SB 3.8.19

TEXT 19

TEXT

स इत्थमुद्वीक्ष्य तदब्जनाल नाडीभिरन्तर्जलमाविवेश ।
नार्वाग्गतस्तत्खरनालनालनाभिं विचिन्वंस्तदविन्दताजः ॥ १९ ॥

sa ittham udviksya tad-abja-nala-

nadibhir antar-jalam avivesa

narvag-gatas tat-khara-nala-nala-nabhim

vicinvams tad avindatajah

sah-he (Brahma); ittham-in this way; udviksya-contemplating; tat-that; abja-lotus; nala-stem; nadibhih-by the pipe; antah-jalam-within the water; avivesa-entered into; na-not; arvak-in spite of going inside, nearby; gatah tat-going into; khara-nala-the stem of the lotus; nala-pipe; nabhim-of the navel; vicinvan-thinking much of it; tat-that; avindata-understood; ajah-the self-born.

TRANSLATION

Lord Brahma, thus contemplating, entered the channel of the stem of the lotus. But in spite of his entering the stem and going nearer to the navel of Visnu, he could not trace out the root.

PURPORT

By dint of one's personal endeavor one may go nearer to the Lord, but without the Lord's mercy one cannot reach the ultimate point. Such understanding of the Lord is possible only by devotional service, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gita: bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah. (Bg. 18.55)

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