256
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 6, Ch. 4]
अथ मेऽभिहितो देवस्तपोऽतप्यत दारुणम् । नव विश्वसृजो युष्मान् येनादावसृजद् विभुः ॥५०॥
sa vai yadā mahādevo mama vīryopabrṁhitaḥ mene khilam ivātmānam udyataḥ svarga-karmaṇi
atha me 'bhihito devas tapo 'tapyata dāruṇam nava viśva-srjo yuṣmān yenādāv asrjad vibhuḥ
saḥ —that Lord Brahmā;  vai —indeed;  yadā —when;  mahā-devaḥ —the chief of all the demigods;  mama —My;  vīrya-upabrṁhitaḥ —being increased by the potency;  mene —thought;  khilam —incapable;  iva —as if;  ātmānam —himself;  udyataḥ —attempting;  svarga-karmaṇi —in the creation of the universal affairs;  atha —at that time;  me —by Me;  abhihitaḥ —advised;  devaḥ —that Lord Brahmā;  tapaḥ —austerity;  atapyata —performed;  dāruṇam —extremely difficult;  nava —nine;  viśva-srjaḥ —important personalities to create the universe;  yuṣmān —all of you;  yena —by whom;  ādau —in the beginning;  asrjat —created;  vibhuḥ —the great.
TRANSLATION
When the chief lord of the universe, Lord Brahmā [Svayambhū], having been inspired by My energy, was attempting to create, he thought himself incapable. Therefore I gave him advice, and in accordance with my instructions he underwent extremely difficult austerities. Because of these austerities, the great Lord Brahmā was able to create nine personalities, including you, to help him in the functions of creation.
PURPORT
Nothing is possible without  tapasya . Lord Brahmā, however, was empowered to create this entire universe because of his austerities. The