The Process of Creation

Parīkṣit fixes his mind on Kṛṣṇa and asks about creation; Śukadeva offers prayers before answering.

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Themes of SB 2.4Jñāna4 Rakṣā3 Bhakti3 Kṛpā2 from its story phase

Connected storiesThe gopīs and the rāsa danceMārkaṇḍeya ṚṣiSudāmāKing Yayāti

Who is speakingSūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitEvery voice in this chapter ›

What this chapter speaks about · the ten subjects

In this chapter

Who · Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Śukadeva Gosvāmī

The story · After hearing Śukadeva Gosvāmī’s teachings about the self, Mahārāja Parīkṣit faithfully concentrated on Lord Kṛṣṇa. Knowing that death was near, he renounced fruitive activities and became firmly fixed in his natural love for Kṛṣṇa. He asked how the Personality of Godhead creates the wonderful universes through His personal energies. Before answering, Śukadeva remembered Śrī Kṛṣṇa and offered respectful prayers.

What it teaches · Hearing about the truth of the self strengthened Parīkṣit’s love for Kṛṣṇa. Śukadeva’s prayers teach that surrender to Kṛṣṇa frees one from material attachment and leads toward spiritual existence.

SB 2.4.1 SB 2.4.3-4 SB 2.4.16 Read chapter 4 ›

Beyond this chapter

Connected stories across the Bhāgavatam

Stories told in other chapters that this chapter's verses or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purports bring in, the other Bhāgavatam verses the purports quote, and stories in other cantos with the same themes. Each link shows the sentence it comes from.

The gopīs and the rāsa dance

SB 10.20–22 · The gopīs’ flute songs and vow SB 10.29–33 · The gopīs’ search and the rāsa dance SB 10.46–47 · Uddhava witnesses Vraja’s love

What it teaches · Kṛṣṇa explains that desires fixed upon Him do not produce ordinary material desire for sense gratification. The gopīs’ attention is centered upon Him.

…Vaiṣṇavas when he says that they should not be interested in hearing only about the Lord’s activities (like rāsa-līlā ), but must be keenly interested in His pastimes in His features of the puruṣāvatāras in connection with sṛṣṭi-tattva, creational functions,…
Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport · SB 2.4.10 (Text 10)

…Lord manifested Himself on this earth He partially displayed the activities of His pleasure potency in His rāsa-līlā just to attract the conditioned souls, who are all after the phantasmagoria pleasure potency in degraded sex enjoyment.
Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport · SB 2.4.20 (Text 20)

Read the story in SB 10.20–22

Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi

SB 12.8 · Mārkaṇḍeya’s steady worship SB 12.9 · The child upon the banyan leaf SB 12.10 · Mārkaṇḍeya asks for devotion

What it teaches · Great souls remain tolerant even when disturbed. Mārkaṇḍeya’s steady worship is accompanied by humility, not pride in his spiritual strength.

They were under the domination of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, and according to the statements of Mārkaṇḍeya the mlecchas of this part of the world would also rule over Bhārata.
Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport · SB 2.4.18 (Text 18)

Read the story in SB 12.8

Sudāmā

SB 10.80–81 · Sudāmā’s handful of rice

What it teaches · Kṛṣṇa values even a small offering made with love. Sudāmā’s deepest treasure is devotion, not the wealth bestowed upon him.

…becoming the associate neighbor of the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, as the son of Nanda-Yaśodā, the friend of Sudāmā, Śrīdāmā and Madhumaṅgala, or the lover of the damsels of Vrajabhūmi, etc.
Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport · SB 2.4.14 (Text 14)

Read the story in SB 10.80–81

King Yayāti

SB 9.18–19 · Yayāti gives up enjoyment

What it teaches · Lust and greed cannot be satisfied even by all the world’s wealth. One who understands the temporary nature of material happiness turns away from pursuing it.

Yavana was the name of one of the sons of Mahārāja Yayāti who was given the part of the world known as Turkey to rule.
Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport · SB 2.4.18 (Text 18)

Read the story in SB 9.18–19

Brahmā's birth from the lotus

SB 3.8–12 · Brahmā discovers his source

What it teaches · Brahmā’s greatness rests upon his devotional service and mature transcendental knowledge. The Lord teaches that seeing Him in all living entities and throughout the universe frees one from illusion.

…otherwise, at the time of my final breath, when my throat is choked up with cough, how will it be possible to think of You?” There is an intimate relationship between the swan and the lotus stem.
Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport · SB 2.4.21 (Text 21)

Read the story in SB 3.8–12

Arjuna and Aśvatthāmā

SB 1.7 · Arjuna captures Aśvatthāmā

What it teaches · The discussion brings together the gravity of killing innocent children and concern for the grief of others. Kṛṣṇa guides Arjuna as he faces the question of punishment.

In the womb of his mother he was struck by the brahmāstra atomic bomb released by Aśvatthāmā, but by the grace of the Lord he was saved from being burnt by the fiery weapon, and since then the King continuously concentrated his mind upon Lord Kṛṣṇa, which…
Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport · SB 2.4.1 (Text 1)

Read the story in SB 1.7

Other Bhāgavatam verses Śrīla Prabhupāda quotes here

Next in Learn · 4 of 11 · 5 minStudy a verseOne verse with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and three study points from the purport.Back · LearnPreface & Introduction