SB 3.9.18 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

यस्माद्‌बिभेम्यहमपि द्विपरार्धधिष्ण्य- मध्यासित: सकललोकनमस्कृतं यत् । तेपे तपो बहुसवोऽवरुरुत्समान- स्तस्मै नमो भगवतेऽधिमखाय तुभ्यम् ॥ १८ ॥

Verse text

yasmād bibhemy aham api dviparārdha-dhiṣṇyam adhyāsitaḥ sakala-loka-namaskṛtaṁ yat tepe tapo bahu-savo ’varurutsamānas tasmai namo bhagavate ’dhimakhāya tubhyam

Synonyms

yasmāt — from whom ; bibhemi — fear ; aham — I ; api — also ; dvi — para — ardha — up to the limit of 4,300,000,000 × 2 × 30 × 12 × 100 solar years ; dhiṣṇyam — place ; adhyāsitaḥ — situated in ; sakala — loka — all other planets ; namaskṛtam — honored by ; yat — that ; tepe — underwent ; tapaḥ — penances ; bahu — savaḥ — many, many years ; avarurutsamānaḥ — desiring to obtain You ; tasmai — unto Him ; namaḥ — I do offer my obeisances ; bhagavate — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead ; adhimakhāya — unto Him who is the enjoyer of all sacrifices ; tubhyam — unto Your Lordship .

Translation

Your Lordship, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You who are indefatigable time and the enjoyer of all sacrifices. Although I am situated in an abode which will continue to exist for a time duration of two parārdhas, although I am the leader of all other planets in the universe, and although I have undergone many, many years of penance for self-realization, still I offer my respects unto You.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

I used to fear time, even though I am situated on Brahma-loka, which is offered respects by all planets and, desiring to bring time under control, I performed many sacrifices. Now, in pure bhakti, I offer my respects to the Supreme Lord, controller of sacrifices. This verse describes the limits of the strength of time. I, Brahmā, though situated on Brahmā-loka lasting for my hundred years (dviparārdha-dhiṣṇyam), have fear of time, and to control time I performed austerities equivalent to many sacrifices. In spite of that, I feared still time. “What was your contemplation in performing these sacrifices to control time?” I was thinking that I could bring time under control by sacrifice to you who are the controller of all sacrifices. But I am controlled by time, and even now I fear time. Without pure bhakti, time cannot be conquered. This is what I have understood today. Therefore I should perform only pure bhakti. Thus, I offer my respects to the lord of sacrifices, the Supreme Lord, with pure bhakti.

Purport

Brahmā is the greatest personality in the universe because he has the longest duration of life. He is the most respectable personality because of his penance, influence, prestige, etc., and still he has to offer his respectful obeisances unto the Lord. Therefore, it is incumbent upon all others, who are far, far below the standard of Brahmā, to do as he did and offer respects as a matter of duty.