Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.89.3
न तस्मै प्रह्वणं स्तोत्रं चक्रे सत्त्वपरीक्षया ।
तस्मै चुक्रोध भगवान् प्रज्वलन् स्वेन तेजसा ॥ ३ ॥
na tasmai prahvaṇaṁ stotraṁ
[na tasmai prahvanam stotram]
cakre sattva-parīkṣayā
[chakre sattva-pareekshayaa]
tasmai cukrodha bhagavān
[tasmai chukrodha bhagavaan]
prajvalan svena tejasā
[prajvalan svena tejasaa]
Word-for-word
na
—
not
tasmai
—
to him (Brahmā)
prahvaṇam
—
bowing down
stotram
—
recitation of prayers
cakre
—
made
sattva
—
his situation in the mode of goodness
parīkṣayā
—
with the aim of testing
tasmai
—
at him
cukrodha
—
became angry
bhagavān
—
the lord
prajvalan
—
becoming inflamed
svena
—
with his own
tejasā
—
passion .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
na tasmai prahvaṇaṁ stotraṁ
na
not
tasmai
to him (Brahmā)
prahvaṇam
bowing down
stotram
recitation of prayers
cakre sattva-parīkṣayā
cakre
made
sattva
his situation in the mode of goodness
parīkṣayā
with the aim of testing
tasmai cukrodha bhagavān
tasmai
at him
cukrodha
became angry
bhagavān
the lord
prajvalan svena tejasā
prajvalan
becoming inflamed
svena
with his own
tejasā
passion .
Important Words
-
prahvaṇam
—
bowing down
From pra + √hvi (to bend). The bodily gesture of recognition. Withholding it is the most precise insult a brāhmaṇa can offer — and the most precise probe of the lord's composure.
-
stotram
—
prayers, glorification
From √stu (to praise). Bhṛgu withholds both śarīrika (prahvaṇa) and vācika (stotra) honor. The Bhāgavatam's test is whether the lord requires honor to remain peaceful.
-
sattva-parīkṣayā
—
to test the mode of goodness
Compound: sattva (goodness) + parīkṣā (examination). The technical name for the experiment. Gauḍīyas distinguish miśra-sattva (Brahmā, Śiva) from śuddha-sattva (Viṣṇu); only the latter survives parīkṣā unmoved.
-
prajvalan
—
blazing up
Present participle of pra + √jval (to flame). Brahmā's anger is literally combustive — rajas catching fire. The image will be answered in verse 4 by his own intelligence quenching the blaze.
To test how well Lord Brahmā was situated in the mode of goodness, Bhṛgu failed to bow down to him or glorify him with prayers. The lord became angry at him, inflamed into fury by his own passion.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
To test how well Lord Brahmā was situated in the mode of goodness, Bhṛgu failed to bow down to him or glorify him with prayers. The lord became angry at him, inflamed into fury by his own passion.
Commentary
He did not offer respects (prahvanam), in order to test Brahma’s quality of sattva guna, or his greatness (sattva pariksartham).
Jīva Gosvāmī
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Since Bhṛgu did not offer respects or glorify Brahmā in order to test his excellence, Brahmā, worshipped by all because he created the universe (bhagavān), became angry at him, blazing prominently with his extraordinary power, so that he could not speak.
Related values & verses
Related values
Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Hrih (Modesty / Sense of Shame)Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)
Related verses
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Bhṛgu deliberately fails to bow to Brahmā to test his goodness. Provoking is not always rude — sometimes it is the loving service of revealing what is truly inside.
Reflection Questions
- When has a deliberate test of someone revealed their substance — or my own?
- Where does my reaction to small slights reveal what I am underneath?
Analogy
A son walks into his father's court and refuses to bow — a calculated discourtesy, not malice. Brahmā, ruled by rajas, blazes up like a fire fed dry grass. The test is simple: can the lord absorb an insult without combusting? Bhṛgu's rudeness is the litmus paper of sattva.
My note
Source: vedabase.io