FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.34

तत्सम्भव: कविरतोऽन्यदपश्यमान- स्त्वां बीजमात्मनि ततं स बहिर्विचिन्त्य । नाविन्ददब्दशतमप्सु निमज्जमानो जातेऽङ्कुरे कथमुहोपलभेत बीजम् ॥ ३४ ॥
tat-sambhavaḥ kavir ato ’nyad apaśyamānas
[tat-sambhavah kavir ato ’nyad apashyamaanas]
tvāṁ bījam ātmani tataṁ sa bahir vicintya
[tvaam beejam aatmani tatam sa bahir vichintya]
nāvindad abda-śatam apsu nimajjamāno
[naavindad abda-shatam apsu nimajjamaano]
jāte ’ṅkure katham uhopalabheta bījam
[jaate ’nkure katham uhopalabheta beejam]
tat-sambhavaḥ — who was generated from that lotus flower kaviḥ — he who can understand the subtle cause of creation (Lord Brahmā) ataḥ — from that (lotus) anyat — anything else apaśyamānaḥ — not able to see tvām — Your Lordship bījam — the cause of the lotus ātmani — in himself tatam — expanded saḥ — he (Lord Brahmā) bahiḥ vicintya — considering to be external na — not avindat — understood (You) abda-śatam — for a hundred years according to the demigods* </a> apsu — in the water nimajjamānaḥ — diving jāte aṅkure — when the seed fructifies and is manifested as a creeper katham — how uha — O my Lord upalabheta — one can perceive bījam — the seed that has already fructified.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tat-sambhavaḥ kavir ato ’nyad apaśyamānas
tat-sambhavaḥ
who was generated from that lotus flower
kaviḥ
he who can understand the subtle cause of creation (Lord Brahmā)
ataḥ
from that (lotus)
anyat
anything else
tvāṁ bījam ātmani tataṁ sa bahir vicintya
nāvindad abda-śatam apsu nimajjamāno
apaśyamānaḥ
not able to see
tvām
Your Lordship
jāte ’ṅkure katham uhopalabheta bījam
bījam
the cause of the lotus
ātmani
in himself
tatam
expanded
saḥ
he (Lord Brahmā)
bahiḥ vicintya
considering to be external
na
not
avindat
understood (You)
abda-śatam
for a hundred years according to the demigods*
</a> apsu
in the water
nimajjamānaḥ
diving
jāte aṅkure
when the seed fructifies and is manifested as a creeper
katham
how
uha
O my Lord
upalabheta
one can perceive
bījam
the seed that has already fructified.
From that great lotus flower, Brahmā was generated, but Brahmā certainly could see nothing but the lotus. Therefore, thinking You to be outside, Lord Brahmā dove into the water and attempted to find the source of the lotus for one hundred years. He could find no trace of You, however, for when a seed fructifies, the original seed cannot be seen.

This is the description of the cosmic manifestation. The development of the cosmic manifestation is like the fructification of a seed. When cotton is transformed into thread, the cotton is no longer visible, and when the thread is woven into cloth, the thread is no longer visible. Similarly, it is perfectly correct that when the seed that had generated from the navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu became manifested as the cosmic creation, one could no longer understand where the cause of the cosmic manifestation is. Modern scientists have tried to explain the origin of creation by a chunk theory, but no one can explain how such a chunk might have burst. The Vedic literature, however, explains clearly that the total material energy was agitated by the three modes of material nature because of the glance of the Supreme Lord. In other words, in terms of the chunk theory, the bursting of the chunk was caused by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus one must accept the supreme cause, Lord Viṣṇu, as the cause of all causes.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Brahmā, who arose from the lotus, could not see anything except the lotus. He thought that you, who were spread within him, were somewhere outside. Thus searching for a hundred years he could not find you. How can one find the seed in the spout? He then dove into the water to search out the root. Brahmā, arising from the lotus, was not able to see anything else. Considering that you, who are spread within him as the material cause by your śakti, were outside of him, he could not find you after searching for a hundred years. The reasoning is this. Oh! When a seed sprouts, how can one perceive the seed which still exists in the spout? But one can perceive the seed at the base. Even though the lotus sprout is destroyed, it is seen that the seed still remains. But Brahmā could not go to the root.
Brahmā emerged from the lotus and could see only the lotus; thinking You were outside, he dove into the water for a hundred years looking for the source. Once the seed has fructified, the seed is no longer visible. Be wary of searching outside what only inner attention reveals.
Reflection Questions
  • Where have you been diving 'outside' for what only inner steadiness will reveal?
  • What practice could orient you inward where Brahmā only found Him after austerity?
📝 My note

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