SB 3.8.32 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

तर्ह्येव तन्नाभिसर:सरोज- मात्मामम्भ: श्वसनं वियच्च । ददर्श देवो जगतो विधाता नात: परं लोकविसर्गद‍ृष्टि: ॥ ३२ ॥

Verse text

tarhy eva tan-nābhi-saraḥ-sarojam ātmānam ambhaḥ śvasanaṁ viyac ca dadarśa devo jagato vidhātā nātaḥ paraṁ loka-visarga-dṛṣṭiḥ

Synonyms

tarhi — therefore ; eva — certainly ; tat — His ; nābhi — navel ; saraḥ — lake ; sarojam — lotus flower ; ātmānam — Brahmā ; ambhaḥ — the devastating water ; śvasanam — the drying air ; viyat — the sky ; ca — also ; dadarśa — looked upon ; devaḥ — demigod ; jagataḥ — of the universe ; vidhātā — maker of the destination ; na — not ; ataḥ param — beyond ; loka — visarga — creation of the cosmic manifestation ; dṛṣṭiḥ — glance .

Translation

When Lord Brahmā, the maker of the universal destination, thus saw the Lord, he simultaneously glanced over creation. Lord Brahmā saw the lake in Lord Viṣṇu’s navel, and the lotus flower, as well as the devastating water, the drying air and the sky. All became visible to him.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Desiring to create variety in the universe, Brahmā saw nothing except the lotus coming from the water in Viṣṇu’s navel, himself, and the three elements water, air and ether. He saw the lotus in Viṣṇu’s navel, himself in the lotus, and the three elements water, air and ether all around him. He did not see anything else, such as earth or fire. He had a desire (dṛṣṭiḥ) to create (sarga) variety (vividha) in the worlds.