FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.10.4

मैत्रेय उवाच विरिञ्चोऽपि तथा चक्रे दिव्यं वर्षशतं तप: । आत्मन्यात्मानमावेश्य यथाह भगवानज: ॥ ४ ॥
maitreya uvāca
[maitreya uvaacha]
viriñco ’pi tathā cakre
[virincho ’pi tathaa chakre]
divyaṁ varṣa-śataṁ tapaḥ
[divyam varsha-shatam tapah]
ātmany ātmānam āveśya
[aatmany aatmaanam aaveshya]
yathāha bhagavān ajaḥ
[yathaaha bhagavaan ajah]
Word-for-word
maitreyaḥ uvāca — the great sage Maitreya said viriñcaḥ — Brahmā api — also tathā — in that manner cakre — performed divyam — celestial varṣa-śatam — one hundred years tapaḥ — penances ātmani — unto the Lord ātmānam — his own self āveśya — engaging yathā āha — as it was spoken bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead ajaḥ — the unborn.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
maitreya uvāca
maitreyaḥ uvāca
the great sage Maitreya said
viriñco ’pi tathā cakre
viriñcaḥ
Brahmā
divyaṁ varṣa-śataṁ tapaḥ
api
also
tathā
in that manner
cakre
performed
divyam
celestial
ātmany ātmānam āveśya
yathāha bhagavān ajaḥ
varṣa-śatam
one hundred years
tapaḥ
penances
ātmani
unto the Lord
ātmānam
his own self
āveśya
engaging
yathā āha
as it was spoken
bhagavān
the Personality of Godhead
ajaḥ
the unborn.
The greatly learned sage Maitreya said: O Vidura, Brahmā thus engaged himself in penances for one hundred celestial years, as advised by the Personality of Godhead, and applied himself in devotional service to the Lord.
Purport

That Brahmā engaged himself for the Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, means that he engaged himself in the service of the Lord; that is the highest penance one can perform for any number of years. There is no retirement from such service, which is eternal and ever encouraging.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Maitreya said: Brahmā thus engaged in meditation for one hundred celestial years, as advised by the Lord, absorbing his mind in Nārāyaṇa. Ātmani ātmānam āveśya means he engaged his mind in Śrī Nārāyaṇa.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The scale of the creation in this verse is not given to overwhelm us but to right-size us. Most of our anxiety shrinks when our self-importance shrinks. The verse keeps returning to devotional service to the Lord.
Reflection Questions
  • How does it change your day to remember the universe was not built around your preferences?
  • What would humility actually look like for you in your work this week?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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