468 Srimad Bhagavatam [Canto 2, Ch. 9
business of human life. This tapa, or penance, was begun from the very
beginning of the creation, and it was first adopted by the supreme spiritual
master, Lord Brahma. By tapasya only can one get the profit of human life,
and not by a polished civilization of animal life. The animal does not know
anything except sense gratification in the jurisdiction of eat, drink, be
merry and enjoy. But the human being is made to undergo tapasya for
going back to Godhead, back to home.

When Lord Brahma was perplexed about how to construct the material
manifestations in the universe and went down within the water to find out
the means and the source of his lotus seat, he heard the word tapa vibrated
twice. To take the path of tapa is the second birth of the desiring disciple.
The word upasrnot is very significant. It is similar to upanayana, or bringing
the disciple nearer to the spiritual master for the path of tapa. So Brahmaji
was thus initiated by Lord Krsna, and this fact is corroborated by Brahmaji
himself in his book the Brahma-samhita. In the Brahma-samhita Lord
Brahma has sung in every verse govindam ddi-purusam tam aham bhajami.
Thus Brahma was initiated by the Krsna mantra, by Lord Krsna Himself,
and thus he became a Vaisnava, or a devotee of the Lord, before he was
able to construct the huge universe. It is stated in the Brahma-samhita that
Lord Brahm was initiated into the eighteen-letter Krsna mantra, which is
generally accepted by all the devotees of Lord Krsna. We follow the same
principle because we belong to the Brahma sampradaya, directly in the
disciplic chain from Brahma to Narada, from Narada to Vyasa, from
Vyasa to Madhva Muni, from Madhva Muni to Madhavendra Puri, from
Madhavendra Puri to Iévara Puri, from Iévara Puri to Lord Caitanya and
gradually to His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, our divine master.

One who is thus initiated in the disciplic succession is able to achieve the
same result or power of creation. Chanting of this holy mantra is the only
shelter of the desireless pure devotee of the Lord. Simply by such tapasya,
or penance, the devotee of the Lord achieves all perfections like Lord
Brahma.

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