Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 3 Chapter 9 Verse 20

Canto 3: The Status Quo | Chapter 9: Brahmā's Prayers for Creative Energy

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.9.20

yo 'vidyayānupahato 'pi daśārdha-vṛttyā

nidrām uvāha jaṭharī-kṛta-loka-yātraḥ

antar-jale 'hi-kaśipu-sparśānukūlāḿ

bhīmormi-mālini janasya sukhaḿ vivṛṇvan

SYNONYMS

yaḥ — one; avidyayā — influenced by nescience; anupahataḥ — without being affected; api — in spite of; daśa-ardha — five; vṛttyā — interaction; nidrām — sleep; uvāha — accepted; jaṭharī — within the abdomen; kṛta — doing so; loka-yātraḥ — maintenance of the different entities; antaḥ-jale — within the water of devastation; ahi-kaśipu — on the snake bed; sparśa-anukūlām — happy for the touch; bhīma-ūrmi — violent waves; mālini — chain of; janasya — of the intelligent person; sukham — happiness; vivṛṇvan — showing.

TRANSLATION

My Lord, You accept the pleasure of sleeping in the water of devastation, where there are violent waves, and You enjoy pleasure on the bed of snakes, showing the happiness of Your sleep to intelligent persons. At that time, all the universal planets are stationed within Your abdomen.

PURPORT

Persons who cannot think of anything beyond the limit of their own power are like frogs in a well who cannot imagine the length and breadth of the great Pacific Ocean. Such people take it as legendary when they hear that the Supreme Lord is lying on His bed within the great ocean of the universe. They are surprised that one can lie down within water and sleep very happily. But a little intelligence can mitigate this foolish astonishment. There are many living entities within the bed of the ocean who also enjoy the material bodily activities of eating, sleeping, defending and mating. If such insignificant living entities can enjoy life within the water, why can't the Supreme Lord, who is all-powerful, sleep on the cool body of a serpent and enjoy in the turmoil of violent ocean waves? The distinction of the Lord is that His activities are all transcendental, and He is able to do anything and everything without being deterred by limitations of time and space. He can enjoy His transcendental happiness regardless of material considerations.

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