SB 10.14.9 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

पश्येश मेऽनार्यमनन्त आद्ये परात्मनि त्वय्यपि मायिमायिनि । मायां वितत्येक्षितुमात्मवैभवं ह्यहं कियानैच्छमिवार्चिरग्नौ ॥ ९ ॥

Verse text

paśyeśa me ’nāryam ananta ādye parātmani tvayy api māyi-māyini māyāṁ vitatyekṣitum ātma-vaibhavaṁ hy ahaṁ kiyān aiccham ivārcir agnau

Synonyms

paśya — just see ; īśa — O Lord ; me — my ; anāryam — contemptible behavior ; anante — against the unlimited ; ādye — the primeval ; para — ātmani — the Supersoul ; tvayi — You ; api — even ; māyi — māyini — for the masters of illusion ; māyām — (my) illusory potency ; vitatya — spreading ; īkṣitum — to see ; ātma — Your ; vaibhavam — power ; hi — indeed ; aham — I ; kiyān — how much ; aiccham — I desired ; iva — just like ; arciḥ — a small spark ; agnau — in comparison to the whole fire .

Translation

My Lord, just see my uncivilized impudence! To test Your power I tried to extend my illusory potency to cover You, the unlimited and primeval Supersoul, who bewilder even the masters of illusion. What am I compared to You? I am just like a small spark in the presence of a great fire.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

My Lord, just see my uncivilized impudence! To test Your power I tried to extend my illusory potency to cover You, the unlimited and primeval Supersoul, who bewilder even the masters of illusion. What am I compared to You? I am just like a small spark in the presence of a great fire. KB 10.14.9 Lord Brahmā presented himself to Lord Kṛṣṇa as the most presumptuous living creature because he wanted to examine the wonder of His personal power. He stole the boys and calves of the Lord in order to see how the Lord would recover them. Now Lord Brahmā admitted that his attempt was most presumptuous, for he was attempting to test his energy before the person of original energy. Coming to his senses, Lord Brahmā saw that although he was a very powerful living creature in the estimation of all other living creatures within this material world, his power was nothing in comparison with the power and energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The scientists of the material world have invented wonders such as atomic weapons, and when tested in a city or some insignificant place on this planet, such powerful weapons create so-called havoc, but if the atomic weapons are tested on the sun, what is their significance? They are insignificant there. Similarly, Brahmā’s stealing of the calves and boys from Śrī Kṛṣṇa may be a wonderful display of mystic power, but when Śrī Kṛṣṇa exhibited His expansive power in so many calves and boys and maintained them without effort, Brahmā could understand that his own power was insignificant.

Purport

A great fire produces many sparks, which are insignificant in comparison to it. Indeed, if one of the small sparks were to try to burn the original fire, the attempt would be simply ludicrous. Similarly, even the creator of the entire universe, Lord Brahmā, is an insignificant spark of the potency of God, and therefore Brahmā’s attempt to bewilder the Supreme Lord was certainly ludicrous. Brahmā here addresses Lord Kṛṣṇa as īśa, which indicates that Kṛṣṇa is not only the supreme master of everyone but is also specifically the master of Brahmā, who creates the universe directly under the guidance of the Lord and who, indeed, is born directly from the Lord’s own body. Brahmā felt ashamed of his impudent attempt at deluding Lord Kṛṣṇa, and he was therefore perfectly willing to be punished or forgiven by the Lord, according to His decision. If Lord Kṛṣṇa does not mercifully punish His devotees when they act improperly, their foolishness will simply increase and gradually completely overwhelm their devotional sentiments. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa kindly disciplines His devotees and maintains them on the progressive path back home, back to Godhead.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Brahma speaks this verse to express his repentance, thinking that rather the perform devotional activities he has simply committed great offense to Krsna. The word arya means a worthy person or one with wisdom. "Oh lord, see my anaryam, my bad conduct and foolishness. You may give suitable punishment or forgiveness, otherwise persons like me will commit further impropriety. What was the bad conduct? You are the source of all (adya), you are my father, and I have committed offense against you, when you were enjoying lunch with your friends in the forest. What was the foolishness? You have immeasurable powers (ananta). You are the soul of all souls (paramatma). Having committed offense against you with such position, I have shown my foolishness. I have shown ultimate foolishness in attempting to fool the bewilderer of all those who bewilder. I desired to see your powers by invoking my powers of illusion. But beside you, I am insignificant, just like a spark which emanates from a huge flame and tries to burn the flame."

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

In this verse Brahmā asks forgiveness for his offense, making himself an example of the futility of trying to know the Lord. Āryam means “being well-bred.” That includes having wisdom. See my foul nature, foolishness (anāryam)! By this he reveals his nature. As a low-bred person I have committed a foolish act against you, my master (īśa), my father (ādye). As a fool I have committed an act against the soul of all including me (parātmani), against the person with unlimited powers (anante). Not knowing all of this, I spread my māyā over you, the master of māyā (māyi-māyini). This makes me the greatest fool. Why? I wanted to see your powers. Previously it was stated that he wanted to see some other sweet power of the Lord (SB 10.13.15). By spreading māyā to see your powers I am even more (kiyān) of a rascal. An example is given to show the extent of his low mentality. I am like a spark in a great fire. Or, out great wretchedness he says “I wanted see my own powers by spreading my māyā.”

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

Brahmā reveals his offensive actions. O lord (īśa)! You are my master. Furthermore you have unlimited glories (ananta). Furthermore you are my father (ādye). Furthermore you are the supreme guru (parātmani) since you reveal the Vedas in my heart. You are the master of māyā. You are Kṛṣṇa (tvayi). Calling him the distributor of māyā would be unsuitable. The order of terms is with increasing significance. By spreading my māyā I desired to see your greatness (ātma-vaibhavam). ambhojanma-janis tad-antara-gato māyārbhakasyeśitur draṣṭuṁ mañju mahitvam anyad api tad-vatsān ito vatsapān nītvānyatra kurūdvahāntaradadhāt khe ’vasthito yaḥ purā dṛṣṭvāghāsura-mokṣaṇaṁ prabhavataḥ prāptaḥ paraṁ vismayam O Mahārāja Parīkṣit! Brahmā, who was born from Viṣṇu’s lotus navel, who resides in the sky, and who had become astonished on seeing Kṛṣṇa liberate Aghāsura, came to Vṛndāvana. Taking the boys and calves to another place in order to see some other power of the Lord, who was a boy with bewildering power, Brahmā then disappeared. SB 10.13.15 Hi indicates certainty or lamentation. Though this will not be an offense to you, I am such a low person (kiyān).