SB 3.32.9 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

क्ष्माम्भोऽनलानिलवियन्मनइन्द्रियार्थ- भूतादिभि: परिवृतं प्रतिसञ्जिहीर्षु: । अव्याकृतं विशति यर्हि गुणत्रयात्मा कालं पराख्यमनुभूय पर: स्वयम्भू: ॥ ९ ॥

Verse text

kṣmāmbho-’nalānila-viyan-mana-indriyārtha- bhūtādibhiḥ parivṛtaṁ pratisaṣjihīrṣuḥ avyākṛtaṁ viśati yarhi guṇa-trayātmā kālaṁ parākhyam anubhūya paraḥ svayambhūḥ

Synonyms

kṣmā — earth ; ambhaḥ — water ; anala — fire ; anila — air ; viyat — ether ; manaḥ — mind ; indriya — the senses ; artha — the objects of the senses ; bhūta — ego ; ādibhiḥ — and so on ; parivṛtam — covered by ; pratisaṣjihīrṣuḥ — desiring to dissolve ; avyākṛtam — the changeless spiritual sky ; viśati — he enters ; yarhi — at which time ; guṇa — traya — ātmā — consisting of the three modes ; kālam — the time ; para — ākhyam — two parārdhas ; anubhūya — after experiencing ; paraḥ — the chief ; svayambhūḥ — Lord Brahmā .

Translation

After experiencing the inhabitable time of the three modes of material nature, known as two parārdhas, Lord Brahmā closes the material universe, which is covered by layers of earth, water, air, fire, ether, mind, ego, etc., and goes back to Godhead.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Desiring to give up his body covered by earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, senses, sense objects and ahaṅkāra, knowing the length of his life, Brahmā, composed of three guṇas, enters into Mahāviṣṇu. At the time of great dissolution, Brahmā becomes liberated. He desires to give up his body of Vairāja, surrounded by the elements starting with earth. He, composed of the three guṇas, but predominated by rajoguṇa, enters the Supreme Lord, the antaryāmī of prakṛti (Mahāviṣṇu), knowing the time of two parārdhas (parākhyam).

Purport

The word avyākṛtam is very significant in this verse. The same meaning is stated in Bhagavad-gītā, in the word sanātana. This material world is vyākṛta, or subject to changes, and it finally dissolves. But after the dissolution of this material world, the manifestation of the spiritual world, the sanātana-dhāma, remains. That spiritual sky is called avyākṛta, that which does not change, and there the Supreme Personality of Godhead resides. When, after ruling over the material universe under the influence of the time element, Lord Brahmā desires to dissolve it and enter into the kingdom of God, others then enter with him.