पौरुषेणैव यत्नेन सहसाऽम्भोरुहास्पदम् । कश्चिदेव चिदुल्लासो ब्रह्मतामधितिष्ठति ॥ १४ ॥
pauruṣēṇaiva yatnēna sahasā’mbhōruhāspadam | kaścidēva cidullāsō brahmatāmadhitiṣṭhati || 14 ||
Translation
By effort alone, by striving, a certain flowering of consciousness quickly comes to the lotus seat and abides as Brahmā.
Word by word
- pauruṣēṇa
- by effort
- ēva
- alone; indeed
- yatnēna
- by striving
- sahasā
- quickly
- ambhōruha
- lotus
- āspadam
- to the seat
- kaścid
- (kaścit) a certain
- cid
- (cit) of consciousness
- ullāsō
- (ullāsaḥ) flowering
- brahmatām
- as Brahmā
- adhitiṣṭhati
- abides
Meaning
Brahmā too, the creator on the lotus, holds his place by effort. He is called a "flowering of consciousness" (cid-ullāsa). The commentary: consciousness shines most fully where purity (sattva) is greatest; Brahmā's is greatest, and so his consciousness is highest; and in an earlier age he too was an ordinary being who rose by austerity. The creator himself began as a seeker.