Bg. 10.8

Describing the bhakti belonging to the highest devotees in the four verses (verses 8-12), the Lord describes the real nature of Himself which generates and nourishes that bhakti. I am svayam bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, the cause of everything, the cause of the whole material manifestation headed by Brahmā and Śiva. In the Atharva Veda it is thus said: yo brahmāṇaṁ vidadhāti pūrvaṁ yo vai vedāṁś ca gāpayati sma kṛṣṇaḥ Kṛṣṇa alone it is who previously creates Brahmā, and makes him sing the Vedas. Gopāla Tāpanī Upaniṣad 1.22 atha puruṣo ha vai nārāyaṇo’kāmayata prajāḥ sṛjaye [Note: This is supposedly from the Tripada Vibhūti Upaniṣad, or Mahānārāyaṇa Upanisad, but I cannot find it there. The last half of the sentence. akāmayata prajāḥ sṛjaya is found in the Kṛṣṇa Upaniṣad.] Then the puruṣa, Nārāyaṇa, desires to create offspring. nārāyaṇād brahmā jāyate nārāyaṇāt prajāpatiḥ prajāyate nārāyaṇād indro jāyate nārāyaṇād aṣṭau vasavo jāyante nārāyaṇād ekādaśa rudrā jāyante nārāyaṇād dvādaśādityāḥ From Narāyaṇa Brahmā was born. From Nārāyaṇa Śiva was born. From Nārāyaṇa Indra was born. From Nārāyaṇa the eight Vasus were born. From Nārāyaṇa the eleven Rudras were born. From Nārāyaṇa the twelve Adityas were born. Tripada Vibhūti Upaniṣad In this verse Nārāyaṇa means Kṛṣṇa because of statements in later texts [Note: The sentence implies that this is in the same upaniṣad, but I cannot find it there. Rather I have found the exact text only in the Ātmabodha Upaniṣad.] such as brahmaṇyo devakī-putraḥ: Brahman is the son of Devakī. (Ātmabodha Upanisad 1) It is also said: eko vai nārāyaṇa āsīn na brahmā na īśāno nāpo nāgnī samau neme dyāv-āpṛthivī na nakṣatrāṇi na sūryaḥ sa ekākī na ramate tasya dhyānāntaḥsthasya stomam ucyate Only Nārāyaṇa existed, not Brahmā nor Śiva nor Varuṇa, nor Agni, nor heaven and earth, nor the constellations, nor the sun. He does not enjoy alone. He is the subject of meditation and is called the stomam, the verse of praise. nārāyaṇaḥ so’nyat kāmo manasā dhyāyata tasya dhyānātaḥsthasya tal-lalāṭāttrakṣyaḥ śūlapāṇiḥ puruṣo’jāyata bibhrac chriyaṁ satyaṁ brahmacaryaṁ tapo-vairāgyam Nārāyaṇa meditated with His mind. From His meditation, the person with a third eye and trident in his hand was born, possessing wealth, truth, celibacy, austerity and renunciation. Mahā Upaniṣad 1 Later in the same text there is a description of Brahmā appearing from Nārāyaṇa: catur mukho jāyate. The Vedas say: yaṁ kāmaye taṁ tam ugraṁ kṛṣṇomi taṁ brahmāṇaṁ tam ṛṣiṁ taṁ sumedhasam I make the man whom I love exceeding mighty; I make him a wise man, a sage, a Brahma. Ṛg veda 10.125.5 Mokṣa Dharma says: prajāpatiṁ ca rudraṁ câpy aham eva sṛjāmi vai tau hi māṁ na vijānīto mama māyā-vimohitau I alone create Brahmā and Śīva. Being bewildered by My māyā, they do not know Me. Varāha Purāṇa says: nārāyaṇaḥ paro devas tasmāj jātaś caturmukhaḥ tasmād rudro’bhavad devaḥ sa ca sarvajṣatāṁ gataḥ Nārāyaṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and from Him Brahmā was born, from whom Śiva was born. The deva attained all knowledge. What is said in this verse is that the Lord is the material and efficient cause (upādāna and nimitta) of everything other than Himself. Whatever arises from Me, acts because of Me. All of their operations depend on Me: I am the controller of everything. Knowing Me as such, as the cause and the controller of all (iti matvā), confirming this through the mouth of guru, being filled with prema ((bhāva samanvitāḥ), the intelligent person worships Me.