यथा कृतस्ते सङ्कल्पो भाव्यं तेनैव नान्यथा ।
सत्सङ्कल्पस्य ते ब्रह्मन्यद्वै ध्यायति ते वयम् ॥३०॥
devÄ Å«cuḥ
yathÄ ká¹›tas te saá¹…kalpo
bhÄvyaá¹ tenaiva nÄnyathÄ
sat-saá¹…kalpasya te brahman
yad vai dhyÄyati te vayam
devÄḥ Å«cuḥ - the demigods replied; yathÄ - as; ká¹›taḥ - done; te - by you; saá¹…kalpaḥ - determination; bhÄvyam - to be done; tena eva - by that; na anyathÄ - not otherwise; sat-saá¹…kalpasya - one whose determination is never lost; te - of you; brahman - O dear brÄhmaṇa; yat - that which; vai - certainly; dhyÄyati - meditating; te - all of them; vayam - we are.
The three deities told Atri Muni: Dear brÄhmaṇa, you are perfect in your determination, and therefore as you have decided, so it will happen; it will not happen otherwise. We are all the same person upon whom you were meditating, and therefore we have all come to you.
Atri Muni unspecifically thought of the Personality of Godhead, the Lord of the universe, although he had no clear idea of the Lord of the universe nor of His specific form. MahÄ-Viṣṇu, from whose breathing millions of universes emanate and into whom they are again withdrawn, may be accepted as the Lord of the universe. GarbhodakaÅ›ÄyÄ« Viṣṇu, from whose abdomen sprouted the lotus flower which is the birthplace of BrahmÄ, may also be considered the Lord of the universe. Similarly, KṣīrodakaÅ›ÄyÄ« Viṣṇu, who is the Supersoul of all living entities, may also be considered the Lord of the universe. Then, under the order of KṣīrodakaÅ›ÄyÄ« Viṣṇu, the Viṣṇu form within this universe, Lord BrahmÄ and Lord Åšiva may also be accepted as the Lords of the universe.
Viṣṇu is the Lord of the universe because He is its maintainer. Similarly, BrahmÄ creates the different planetary systems and the population, so he also may be considered the Lord of the universe. Or Lord Åšiva, who is ultimately the destroyer of the universe, also may be considered its Lord. Therefore, since Atri Muni did not specifically mention whom he wanted, all three — BrahmÄ, Viṣṇu and Lord Åšiva — came before him. They said, “Since you were thinking of having a son exactly like the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord of the universe, your determination will be fulfilled.†In other words, one’s determination is fulfilled according to the strength of one’s devotion. As stated in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (9.25): yÄnti deva-vratÄ devÄn pitá¹n yÄnti pitá¹›-vratÄḥ. If one is attached to a particular demigod, one is promoted to the abode of that demigod; if one is attached to the PitÄs, or forefathers, one is promoted to their planet; and similarly if one is attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, one is promoted to the abode of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Atri Muni had no clear conception of the Lord of the universe; therefore the three presiding deities who are actually the lords of the universe in the three departments of the modes of nature all came before him. Now, according to the strength of his determination for a son, his desire would be fulfilled by the grace of the Lord.
