FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.8.32

तर्ह्येव तन्नाभिसर:सरोज- मात्मामम्भ: श्वसनं वियच्च । ददर्श देवो जगतो विधाता नात: परं लोकविसर्गद‍ृष्टि: ॥ ३२ ॥
tarhy eva tan-nābhi-saraḥ-sarojam
[tarhy eva tan-naabhi-sarah-sarojam]
ātmānam ambhaḥ śvasanaṁ viyac ca
[aatmaanam ambhah shvasanam viyach cha]
dadarśa devo jagato vidhātā
[dadarsha devo jagato vidhaataa]
nātaḥ paraṁ loka-visarga-dṛṣṭiḥ
[naatah param loka-visarga-drishtih]
Word-for-word
tarhi — therefore eva — certainly tat — His nābhi — navel saraḥ — lake sarojam — lotus flower ātmānam — Brahmā ambhaḥ — the devastating water śvasanam — the drying air viyat — the sky ca — also dadarśa — looked upon devaḥ — demigod jagataḥ — of the universe vidhātā — maker of the destination na — not ataḥ param — beyond loka-visarga — creation of the cosmic manifestation dṛṣṭiḥ — glance.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tarhy eva tan-nābhi-saraḥ-sarojam
tarhi
therefore
eva
certainly
tat
His
nābhi
navel
saraḥ
lake
sarojam
lotus flower
ātmānam ambhaḥ śvasanaṁ viyac ca
ātmānam
Brahmā
ambhaḥ
the devastating water
śvasanam
the drying air
viyat
the sky
ca
also
dadarśa devo jagato vidhātā
dadarśa
looked upon
devaḥ
demigod
jagataḥ
of the universe
vidhātā
maker of the destination
nātaḥ paraṁ loka-visarga-dṛṣṭiḥ
na
not
ataḥ param
beyond
loka-visarga
creation of the cosmic manifestation
dṛṣṭiḥ
glance.
When Lord Brahmā, the maker of the universal destination, thus saw the Lord, he simultaneously glanced over creation. Lord Brahmā saw the lake in Lord Viṣṇu’s navel, and the lotus flower, as well as the devastating water, the drying air and the sky. All became visible to him.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Desiring to create variety in the universe, Brahmā saw nothing except the lotus coming from the water in Viṣṇu’s navel, himself, and the three elements water, air and ether. He saw the lotus in Viṣṇu’s navel, himself in the lotus, and the three elements water, air and ether all around him. He did not see anything else, such as earth or fire. He had a desire (dṛṣṭiḥ) to create (sarga) variety (vividha) in the worlds.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Seeing the Lord, Brahmā simultaneously sees the lake of His navel, the lotus, the devastating waters, the drying air, the sky. Beholding the Source clarifies everything else. Right vision starts with the Lord and finds the world arranged around Him.
Reflection Questions
  • Do I look at my life from the Lord first, or do I see Him at the end of a long list?
  • What would 'simultaneous seeing' of the Lord and my surroundings change about my day?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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