Śrīmad Devi Bhāgavatam 1.4 Part 2

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Download the Śrīmad Devī Bhāgavatam Part 1, Skandhas 1-5: https://archive.org/details/srimaddevibhagavatampart1/page/n365 31-37. Sūta said: “Thus questioned by Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vedavyāsa, the high-souled Nārada Muni, well versed in the Vedas, became very glad and spoke thus: ‘O highly fortunate Parāśarā’s son, the question that you have asked me today was formerly asked by my father to Nārāyaṇa. At this, Nārāyaṇa Vāsudeva, the Deva of the Devas, the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer of the Universe, the husband of Lakṣmī, the four-armed, wearing yellow garment, holding conchshell, discus, club and with the mark Śrīvatsa (a mark or curl of hair on the heart of Viṣṇu) adorning His breast and decorated with Kaustuva gem, the Divinity Himself, became merged in great yoga; at this my Father became greatly surprised and said: ‘O Janārdana! Thou art the Deva of the Devas; the Lord of the Present, the Past and the Future, the Lord of this Universe; why art thou meditating in yoga? And what is it that Thou art meditating? O best of the Devas! Thou art the Lord of the entire Universe and yet Thou art now merged in deep meditation. At this I am greatly surprised. What more wonderful than this can happen? 38-43. O Lord of Ramā! I am sprung from the lotus from thy navel and have become the Lord of this whole universe; who is there in this universe that is superior to Thee; kindly reveal this to me. O Lord of the world? Thou art the Origin of all, the Cause of all causes, the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer and the capable Doer of all actions. O Mahārāja! at Thy will, I create this whole universe and Rudra destroys this world in due time. He is always under Thy command. O Lord! By Thy command the Sun roams in the sky; the wind blows in various auspicious or inauspicious ways and the fire is giving heat and the cloud showers rain. I don’t see in the three lokas anyone superior to Thee. Then whom art Thou meditating on? This is my main point of doubt. O One of good vows! I am Thy devotee; be merciful to me and speak this to me. There is almost nothing that is secret to Mahāpuruṣas; this is a well-known fact.’ 44-50. Thus hearing Brahmā’s words, Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa replied: ’O Brahmā! I now speak out my mind to you; listen carefully. Though the Devas, Dānavas and men and all the lokas know that You are the Creator, I am the Preserver and Rudra is the Destroyer, yet it is to be known that the saints, versed in the Vedas, have come to this conclusion by inference from the Vedas that the creation, preservation, and destruction are performed by the creative force, preservative force and destructive force respectively. The rājasik creative force residing in you, the sāttvik preservative force residing in me, and the tāmasik destructive force residing in Rudra are the all-in-all. When these Śaktis become absent, you become inert and incapable to create, I to preserve and Rudra to destroy. O intelligent Suvrata! We all are always under that Force directly or indirectly; hear instances that you can see and infer. At the time of pralaya, I lie down on the bed of Ananta, subservient to that Force; again I wake up in the time of creation duly under the influence of Time. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gnowly/message