FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.9.14

कल्पान्त एतदखिलं जठरेण गृह्णन् शेते पुमान्स्वद‍ृगनन्तसखस्तदङ्के । यन्नाभिसिन्धुरुहकाञ्चनलोकपद्म- गर्भे द्युमान्भगवते प्रणतोऽस्मि तस्मै ॥ १४ ॥
kalpānta etad akhilaṁ jaṭhareṇa gṛhṇan
[kalpaanta etad akhilam jatharena grihnan]
śete pumān sva-dṛg ananta-sakhas tad-aṅke
[shete pumaan sva-drig ananta-sakhas tad-anke]
yan-nābhi-sindhu-ruha-kāñcana-loka-padma-
[yan-naabhi-sindhu-ruha-kaanchana-loka-padma-]
garbhe dyumān bhagavate praṇato ’smi tasmai
[garbhe dyumaan bhagavate pranato ’smi tasmai]
kalpa-ante — at the end of the millennium etat — this universe akhilam — all jaṭhareṇa — within the belly gṛhṇan — withdrawing śete — lies down pumān — the Supreme Person sva-dṛk — looking upon Himself ananta — the unlimited being Śeṣa sakhaḥ — accompanied by tat-aṅke — on His lap yat — from whose nābhi — navel sindhu — ocean ruha — sprouted kāñcana — golden loka — planet padma — of the lotus garbhe — on the whorl dyumān — Lord Brahmā bhagavate — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead praṇataḥ — offering obeisances asmi — I am tasmai — unto Him.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kalpānta etad akhilaṁ jaṭhareṇa gṛhṇan
kalpa-ante
at the end of the millennium
etat
this universe
akhilam
all
jaṭhareṇa
within the belly
gṛhṇan
withdrawing
śete pumān sva-dṛg ananta-sakhas tad-aṅke
śete
lies down
pumān
the Supreme Person
sva-dṛk
looking upon Himself
ananta
the unlimited being Śeṣa
sakhaḥ
accompanied by
tat-aṅke
on His lap
yan-nābhi-sindhu-ruha-kāñcana-loka-padma-
yat
from whose
nābhi
navel
sindhu
ocean
ruha
sprouted
kāñcana
golden
loka
planet
padma
of the lotus
garbhe dyumān bhagavate praṇato ’smi tasmai
garbhe
on the whorl
dyumān
Lord Brahmā
bhagavate
unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead
praṇataḥ
offering obeisances
asmi
I am
tasmai
unto Him.
My dear Lord, at the end of each millennium the Supreme Personality of Godhead Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu dissolves everything manifested within the universe into His belly. He lies down on the lap of Śeṣa Nāga, from His navel sprouts a golden lotus flower on a stem, and on that lotus Lord Brahmā is created. I can understand that You are the same Supreme Godhead. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

Dhruva Mahārāja’s understanding of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is complete. In the Vedas it is said, yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati: knowledge received through the transcendental, causeless mercy of the Lord is so perfect that by that knowledge the devotee becomes acquainted with all the different manifestations of the Lord. Lord Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu was present before Dhruva Mahārāja, who could also understand the Lord’s two other forms, namely Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and Kāraṇodakaśāyī (Mahā) Viṣṇu. Regarding Mahā-Viṣṇu, it is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.48) :

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

At the end of each and every millennium, when all the material worlds are dissolved, everything enters the body of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, who is lying on the lap of Śeṣa Nāga, another form of the Lord.

Those who are not devotees cannot understand the different forms of Viṣṇu and their positions in regard to the creation. Sometimes the atheists argue, “How can a flower stem sprout from the navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu?” They consider all the statements of the śāstras to be stories. As a result of their inexperience in the Absolute Truth and their reluctance to accept authority, they become more and more atheistic; they cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But a devotee like Dhruva Mahārāja, by the grace of the Lord, knows all the manifestations of the Lord and their different positions. It is said that anyone who has even a little of the Lord’s grace can understand His glories; others may go on speculating on the Absolute Truth, but they will always be unable to understand the Lord. In other words, unless one comes in contact with a devotee it is not possible to understand the transcendental form or the spiritual world and its transcendental activities.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Accepting in his abdomen all the universe at the end of the kalpa, the Lord, friend of Ananta, seeing only within himself, sleeps on the lap of Ananta. In the center of the golden lotus forming the planets, which rises from the lotus navel of the Lord, Brahmā appears. I offer respects to that Lord. “If you know me, I will test you. Please tell me who I am.” Dhruva answers in three verses. The Lord sees in himself (sva-dṛk). He does not see outside, since he is engaged in yoga-nidrā. He sleeps on the lap of Śeṣa. In the center (garbhe) of the golden lotus composed of the planets, which has arisen newly from the lotus navel of the Lord, Brahmā (dyumān) appears. I only bow to him to please you. But I am not capable of serving him at all.
At each cycle's end Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu dissolves the universe into His belly and lies on Śeṣa; from His navel sprouts the lotus on which Brahmā appears. Across cycles of vast destruction, a single Person quietly holds the seed of the next creation.
Reflection Questions
  • Which 'devastation' in my life am I forgetting is held by a Person who has the seed of the next chapter?
  • Where could I rest in the long view of cosmic cycles when my immediate scene feels final?
📝 My note

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