Brahmā’s Prayers for Creative Energy

Brahmā prays for mercy and creative power, and the Lord instructs and blesses him.

Themes of SB 3.9Jñāna5 Dainya3 Śuddhi3 from its story phase

Connected storiesThe gopīs and the rāsa danceAjāmilaGovardhana Hill

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 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.

The typical example of such a transcendental exchange between the predominator and the predominated is the Lord’s rāsa-līlā with the gopīs.
Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport · SB 3.9.25 (Text 25)

The rāsa dance is performed by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the company of the cowherd damsels at Vṛndāvana, and the Personality of Godhead Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is also engaged in rāsa enjoyment with His external potency, by which He creates, maintains and dissolves the…
Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport · SB 3.9.14 (Text 14)

Read the story in SB 10.20–22

Ajāmila

SB 6.1–2 · Ajāmila’s deliverance SB 6.3 · Yamarāja instructs his messengers

What it teaches · Chanting the Lord’s holy name is true atonement. Service to the Lord’s lotus feet removes the material desires that other methods of atonement cannot uproot.

Ajāmila remembered the holy name of the Lord, Nārāyaṇa, by merely calling the name of his son Nārāyaṇa, and that gave him a complete opportunity to achieve the highest perfection of life.
Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport · SB 3.9.15 (Text 15)

Read the story in SB 6.1–2

Govardhana Hill

SB 10.24–27 · Govardhana shelters Vraja

What it teaches · Kṛṣṇa protects His surrendered devotees and removes the false pride of those who imagine themselves independent controllers. His correction is meant for their relief.

When the Lord appeared as Lord Kṛṣṇa, He played the part of the son of Yaśodā and Nanda, and He lifted the Govardhana Hill, although lifting a hill is not His concern.
Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport · SB 3.9.15 (Text 15)

Read the story in SB 10.24–27

Other Bhāgavatam verses Śrīla Prabhupāda quotes here

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