Srimad Bhagavatam. Canto 6: Prescribed Duties for Mankind

Chapter 4: The Hamsa-guhya Prayers. Text 49-50

स वै यदा महादेवो मम वीर्योपबृंहितः ।
मेने खिलमिवात्मानमुद्यतः स्वर्गकर्मणि ॥४९॥
अथ मेऽभिहितो देवस्तपोऽतप्यत दारुणम् ।
नव विश्वसृजो युष्मान् येनादावसृजद् विभुः ॥५०॥

sa vai yadÄ mahÄdevo
mama vÄ«ryopabá¹›á¹hitaḥ
mene khilam ivÄtmÄnam
udyataḥ svarga-karmaṇi
atha me 'bhihito devas
tapo 'tapyata dÄruṇam
nava viÅ›va-sá¹›jo yuá¹£mÄn
yenÄdÄv asá¹›jad vibhuḥ

 saḥ - that Lord BrahmÄ; vai - indeed; yadÄ - when; mahÄ-devaḥ - the chief of all the demigods; mama - My; vÄ«rya-upabá¹›á¹hitaḥ - being increased by the potency; mene - thought; khilam - incapable; iva - as if; ÄtmÄnam - himself; udyataḥ - attempting; svarga-karmaṇi - in the creation of the universal affairs; atha - at that time; me - by Me; abhihitaḥ - advised; devaḥ - that Lord BrahmÄ; tapaḥ - austerity; atapyata - performed; dÄruṇam - extremely difficult; nava - nine; viÅ›va-sá¹›jaḥ - important personalities to create the universe; yuá¹£mÄn - all of you; yena - by whom; Ädau - in the beginning; asá¹›jat - created; vibhuḥ - the great.


Text

When the chief lord of the universe, Lord BrahmÄ [SvayambhÅ«], having been inspired by My energy, was attempting to create, he thought himself incapable. Therefore I gave him advice, and in accordance with My instructions he underwent extremely difficult austerities. Because of these austerities, the great Lord BrahmÄ was able to create nine personalities, including you, to help him in the functions of creation.

Purport

Nothing is possible without tapasya. Lord BrahmÄ, however, was empowered to create this entire universe because of his austerities. The more we engage in austerities, the more we become powerful by the grace of the Lord. Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva advised His sons, tapo divyaá¹ putrakÄ yena sattvaá¹ Å›uddhyed: “One should engage in penance and austerity to attain the divine position of devotional service. By such activity, one’s heart is purified.†(BhÄg. 5.5.1) In our material existence we are impure, and therefore we cannot do anything wonderful, but if we purify our existence by tapasya, we can do wonderful things by the grace of the Lord. Therefore tapasya is very important, as stressed in this verse.