Brahma knew, that Bhagavan alone is real, the sarvottama, and that all else finds meaning only in Him, according to the capacities He grants us.
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