Author: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Publisher: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 144
Lord Brahma had a direct vision of Krishna and composed a profound prayer reflecting his realizations—a unique tribute from one who has witnessed divine truth firsthand. In this revelation, Krishna displayed His divine form to Brahma, along with the spiritual realms, His devotees, and their relationships with Him. Awestruck by the transcendental vision, Brahma offered words of praise that illuminate Krishna’s glory and the structure of cosmic creation. Through Brahma’s insight, readers are invited to follow his path of reverence and understanding to approach Krishna and experience His presence personally. This book is a collection of prayers from the 5th chapter of the Sri Brahma Samhita. Of the 100 chapters in the Brahma Samhita, only the 5th chapter was revealed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu during his pastimes in the 15th century.
This commentary on Sri Brahma-samhita was authored by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, the spiritual master of ISKCON Founder-Acarya Srila Prabhupada, who helped to widely propagate Krishna consciousness across India in the early twentieth century.
In his purport to Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 239-240, Srila Prabhupada shares the following insights about the Brahma-samhita:
"The Brahma-samhita is a very important scripture. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu acquired the Fifth Chapter from the Adi-keshava temple. In that Fifth Chapter, the philosophical conclusion of achintya-bhedabheda-tattva (simultaneous oneness and difference) is presented.
The chapter also presents methods of devotional service, the eighteen-syllable Vedic hymn, discourses on the soul, the Supersoul and fruitive activity, an explanation of Kama-gayatri, kama-bija and the original Maha-Vishnu, and a detailed description of the spiritual world, specifically Goloka Vrindavana.
The Brahma-samhita also explains the demigod Ganesha, Garbhodakashayi Vishnu, the origin of the Gayatri mantra, the form of Govinda and His transcendental position and abode, the living entities, the highest goal, the goddess Durga, the meaning of austerity, the five gross elements, love of Godhead, impersonal Brahman, the initiation of Lord Brahma, and the vision of transcendental love enabling one to see the Lord. The steps of devotional service are also explained.
The mind, yoga-nidra, the goddess of fortune, devotional service in spontaneous ecstasy, incarnations beginning with Lord Ramacandra, Deities, the conditioned soul and its duties, the truth about Lord Vishnu prayers, Vedic hymns, Lord Siva, the Vedic literature, personalism and impersonalism, good behavior, and many other subjects are also discussed. There is also a description of the sun and the universal form of the Lord. All these subjects are conclusively explained in a nutshell in the Brahma-samhita."
