Who · Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, Brahmā, Rudra, the sages
The story · When the worlds were submerged, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu lay upon Ananta, and a radiant lotus arose from Him. Situated on that lotus, Brahmā could not at first understand the creation, the lotus, or himself. After long penance, he beheld the Lord and prayed for mercy and the power to create. The Lord instructed him, and Brahmā created the fourteen planetary divisions for living entities. Maitreya continued describing Brahmā’s creation of sages and other beings, including his instruction that Rudra undertake auspicious penance.
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.