Chapter 5: Hymn to the Absolute Truth

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Brahma-samhitā 5.23

sañjāto bhagavac-chaktyā

tat-kālam kila coditah

sisrikshāyām matim cakre

pūrva-samskāra-samskritah

dadarśa kevalam dhvāntam

nānyat kim api sarvatah

SYNONYMS

sañjātah — on being born; bhagavat-śaktyā — by the divine potency; tat-kālam — at that time; kila — indeed; coditah — being guided; sisrikshāyāmto the act of creation; matim — his mind; cakre — turned; pūrva-samskāra-samskritah — under the impulse of previous impressions; dadarśahe saw; kevalam — only; dhvāntam — darkness; na — not; anyat — else; kim api — anything; sarvatahin every direction.

TRANSLATION

On coming out of the lotus, Brahmā, being guided by the divine potency tuned his mind to the act of creation under the impulse of previous impressions. But he could see nothing but darkness in every direction.

PURPORT

Brahmā's impulse for creation arises solely from his previous impressions. All jīvas get their nature conformably to their impressions of previous births and accordingly their activity can have a beginning. It is called "the unseen" or the result of one's previous deeds. His natural impulse is formed according to the nature of the deeds done by him in the previous kalpa. Some of the eligible jīvas also attain to the office of Brahmā in this way.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness