FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.7.22

तमुपागतमालक्ष्य सर्वे सुरगणादय: । प्रणेमु: सहसोत्थाय ब्रह्मेन्द्रत्र्यक्षनायका: ॥ २२ ॥
tam upāgatam ālakṣya
[tam upaagatam aalakshya]
sarve sura-gaṇādayaḥ
[sarve sura-ganaadayah]
praṇemuḥ sahasotthāya
[pranemuh sahasotthaaya]
brahmendra-tryakṣa-nāyakāḥ
[brahmendra-tryaksha-naayakaah]
tam — Him upāgatam — arrived ālakṣya — after seeing sarve — all sura-gaṇa-ādayaḥ — the demigods and others praṇemuḥ — obeisances sahasā — immediately utthāya — after standing up brahma — Lord Brahmā indra — Lord Indra tri-akṣa — Lord Śiva (who has three eyes) nāyakāḥ — led by.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tam upāgatam ālakṣya
tam
Him
upāgatam
arrived
ālakṣya
after seeing
sarve sura-gaṇādayaḥ
sarve
all
sura-gaṇa-ādayaḥ
the demigods and others
praṇemuḥ sahasotthāya
praṇemuḥ
obeisances
sahasā
immediately
utthāya
after standing up
brahmendra-tryakṣa-nāyakāḥ
brahma
Lord Brahmā
indra
Lord Indra
tri-akṣa
Lord Śiva (who has three eyes)
nāyakāḥ
led by.
As soon as Lord Viṣṇu was visible, all the demigods — Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva, the Gandharvas and all present there — immediately offered their respectful obeisances by falling down straight before Him.

It appears that Lord Viṣṇu is the Supreme Lord even of Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā, what to speak of the demigods, Gandharvas and ordinary living entities. It is stated in a prayer, yaṁ brahmā varuṇendra-rudra-marutāḥ: all the demigods worship Lord Viṣṇu. Similarly, dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ: yogīs concentrate their minds on the form of Lord Viṣṇu. Thus Lord Viṣṇu is worshipable by all demigods, all Gandharvas and even Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ: Viṣṇu is therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even though Lord Śiva was previously referred to in prayers by Lord Brahmā as the Supreme, when Lord Viṣṇu appeared, Śiva also fell prostrated before Him to offer respectful obeisances.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Seeing that he had arrived, all the devatās, led by Brahmā, Indra and Śiva offered respects immediately. Brahmā, Indra and Śiva were the leaders.
Brahmā, Śiva, gandharvas — everyone falls flat in obeisance to Viṣṇu. Even the highest beings in our hierarchies have someone they instinctively bow to; identify yours.
Reflection Questions
  • Before whom or what do I instinctively bow, and what does that reveal about my real hierarchy of values?
  • Whose bowing have I underestimated, assuming they were too 'big' to need to?
📝 My note

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