388 Srimad-Bhagavatam [| Canto 3, Ch. 10

highest penance which one can perform for any number of years. There is
no retirement from such service, which is eternal and ever encouraging.

TEXT 5

aeareaeaaAe aaa Tatyfea: |
THE TH SHAT BAT I Il

tad vilok yabjasambhtito
vayuna yad-adhisthitah

padmam ambhas ca tat-kala-
krla-viryena kampitam

tat vilokya—looking into that ;abja-sambhiitah—whose source of birth was
a lotus; vdyund—by the air; yat—that; adhisthitah—on which he was situated;
padmam-—lotus; ambhah—water; ca—also; tat-kdla-krta—which was effected
by eternal time; viryena—by its inherent force; kampitam—trembling.

TRANSLATION

Thereafter Brahma saw that both the lotus on which he was situated
and the water on which the lotus was growing were trembling due to a
strong, violent wind.

PURPORT

The material world is called illusory because itis a place of forgetfulness
of the transcendental service of the Lord. Thus one engaged in the Lord’s
devotional service in the material world may sometimes be very much
disturbed by awkward circumstances. There is a declaration of war between
the two parties, the illusory energy and the devotee, and sometimes the
weak devotees fall victim to the onslaught of the powerful illusory energy.
Lord Brahma, however, was sufficiently strong, by the causeless mercy of
the Lord, and he could not be victimized by the material energy, although
it gave him cause for anxiely when it managed to totter the existence of
his position.

TEXT 6

wa dumaa fran aad |
fazaarret arare ard aera tI & II
