Canto 5: The Creative ImpetusChapter 2: The Activities of Mahārāja Āgnīdhra

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 5.2.3

tad upalabhya bhagavān ādi-puruṣaḥ sadasi gāyantīḿ pūrvacittiḿ nāmāpsarasam abhiyāpayām āsa

SYNONYMS

tat — that; upalabhya — understanding; bhagavān — the most powerful; ādi-puruṣaḥ — the first created being within this universe; sadasiin his assembly; gāyantīm — dancing girl; pūrvacittim — Pūrvacitti; nāma — named; apsarasam — the heavenly dancing girl; abhiyāpayām āsa — sent down.

TRANSLATION

Understanding King Āgnīdhra's desire, the first and most powerful created being of this universe, Lord Brahmā, selected the best of the dancing girls in his assembly, whose name was Pūrvacitti, and sent her to the King.

PURPORT

In this verse, the words bhagavān ādi-puruṣaḥ are significant. Bhagavān ādi-puruṣaḥ is Lord Kṛṣṇa. Govindam ādi-puruṣaḿ tam ahaḿ bhajāmi **. Lord Kṛṣṇa is the original person. In Bhagavad-gītā, He is also addressed by Arjuna as puruṣam ādyam, the original person, and He is called Bhagavān. In this verse, however, we see that Lord Brahmā is described as bhagavān ādi-puruṣaḥ. The reason he is called bhagavān is that he fully represents the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is the first-born creature in this universe. Lord Brahmā could understand Mahārāja Āgnīdhra's desire because he is as powerful as Lord Viṣṇu. As Lord Viṣṇu, situated as Paramātmā, can understand the desire of the living entity, so Lord Brahmā can also understand the living entity's desire, for Viṣṇu, as a via medium, informs him. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.1.1), tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye: Lord Viṣṇu informs Lord Brahmā of everything from within his heart. Because Mahārāja Āgnīdhra specifically worshiped Lord Brahmā, Lord Brahmā was pleased, and he sent Pūrvacitti, the Apsarā, to satisfy him.

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