PLATE SIX
After being born out of the lotus growing from the navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, Lord Brahmā turned his attention toward the task of creation. But he could see only darkness in every direction. Then Brahmā heard the sound  tapa  (penance) vibrated in the ether, and he sat in meditation. After one thousand celestial years, the sound of Kṛṣṇa's flute entered into the ear of Brahmā as the Vedic  mantra oṁ . When the sound vibration of Kṛṣṇa's flute was expressed through the mouth of Brahmā, it became the Gāyatrī  mantra . Thus by the influence of Kṛṣṇa's flute, Brahmā, the supreme creature and first living entity of this material universe, attained all Vedic knowledge and became the original spiritual master of all living entities. ( p. 123 )