Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 3.9.2

rupam yad etad avabodha-rasodayena

sasvan-nivritta-tamasah sad-anugrahaya

adau grihitam avatara-sataika-bijam

yan-nabhi-padma-bhavanad aham avirasam

SYNONYMS

rupam -- form; yat -- which; etat -- that; avabodha-rasa -- of Your internal potency; udayena -- with the manifestation; sasvat -- forever; nivritta -- freed from; tamasah -- material contamination; sat-anugrahaya -- for the sake of the devotees; adau -- original in the creative energy of matter; grihitam -- accepted; avatara -- of incarnations; sata-eka-bijam -- the root cause of hundreds; yat -- that which; nabhi-padma -- the navel lotus flower; bhavanat -- from the home; aham -- myself; avirasam -- generated.

TRANSLATION

The form which I see is eternally freed from material contamination and has advented to show mercy to the devotees as a manifestation of internal potency. This incarnation is the origin of many other incarnations, and I am born from the lotus flower grown from Your navel home.

PURPORT

The three deities Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesvara (Siva), the executive heads of the three modes of material nature (passion, goodness and ignorance), are all generated from Garbhodakasayi Vishnu, who is described herein by Brahma. From the Kshirodakasayi Vishnu, many Vishnu incarnations expand at different ages in the duration of the cosmic manifestation. They are expanded only for the transcendental happiness of the pure devotees. The incarnations of Vishnu, who appear at different ages and times, are never to be compared to the conditioned souls. The vishnu-tattvas are not to be compared to deities like Brahma and Siva, nor are they on the same level. Anyone who compares them is called a pashandi, or infidel. Tamasah, mentioned herein, is the material nature, and the spiritual nature has a completely separate existence from tamah. Therefore, spiritual nature is called avabodha-rasa, or avarodha-rasa. Avarodha means "that which completely nullifies." In the Transcendence there is no chance of material contact by any means. Brahma is the first living being, and therefore he mentions his birth from the lotus flower generated from the abdomen of Garbhodakasayi Vishnu.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness