SB 8.5.19-20
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXTS 19-20
- sa vilokyendra-vāyv-ādīn
- niḥsattvān vigata-prabhān
- lokān amaṅgala-prāyān
- asurān ayathā vibhuḥ
- samāhitena manasā
- saṁsmaran puruṣaṁ param
- uvācotphulla-vadano
- devān sa bhagavān paraḥ
SYNONYMS
saḥ — Lord Brahmā; vilokya — looking over; indra-vāyu-ādīn — all the demigods, headed by Lord Indra and Vāyu; niḥsattvān — bereft of all spiritual potency; vigata-prabhān — bereft of all effulgence; lokān — all the three worlds; amaṅgala-prāyān — merged into misfortune; asurān — all the demons; ayathāḥ — flourishing; vibhuḥ — Lord Brahmā, the supreme within this material world; samāhitena — by full adjustment; manasā — of the mind; saṁsmaran — remembering again and again; puruṣam — the Supreme Person; param — transcendental; uvāca — said; utphulla-vadanaḥ — bright-faced; devān — unto the demigods; saḥ — he; bhagavān — the most powerful; paraḥ — of the demigods.
TRANSLATION
Upon seeing that the demigods were bereft of all influence and strength and that the three worlds were consequently devoid of auspiciousness, and upon seeing that the demigods were in an awkward position whereas all the demons were flourishing, Lord Brahmā, who is above all the demigods and who is most powerful, concentrated his mind on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus being encouraged, he became bright-faced and spoke to the demigods as follows.
PURPORT
After hearing from the demigods the real situation, Lord Brahmā was very much concerned because the demons were unnecessarily so powerful. When demons become powerful, the entire world is placed in an awkward position because demons are simply interested in their own sense gratification and not in the welfare of the world. Demigods or devotees, however, are concerned with the welfare of all living beings. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, for example, left his ministership and went to Vṛndāvana for the benefit of the entire world (lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau). This is the nature of a saintly person or demigod. Even impersonalists think of the welfare of all people. Thus Brahmā was very much concerned at seeing the demons in power.