Devanagari
स आदिदेवो जगतां परो गुरु:
स्वधिष्ण्यमास्थाय सिसृक्षयैक्षत ।
तां नाध्यगच्छद् दृशमत्र सम्मतां
प्रपञ्चनिर्माणविधिर्यया भवेत् ॥ ५ ॥
Verse text
sa ādi-devo jagatāṁ paro guruḥ
svadhiṣṇyam āsthāya sisṛkṣayaikṣata
tāṁ nādhyagacchad dṛśam atra sammatāṁ
prapaṣca-nirmāṇa-vidhir yayā bhavet
Synonyms
saḥ
—
he
;
ādi
—
devaḥ — the first demigod
;
jagatām
—
of the universe
;
paraḥ
—
supreme
;
guruḥ
—
spiritual master
;
svadhiṣṇyam
—
his lotus seat
;
āsthāya
—
to find the source of it
;
sisṛkṣayā
—
for the matter of creating the universal affairs
;
aikṣata
—
began to think
;
tām
—
in that matter
;
na
—
could not
;
adhyagacchat
—
understand
;
dṛśam
—
the direction
;
atra
—
therein
;
sammatām
—
just the proper way
;
prapaṣca
—
material
;
nirmāṇa
—
construction
;
vidhiḥ
—
process
;
yayā
—
as much as
;
bhavet
—
should be .
Translation
Lord Brahmā, the first spiritual master, supreme in the universe, could not trace out the source of his lotus seat, and while thinking of creating the material world, he could not understand the proper direction for such creative work, nor could he find out the process for such creation.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Brahmā, the original devatā, the instructor of bhakti for the world, situated on his lotus, considered how to carry out creation. He could not attain the knowledge by which the universe could be created.
Purport
This verse is the prelude for explaining the transcendental nature of the form and the abode of the Lord. In the beginning of
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
it has already been said that the Supreme Absolute Truth exists in His own abode without any touch of the deluding energy. Therefore the kingdom of God is not a myth but factually a different and transcendental sphere of planets known as the Vaikuṇṭhas. This will also be explained in this chapter.
Such knowledge of the spiritual sky far above this material sky and its paraphernalia can be known only by dint of devotional service, or
bhakti-yoga.
The power of creation by Lord Brahmā was also achieved by
bhakti-yoga.
Brahmājī was bewildered in the matter of creation, and he could not even trace out the source of his own existence. But all this knowledge was fully achieved by him through the medium of
bhakti-yoga.
By
bhakti-yoga
one can know the Lord, and by knowing the Lord as the Supreme, one is able to know everything else. One who knows the Supreme knows everything else. That is the version of all
Vedas.
Even the first spiritual master of the universe was enlightened by the grace of the Lord, so who else can attain perfect knowledge of everything without the mercy of the Lord? If anyone desires to seek perfect knowledge of everything, he must seek the mercy of the Lord, and there is no other means. To seek knowledge on the strength of one’s personal attempt is a sheer waste of time.
Commentary (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Not only the Lord’s form, but his planet and his devotees are also beyond time and māyā. To show this fact he begins to praise the Lord in four verses. Brahmā, the instructor about the secret teachings of bhakti (paro guruḥ), was situated on a lotus (svadhiṣnyam). Previously he was submerged in the water in order to find his residence. After, he became situated on the lotus. He considered (aikṣata) how to carry out the creation. He could not understand the knowledge (tām dṛṣam) in the matter of creation (atra), by which there would be a method of constructing the universe.