Brahma’s prayers to Sri Krishna (part 1) ”Brahma Realizes Who Krishna Is” by Swami Bhajanananda

Class by Rev Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Book X, Chapter 14 of Srimad Bhagavatam, given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 7 June 2025. 

श्रीब्रह्मोवाच
नौमीद्̣य तेऽभ्रवपुस्̣ए तद्̣इदम्बराय गुञ्जावतम्́सपरिपिच्छलसन्मुखाय
वन्यस्रजे कवलवेत्रविस्̣आन्̣अवेन्̣उलक्स्̣मश्रिये म्र्̣दुपदे पशुपाńगजाय

śrī-brahmovāca
1. naumīḍya te 'bhra-vapuṣe taḍid-ambarāya
guñjāvataḿsa-paripiccha-lasan-mukhāya
vanya-sraje kavala-vetra-viṣāṇa-veṇu-
lakṣma-śriye mṛdu-pade paśu-pāńgajāya

Sri Brahma said:
"I worship You, the primordial Lord (naumi īḍya te), whose body is like a dark cloud (abhra vapuṣe); whose garment is like lightning (taḍit ambarāya); wearing a garland of guñjā berries (guñjā avataḿsa) and peacock feather (paripiccha); whose face shines (lasat mukhāya); a garlands of forest flowers (vanya-sraje); holding a morsel of food, stick, buffalo horn, and flute (kavala vetra viṣāṇa veṇu lakṣma), and whose beautiful feet are soft (śriye mṛdu pade), the son of a  cow herder (paśu-pa ańga-jāya)."

अस्यापि देव वपुस्̣ओ मदनुग्रहस्य स्वेच्छामयस्य न तु भूत-मयस्य कोऽपि
नेशे महि त्व् अवसितुम्ऽमनसान्तरेन्̣अ साक्स्̣आत् तवैव किम् उतात्मसुखानुभूतेह्̣
asyāpi deva vapuṣo mad-anugrahasya
svecchā-mayasya na tu bhūta-mayasya ko 'pi
neśe mahi tv avasituḿ manasāntareṇa
sākṣāt tavaiva kim utātma-sukhānubhūteḥ

2. "Lord, Your body (asya api deva vapuṣaḥ), which is the instrument of grace to me (mat-anugrahasya), appears by Your will (sva-icchā-mayasya), and not by the power of the material elements (na tu bhūta-mayasya). Even with my mind withdrawn in meditation (manasā antareṇa sākṣāt) I cannot grasp its glory (kaḥ api na īśe mahi tu avasitum).  What to speak then of understanding Your blissful Self (ava eva kim uta ātma sukha anubhūteḥ)."