Devanagari
तस्माद्युगान्तश्वसनावघूर्ण-
जलोर्मिचक्रात्सलिलाद्विरूढम् ।
उपाश्रित: कञ्जमु लोकतत्त्वं
नात्मानमद्धाविददादिदेव: ॥ १७ ॥
Verse text
tasmād yugānta-śvasanāvaghūrṇa-
jalormi-cakrāt salilād virūḍham
upāśritaḥ kaṣjam u loka-tattvaṁ
nātmānam addhāvidad ādi-devaḥ
Synonyms
tasmāt
—
from there
;
yuga
—
anta — at the end of the millennium
;
śvasana
—
the air of devastation
;
avaghūrṇa
—
because of movement
;
jala
—
water
;
ūrmi
—
cakrāt — out of the circle of waves
;
salilāt
—
from the water
;
virūḍham
—
situated on them
;
upāśritaḥ
—
having the shelter of
;
kaṣjam
—
lotus flower
;
u
—
in astonishment
;
loka
—
tattvam — the mystery of creation
;
na
—
not
;
ātmānam
—
himself
;
addhā
—
perfectly
;
avidat
—
could understand
;
ādi
—
devaḥ — the first demigod .
Translation
Lord Brahmā, situated in that lotus, could not perfectly understand the creation, the lotus or himself. At the end of the millennium the air of devastation began to move the water and the lotus in great circular waves.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Brahmā, taking shelter of the lotus which spouted from the water filled with whirlpools churned by the wind of devastation, did not at all understand the nature of the planets and the living beings.
Brahmā was bewildered about how to create what had previously been created in order to show the people that his power to create the universe does not belong to him, but is given to him by the Lord. This is shown in this verse. He took shelter of the lotus which arose (virūḍham) from the water. The particle u expresses astonishment. He did not know the nature of the planets or the living beings. The water had whirlpools churned up by the wind of devastation.
Purport
Lord Brahmā was perplexed about his creation, the lotus and the world, even though he tried to understand them for one millennium, which is beyond calculation in the solar years of human beings. No one, therefore, can know the mystery of the creation and cosmic manifestation simply by mental speculation. The human being is so limited in his capacity that without the help of the Supreme he can hardly understand the mystery of the will of the Lord in terms of creation, continuance and destruction.