Origin of Gods - VI - Prajapati & Brahma

The four-headed Brahmä, the knower of the four Vedas, was manifested from that lotus.

The lotus flower that was the resting place of all living entities emerged from the purusa who had entered His hidden abode. Thereafter Hiranyagarbha Brahmä (Prajapati), the possessor of the collective bodily identification, manifested. After that, fourheaded Brahmä, the knower of the four Vedas, emerged as the embodiment of enjoyment from Hiranyagarbha. The four-headed Brahmä appeared from the lotus that came from the area of Visnu’s navel, and whose flower and stem are the resting place of the fourteen planetary systems. Here, “embodiment of enjoyment” means that Brahmä’s present four-headed body is a repository of material enjoyment, made according to the impressions of desires to enjoy the fruits of his actions from the previous creation. Because of his previous impressions, he desired to create the material world as soon as he appeared.

After manifesting from the lotus flower, Brahmä, who is empowered by Bhagavän’s potency, absorbed his mind in the subject of creation according to his previous impressions. However, he saw nothing but darkness in all four directions. Since he felt dense darkness, Brahmä glanced in four directions at once, and in so doing, he manifested four faces in the four directions.

At that time, when the cosmos had been dissolved and the vast waters were agitated into whirlpools by the force of the wind, Brahmä, was situated in the lotus flower that had emerged from the water. However, he could neither factually understand the situation of the world nor of his own self. Being seated on the upper surface of the lotus flower, he had a lot of questions, “Who am I? What is the origin of this unique lotus flower within the water? How did it appear? There must definitely be something below it, and this lotus flower must also be situated upon some supporting base”. So deliberating in this way, Brahmä entered the path formed by the hollow within the middle of the lotus stem. Still, despite approaching the base of the lotus stem, namely Näräyana’s navel, he was incapable of understanding anything, even after making extensive research. Retiring from his investigation with his ambition unfulfilled, Brahmä returned once more to his sitting place on top of the lotus flower. There he sat in a posture for meditation, and by controlling his breathing he gradually concentrated his consciousness by introspection.

In a nutshell, due to Brahmäs previous actions, he had a desire to create. Every living entity acquires a particular nature in accordance with his previous actions and, in accordance with his nature, different types of endeavors appeal to his heart. This is called the fruit of action performed in previous lives. In Brahmä’s heart was the desire to create just as he had done in the previous creation. Similarly, certain qualified living entities may also attain the position of Brahmä.

Sarasvati spoke to Brahmä as he was looking at the darkness in all directions. "O Brahmä! klim krsnaya govindäya gopijana-vallabhäya svähä. This mantra will fulfill your cherished desires." This is the eighteen syllable mantra that is the highest of all mantras.