Creation of the Kumāras and Others

Brahmā’s creation continues with sages, Rudra, sacrificial practices, religious principles, and further forms of life.

Themes of SB 3.12Jñāna5 Dainya3 Śuddhi3 from its story phase

Connected storiesThe four KumārasKardama MuniDakṣaLord Kapila and Devahūti

Who is speakingSūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → ViduraEvery voice in this chapter ›

What this chapter speaks about · the ten subjects

In this chapter

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.

SB 3.8.17 SB 3.9.32 SB 3.10.9 Read chapter 8 ›

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 four Kumāras

SB 3.15–16 · The doorkeepers’ fall SB 4.21–23 · Pṛthu’s life of devoted service SB 11.13 · The Lord teaches as Haṁsa

What it teaches · The Lord’s conduct shows how dearly He values the brāhmaṇas and how seriously He regards disrespect toward them. Even while facing punishment, the doorkeepers sought the shelter of remembering Him.

In the beginning, Brahmā created four great sages named Sanaka, Sananda, Sanātana and Sanat-kumāra.
In the verse · SB 3.12.4 (Text 4)

Brahmā created the four great sages Sanaka, Sananda, Sanātana and Sanat to entrust them with these four principles of spiritual advancement, and they inaugurated their own spiritual party, or sampradāya, known as the Kumāra sampradāya, or later on as the…
Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport · SB 3.12.4 (Text 4)

Read the story in SB 3.15–16

Kardama Muni

SB 3.21–22 · Kardama marries Devahūti SB 3.23 · Devahūti asks for lasting solace

What it teaches · Kardama kept devotional service as the aim beyond household life. Manu likewise passed his time thinking of Vāsudeva and engaging in matters concerning Him.

Therefore all the sons generated from the body or the mind of Brahmā were in the modes of passion and ignorance, but some of them, like Kardama, were born in the mode of goodness.
Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport · SB 3.12.27 (Text 27)

Sage Kardama, husband of the great Devahūti, was manifested from the shadow of Brahmā.
In the verse · SB 3.12.27 (Text 27)

Read the story in SB 3.21–22

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.

Marīci, Atri, Aṅgirā, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Bhṛgu, Vasiṣṭha, Dakṣa, and the tenth son, Nārada, were thus born.
In the verse · SB 3.12.22 (Text 22)

Vasiṣṭha was born from his breathing, Dakṣa from a thumb, Bhṛgu from his touch, and Kratu from his hand.
In the verse · SB 3.12.23 (Text 23)

Read the story in SB 4.2–4

Lord Kapila and Devahūti

SB 3.24 · Kapila appears and Kardama renounces SB 3.25–29 · Kapila teaches His mother SB 3.30–32 · Kapila describes the soul’s wandering

What it teaches · The Lord appears to support His devotees. True renunciation means surrendering one’s activities to Him and seeking Him through unfailing devotional service.

Sage Kardama, husband of the great Devahūti, was manifested from the shadow of Brahmā.
In the verse · SB 3.12.27 (Text 27)

O son of Bharata, in due course of time he [Manu] begot in Śatarūpā five children — two sons, Priyavrata and Uttānapāda, and three daughters, Ākūti, Devahūti and Prasūti.
In the verse · SB 3.12.56 (Text 56)

Read the story in SB 3.24

Bhṛgu Muni

SB 10.89 · Bhṛgu’s test and the brāhmaṇa’s sons SB 4.13–14 · King Vena rejects good counsel

What it teaches · The chapter identifies tolerance as a sure sign of greatness and establishes Lord Viṣṇu’s supremacy. Arjuna’s unsuccessful search also shows the limits of even an extraordinary warrior’s independent power.

Marīci, Atri, Aṅgirā, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Bhṛgu, Vasiṣṭha, Dakṣa, and the tenth son, Nārada, were thus born.
In the verse · SB 3.12.22 (Text 22)

Vasiṣṭha was born from his breathing, Dakṣa from a thumb, Bhṛgu from his touch, and Kratu from his hand.
In the verse · SB 3.12.23 (Text 23)

Read the story in SB 10.89

Mahārāja Priyavrata

SB 5.1 · Priyavrata accepts the kingdom

What it teaches · Śukadeva Gosvāmī explains that devotional service is transcendental to material influences. A devotee who takes shelter of the Lord’s lotus feet can overcome material distress and conquer the mind and senses.

O son of Bharata, in due course of time he [Manu] begot in Śatarūpā five children — two sons, Priyavrata and Uttānapāda, and three daughters, Ākūti, Devahūti and Prasūti.
In the verse · SB 3.12.56 (Text 56)

Read the story in SB 5.1

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