Chapter 4 – Creation of the Universe (Prayers to Śrī Hari)
Sūta said:
1.) On hearing these words of Śuka (the son of Vyāsa), which enabled him to ascertain the truth concerning the Supreme Spirit (Brahma), king Parīkṣit (the son of Uttarā) exclusively devoted his pious mind to Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s feet.
2.) He renounced attachment which was always sticking (to his mind), to his body, wife, sons, palace, cattle, wealth, kinsmen and kingdom well equipped with the seven constituent elements of the state (enumerated in works on politics).
Special Note – The seven essential constituent elements of a state are :
1. Svāmī (स्वामी): The Sovereign or the Ruler: This is the head of the state, the king or the leader. The ruler should be virtuous, intelligent, energetic, and possess good character. Their well-being and strength are considered crucial for the stability and prosperity of the kingdom.
2. Amātya (अमात्य): The Minister or the Bureaucracy: This refers to the council of ministers and the administrative machinery. These officials should be capable, loyal, and well-versed in their respective duties. They assist the ruler in governance and policy implementation.
3. Janapada (जनपद): The Territory and the Population: This encompasses the land of the kingdom and the people residing in it. A well-defined and fertile territory with a loyal and productive population is essential for the state’s economic strength and security.
4. Durga (दुर्ग): The Fortified Capital or Forts: Fortifications are crucial for the defense of the state and its resources. A well-protected capital and strategically located forts provide security against external aggression and internal rebellions.
5. Kośa (कोश): The Treasury: A strong and well-managed treasury is the financial backbone of the state. It is necessary for funding administration, the military, public works, and welfare activities. Revenue should be collected justly and expenditure managed prudently.
6. Bala (बल): The Army or the Military: A well-trained, disciplined, and loyal military force is essential for protecting the kingdom from external threats and maintaining internal order. It comprises various divisions and should be adequately equipped.
7. Mitra (मित्र): The Ally or the Friend: Foreign relations and alliances with friendly states are vital for a kingdom’s security and strategic interests. Allies can provide support in times of war and contribute to the kingdom’s influence in the region.
3.) He (King Parīkṣit), a person of noble mind and intense faith in listening to the great deeds of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, asked him (Śuka) the same topic which you, the greatest among good persons, ask me.
4.) Having understood the approach of death and having renounced duties pertaining to the three Purusārthas, viz. dharma, artha and kāma, he with great love and devotion to the Lord, solely devoted himself in the realization of Śrī Hari.
The King said:
5.) All-knowing and sinless as you are, O divine sage (Śuka), your words are quite true. Even as you proceed with your discourse on Śrī Hari, the gloom of my ignorance disperses.
6.) I further wish to know how the Lord by His own Māyā (deluding potency / cosmic power) creates this universe, the mysteries of which even the greatest gods (like Brahmā) find it difficult to unravel.
7.) Also tell me how that all-pervading Lord protects the universe, and how again He destroys it. Possessed as He is of innumerable powers, which of them does that Supreme Person assume when He plays with His own Self (manifesting in many forms), transforming Himself into so many playthings (living and nonliving), and creates and then destroys (a number of universes).
8.) O divine sage! Really the actions of Śrī Hari of mysterious and wonderful deeds, appear incomprehensible even to very wise people (what to speak of a person like me!).
9.) (I should also like to know) how the Lord, who is one (without a second) assumes all at once the three Guṇas of Prakṛti in order to perform the various functions (of creation etc.), or manifesting Himself in different forms (as Brahmā and so on) assumes them in succession.
10.) Since you are well-versed in the Vedas and have also realized the Supreme Spirit (Parabrahman), kindly respond to this enquiry of mine.
Sūta said:
11.) Thus implored by the king to discourse upon the excellences of Śrī Hari, the sage Śuka fixed his thought on Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the inspirer of all senses) and commenced his reply as follows :
Śrī Śuka said:
12.) Obeisance to that Supreme Person of infinite glory, who in order to carry on His sportful activity of creating, preserving and destroying the universe has (in the form of Viṣṇu, Brahmā and Śiva) assumed the three Śaktis in the shape of Sattva (harmony), Rajas (activity) and Tamas (darkness), nay, who is the Inner Controller of all beings and whose true nature and ways cannot be apprehended through the intellect.
13.) Salutations again to Him who roots out the sorrows and sufferings of the virtuous (and bestows on them the boon of His love), who puts a stop to the (material) growth of the wicked (and grants them liberation) and further confers on those who have entered the order of Paramahaṃsas (recluses) the boon (of Self-Realization) sought after by them; for all (animate and inanimate) beings are His manifestations (and hence He has no partiality for or prejudice against anyone).
14.) I bow again and again to the protector of the Sāttvatas (or his devotees), who is beyond the reach of people who lack pure devotion. Salutations to Him, who being by nature unequalled and insurmountable, enjoys Himself in his natural essence (known as Brahma, the absolute).
15.) Salutations again and again to that Lord of most auspicious renown, by singing whose praises, by thinking of, seeing, greeting and adoring whom and by hearing whose glory humans are cleansed of their impurities at once.
16.) Hail, hail to that Lord of most blessed renown, by taking refuge in whose feet the wise shake off from their mind the attachment to this as well as to the other world and attain to the state of Brahma without any trouble.
17.) I salute again and again to him, without offering whom (the fruit of one’s actions & without dedicating oneself to his feet), none can attain happiness (or peace), even though they perform penance, or are very charitable or have attained (high) reputation, or practised Yoga, or are knower of very auspicious mantras, or are of pure conduct.
18.) The Kirātas, the Hūṇas, the Āndhras, Pulindas, Pulkasas, Ābhīras, Kaṅkas, Yavanas, Khasas and other (sinful) tribes and other sinners are purged of their sins even by taking refuge in those who depend on Him. To that all-powerful Lord, we offer our salutations.
19.) May that Lord be gracious to me, who is the very Self to the wise and the supreme Lord of His devotees, who is Veda itself (to those devoted to ritual acts / Karma kāṇḍa), nay, who is Dharma (righteousness) personified (to those given to righteous conduct) and austere penance (to persons of askesis), and whose reality is looked upon with wonder by sincere devotees like Brahmā, Śaṅkara and others.
20.) May that Lord of Śrī (the goddess of prosperity and beauty), the Lord of sacrifices, the Lord of all created beings, the Ruler of all intellects, the Lord of the earth, the Protector as well as the asylum of the Andhakas, the Vṛṣṇis and the Śāttvata clans, and the Lord of the holy ones be gracious to me.
21.) When the mind is purified through deep meditation and absorption on His lotus feet, sages are able to directly perceive the truth of the Self (ātma-tattva). According to their realization, they describe this truth in various ways (such as God being Brahma {the formless}, Paramātmā {present in the heart of all beings}, or Bhagavān {God in a personal form}). May that Supreme Lord Mukuṇḍa, the granter of liberation, be pleased with me.
22.) Inspired by Him at the dawn of creation to revive in Brahmā’s heart the memory of the past cycle (regarding the procedure of creation), Saraswatī (the goddess of wisdom) appeared from Brahmā’s mouth (in the form of the Vedas) with all her limbs (in the form of śikṣā or phonetics, vyākaraṇa or grammar and so on). May that Lord, the foremost of the disseminators of wisdom, be propitious to me.
23.) The Supreme Lord, who is all-pervading (Vibhu), has manifested this entire creation — all these vast worlds and cosmic realms — by assembling them from the five gross elements (earth, water, fire, air, space) and the cosmic intelligence (mahat-tattva). Having thus created them, He enters into His own creation and lies within it as the Puruṣa, the Divine Cosmic Being, abiding in all things, animate and inanimate. Within this creation, He experiences the diverse operations of nature — the sixteen-fold transformations that arise from the modes (guṇas) of material nature, which include the mind, senses (5 working & 5 knowledge), and elements (5 objects of the senses). Though beyond all material influence, He intimately engages with His creation as the inner witness and sustainer of all beings. May that glorious Bhagavān, the Lord who creates, enters, and sustains all, gracefully inspire and beautify my speech, so that my words may reflect truth and devotion to Him.
24.) Hail to the omniscient Lord Vedavyāsa (who is no other than Lord Vāsudeva), from whose lotus-like lips the devotees drink the nectar of divine wisdom.
25.) Questioned by the sage Nārada, O Parīkṣit! Brahmā (the Self-born), the repository of the Vedas, taught to that sage this very Brahma Vidyā (supremely sacred wisdom), which Śrī Hari Himself had imparted to him (Brahmā) earlier.
Thus ends the fourth discourse entitled “Creation of the Universe (Prayers to Śrī Hari)”, in Book Two of the great and glorious Bhāgavata Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahaṁsa-Saṁhitā (the book of the God-realized souls).
Summarization Of The Entire Chapter :
King Parīkṣit, upon hearing the profound words of Śuka, the son of Vyāsa, deeply absorbed the truth concerning the Supreme Spirit, Brahma, and devoted his heart exclusively to the feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. With intense spiritual resolve, he renounced his attachments to all worldly possessions and relationships—including his body, wife, children, palace, cattle, wealth, kinsmen, and even his kingdom, which was complete with the seven essential elements of a state: the sovereign ruler, ministers, territory and population, fortified capital, treasury, army, and allies. This renunciation reflected his noble mindset and readiness to transcend mundane duties and pleasures.
King Parīkṣit, inspired by Śuka’s teachings and his own sincere devotion to Śrī Hari, expressed a desire to deepen his understanding. He humbly asked Śuka to explain the nature of the Lord’s cosmic activities—how the Lord, through His Māyā (illusory power), creates, sustains, and destroys the universe. Parīkṣit was particularly curious about how the Supreme Being manifests the three Guṇas (modes of nature) and assumes various forms like Brahmā for cosmic functions. Aware of his own limitations, the king sought Śuka’s wisdom to unravel these divine mysteries.
Responding to the king’s inquiry, Śuka began his discourse by offering repeated salutations to the Supreme Person, who manifests through the three fundamental energies—Sattva (harmony), Rajas (activity), and Tamas (darkness)—and who operates beyond the reach of ordinary intellect. He praised the Lord as the protector of virtuous beings, the remover of sufferings, and the bestower of liberation, who is impartial to all manifestations of life. Śuka extolled the Lord as the ultimate refuge, whose association cleanses impurities and leads wise souls to transcend attachment to both this world and the next, attaining the highest spiritual state of Brahma.
Śuka further emphasized the Lord’s supreme position as the very essence of the Vedas, Dharma, and penance, whose devotees—even from historically sinful tribes—are purified merely by taking refuge in Him. He invoked blessings from the Lord of prosperity, sacrifices, intellect, and all beings, who protects various clans and the righteous alike. The sage described how deep meditation on the Lord’s lotus feet purifies the mind and enables sages to realize the Self’s truth, which is variously described as formless Brahma, Paramātmā residing in the heart, or the personal Bhagavān.
The narrative continued with the origin of wisdom itself: Saraswatī, the goddess of knowledge, arose from Brahmā’s mouth in the form of the Vedas, complete with the essential limbs of phonetics, grammar, and other sciences. Śuka prayed for the Lord’s grace—the source and disseminator of all wisdom—to inspire and beautify his speech. The Supreme Lord, all-pervading and omniscient, created the universe by assembling the five elements and cosmic intelligence. He dwells within His creation as the cosmic Puruṣa, intimately engaging with the material transformations brought about by nature’s modes, while remaining beyond material influence.
Finally, Śuka paid homage to Vedavyāsa, who is none other than Lord Vāsudeva Himself, from whose lotus-like lips flows the nectar of divine wisdom. The sage recounted how Brahmā, questioned by Nārada, imparted this sacred knowledge—Brahma Vidyā—received directly from Śrī Hari, thus preserving the supreme wisdom across cosmic cycles.
Short Questions & Answers :
Q1: How did King Parīkṣit respond upon hearing Śuka’s teachings about the Supreme Spirit?
A: King Parīkṣit devoted his mind entirely to Lord Kṛṣṇa’s feet, renouncing attachment to his body, family, possessions, and even his kingdom. He focused his pious heart exclusively on the divine.
Q2: What are the seven constituent elements of a kingdom mentioned in the text?
A: The seven elements are:
- Svāmī (the sovereign ruler),
- Amātya (the ministers or bureaucracy),
- Janapada (the territory and population),
- Durga (the fortified capital or forts),
- Kośa (the treasury),
- Bala (the army or military),
- Mitra (allies or friends).
Q3: What specific knowledge did King Parīkṣit seek from Śuka after renouncing worldly attachments?
A: He sought to understand how the Lord, through His cosmic power (Māyā), creates, sustains, and destroys the universe; how He assumes the three Guṇas (modes of nature); and how He manifests Himself in various forms to perform His divine functions.
Q4: How does Śuka describe the Supreme Lord in his discourse?
A: Śuka describes the Lord as the Supreme Person of infinite glory who operates through the three energies—Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas—and who is the inner controller of all beings, beyond human intellect, and the source of liberation and refuge for all virtuous souls.
Q5: What role does devotion play according to Śuka’s teaching in the chapter?
A: Devotion is paramount; only through pure devotion can one approach the Supreme Lord. The Lord is beyond the reach of those lacking devotion, but His devotees are purified and protected regardless of their background or past actions.
Q6: How is Saraswatī, the goddess of wisdom, related to the creation of knowledge according to this chapter?
A: Saraswatī emerged from Brahmā’s mouth at the dawn of creation, embodying the Vedas and their various limbs such as phonetics and grammar, thus reviving the wisdom of the past cycle of creation.
Q7: How does the Supreme Lord relate to the material universe and its transformations?
A: The Lord created the universe by assembling the five gross elements and cosmic intelligence, and He dwells within His creation as the cosmic Puruṣa, witnessing and sustaining all material transformations brought about by nature’s modes, while remaining transcendent.
Q8: Who is Vedavyāsa according to Śuka, and what is his significance?
A: Vedavyāsa is identified as Lord Vāsudeva Himself, the divine sage from whom devotees receive the nectar of spiritual wisdom, and who transmitted the sacred knowledge of Brahma Vidyā originally imparted by Śrī Hari to Brahmā.
