Text 20] Manifestation of Brahma from Garbhodakaéayi Visnu 319

sah—he (Brahma); ittham—in this way; udviksya—contemplating; tat—
that; abja—lotus; nala—stem; nadibhih—by the pipe; antah-jalam-within the
walter; dvivegsa—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; vicinven—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 abhiyanati yavan yas casmi
tattvatah. (Bg.18.55)

TEXT 20

faPratisacgneifanttt

s > |

a fea | (fa:
aieemrenrgara = afer: Roll

tamasy apare viduratma-sargam
vicinvato *bhut sumahams trinemih

yo deha-bhqam bhayam trayanah
pariksinoty ayur ajasya hetih

tamasi apare—because of an ignorant way of searching; vidura—O Vidura;
atma-sargam—the cause of his creation; vicinvatah—while contemplating;
abhiit—it so became; sumahdn—very great; trinemih—time of three dimen-
sions; yah—which; deha-bhajam—of the embodied; bhayam—fearfulness;
irayanah—generating; pariksinoti—diminishing the one hundred years;
dyuh—duration of life; ajasya—of the self-born; hetih—the wheel of eternal
time.

TRANSLATION

O Vidura, while searching in that way about his existence, Brahma
reached his ultimate time, which is the eternal wheel in the hand of Visnu
