The Cause of All Causes

Nārada questions Brahmā, who explains his dependence on the Supreme Lord and describes creation.

Themes of SB 2.5Jñāna5 Rakṣā3 Bhakti3 Kṛpā2 with indexed passages

Connected storiesBrahmā's birth from the lotusDakṣaBhīṣmadevaLord Rāmacandra

Who is speakingSūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitLord Brahmā → Nārada MuniEvery voice in this chapter ›

What this chapter speaks about · the ten subjects

In this chapter

Who · Nārada Muni, Brahmājī, Lord Kṛṣṇa

The story · Nārada Muni respectfully approached Brahmājī for knowledge of the individual soul and the Supersoul. He asked where Brahmā’s knowledge came from, who protected him, and under whose direction he worked. Brahmā offered obeisances to Lord Kṛṣṇa and explained that the Supreme Lord controls everyone, including himself. He also described how the Lord entered the universes resting in the Causal Ocean and brought them to life.

What it teaches · Brahmā is not the independent supreme controller. Meditation, austerity, transcendental knowledge, and liberation all have Nārāyaṇa as their ultimate aim.

SB 2.5.4 SB 2.5.12 SB 2.5.16 Read chapter 5 ›

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.

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.

From His navel sprouts a lotus stem, and on the lotus, Brahmā, the lord of the universe, is born.
Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport · SB 2.5.33 (Text 33)

Read the story in SB 3.8–12

Dakṣa

SB 4.2–4 · Satī confronts Dakṣa’s envy SB 4.5–7 · Dakṣa’s sacrifice is restored SB 6.4 · Dakṣa’s prayers to the Lord

What it teaches · Lord Śiva explains that false ego produces envy of self-realized persons. Satī identifies envy of Lord Śiva, who is free from enmity, as a grave offense.

Such demigods are known as the controller of directions, the controller of air, the sun-god, the father of Dakṣa Prajāpati, the Aśvinī-kumāras, the fire-god, the King of heaven, the worshipable deity in heaven, the chief of the Ādityas, and Brahmājī, the Prajāpati.
In the verse · SB 2.5.30 (Text 30)

Read the story in SB 4.2–4

Bhīṣmadeva

SB 1.9 · Bhīṣmadeva’s final attention

What it teaches · Even great thinkers cannot fully understand the Lord’s plan. Bhīṣmadeva’s final prayers show the goal of fixing the mind upon Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

So Arjuna was advised just to become the agent and take the credit for killing great generals like Bhīṣma and Karṇa.
Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport · SB 2.5.17 (Text 17)

Read the story in SB 1.9

Lord Rāmacandra

SB 9.10–11 · Lord Rāmacandra’s pastimes

What it teaches · Hearing Lord Rāmacandra’s pastimes frees one from envy and the bondage of fruitive activities. The Lord’s gift of enlightenment within the heart is greater than material wealth.

There were many kings like Lord Rāmacandra, the King of Ayodhyā, but none of them are mentioned as God in the revealed scriptures.
Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport · SB 2.5.10 (Text 10)

Similarly, sound representation of the Lord, in terms of His characteristics, is the complete form of the Lord, as was seen by Vasudeva and Mahārāja Daśaratha, the fathers of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Rāma.
Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport · SB 2.5.25 (Text 25)

Read the story in SB 9.10–11

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