King Pariksit said, Suka Goswami, as you describe the Supreme Lord I find your words dispelling the darkness of my ignorance. Would you please explain how the Supreme Lord uses his cosmic illusory power to create the universe? How does the Supreme Lord of infinite power also preserve and then withdraw the universe?
The mysterious and wonderful actions of the Lord seem incomprehensible even to the wise. You are educated in the Vedic literature and spiritual knowledge. Would you please clarify these questions.
When Suka was asked to explain the creative energy of the Supreme Lord, he meditated on Lord Krishna and said, I bow down before the Supreme Lord who assumes three powers for creation. Though his ways are imperceptible, he is within all of creation.
I bow down again before him because he removes the sorrows of the virtuous souls and impedes the progress of the impious. He is the embodiment of goodness. I bow before the Supreme Lord who is unequalled and unsurpassed and abides in his own spiritual nature.
Those who worship the Supreme Lord, remember him, hear of him and praise him will purify themselves of all impiety. I bow before that auspicious Lord again and again. The wise who take shelter of him dissolve their attachments both now and in the future and easily reach the spiritual realm.
I constantly bow before the Supreme Lord. Without offering devotion to him one cannot achieve any beneficial result even if they give generously in charity, have fame and reputation, practice penance, chant mantras or are virtuous in their conduct. May that Lord of all sacrifice and the protector of all the worlds be gracious to me. May that venerable Lord kindly decorate my words.
This Bhagavatam was first communicated to Lord Brahma by the Supreme Lord. It removes the suffering of people absorbed in insignificant pleasure and I will now narrate that same Bhagavatam to you.
Before the creation of the material universes, the three worlds were submerged in the water of dissolution. Lord Vishnu was floating there on his bed made of the king of snakes, Ananta. Vishnu was alone and inactive, his eyes almost closed as though he was sleeping.
He was viewing the subtle elements within himself, and agitated by the quality of passion the elements were then impelled by time. They sprouted from his navel and formed the bud of a lotus flower. Vishnu personally entered that universal lotus flower thereby illuminating the vast expanse of water. Lord Brahma, the creator of the world, was born out of that lotus flower. He was within the stalk of the lotus and so he couldn’t understand the world, the lotus, or his own self.
He thought to himself, Who am I and where has this lotus come from? There must be something below me that supports this lotus. Although Brahma entered the stem of the lotus and moved nearer to the navel of Lord Vishnu, he could not find the source of his lotus seat.
He returned to the top of the lotus. He desired to create but he could not get any insight into the method to do so. While he was contemplating all this, from somewhere nearby he heard a voice say, ‘Austerity’.
He looked all around him trying to find the speaker, but he was unable to see anyone. He accepted this vibration from the sky as divine guidance and returned to his lotus seat. He then gave his attention to performing austerities as he had been directed. Brahma engaged in austerity for a thousand celestial years and controlled his mind and senses. After meditating in this way, he could see the Supreme Lord within himself.
Brahma said, O Lord, after many long years of meditation, today I have finally realised you. It is a great defect to be conditioned by a body because those embodied people do not know you. They experience the fear that comes from wealth, desire, dishonour and greed. The cause of their sufferings is their false sense of ownership. Until they seek your protection they will not be free from fear.
My heart is disturbed by seeing these people who are constantly afflicted with hunger, thirst, severe cold and heat and many other disturbing elements. They are overwhelmed by strong sexual urges and unrelenting anger.
While they continue to regard their body as the self and pursue sensual enjoyment, their worldly existence will not end and will bring them constant troubles. Virtuous activities such as religious vows, charity, austerity and serving you with devotion will last forever and never perish.
I bow down to the Supreme Lord, whose incarnations and activities are mysterious. At the time of death, if anyone chants your name they will achieve immortality. The Supreme Lord is the friend of all the worlds. May he bestow on me the intelligence and knowledge to create this universe.
The Supreme Lord said, Brahma, you have performed excellent austerities after hearing my words. It was I who first instructed you to undergo austerity when you were bewildered about how to create. Such austerity is my heart and I am the soul of such austerity. It is by austerity that I create, maintain and withdraw the worlds. My power lies in austerity.
Brahma said, O Lord, you are in every heart and know everyone’s desires. Please tell me of your gross and subtle forms, although you have no form. You are like a spider that weaves a web around itself, by your own power you create, preserve and withdraw the universe.
Would you please explain this to me. If I can understand this I will be able to create all the different living beings without being entangled by the bondage of karma. Then I will not become proud and insolent and think myself supreme.
The Supreme Lord said, This knowledge of me is the greatest secret but I will explain it to you and then you will know who I am and my true nature. It is only I who existed before the creation, there was nothing else, not even the primordial nature or its cause. Everything here now is also me and after the destruction of the universe only I will remain.
If something appears to be separate from me, it has no value, even if it appears to exist. It is a reflection in the dark and the result of my energy of illusion. The gross elements enter into all beings and yet they also do not enter. In the same way, I exist within everything and I am outside of everything. At all times and places, directly and indirectly, you must search for this. Brahma, concentrate your mind on this doctrine and you will not be proud of your role as creator.
After giving these instructions to Brahma, the Supreme Lord disappeared and Brahma began to create the universe.
