तत्सम्भव: कविरतोऽन्यदपश्यमान- स्त्वां बीजमात्मनि ततं स बहिर्विचिन्त्य । नाविन्ददब्दशतमप्सु निमज्जमानो जातेऽङ्कुरे कथमुहोपलभेत बीजम् ॥ ३४ ॥
tat-sambhavah kavir ato ’nyad apasyamanas tvam bijam atmani tatam sa bahir vicintya navindad abda-satam apsu nimajjamano jate ’nkure katham uhopalabheta bijam
- tat-sambhavah
- who was generated from that lotus flower
- kavih
- he who can understand the subtle cause of creation (Lord Brahma)
- atah
- from that (lotus)
- anyat
- anything else
- apasyamanah
- not able to see
- tvam
- Your Lordship
- bijam
- the cause of the lotus
- atmani
- in himself
- tatam
- expanded
- sah
- he (Lord Brahma)
- bahih vicintya
- considering to be external
- na
- not
- avindat
- understood (You)
- abda-satam
- for a hundred years according to the demigods*
- </a> apsu
- in the water
- nimajjamanah
- diving
- jate ankure
- when the seed fructifies and is manifested as a creeper
- katham
- how
- uha
- O my Lord
- upalabheta
- one can perceive
- bijam
- the seed that has already fructified
From that great lotus flower, Brahma was generated, but Brahma certainly could see nothing but the lotus. Therefore, thinking You to be outside, Lord Brahma dove into the water and attempted to find the source of the lotus for one hundred years. He could find no trace of You, however, for when a seed fructifies, the original seed cannot be seen.