—json {

  "name":"SB 3.12.18",
  "h1":"SB 3.12.18",
  "label":"Text 18",
  "title":"Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.12.18",
  "description":"My dear son, you had better situate yourself in penance, which is auspicious for all living entities and which will bring all benediction upon you. By penance only shall you be able to create the universe as it was before."

} —

SB 3.12.18

तप आतिष्ठ भद्रं ते सर्वभूतसुखावहम् ।
तपसैव यथा पूर्वं स्रष्टा विश्वमिदं भवान् ॥१८॥

Text

tapa ātiṣṭha bhadraṁ te
sarva-bhūta-sukhāvaham
tapasaiva yathā pūrvaṁ
sraṣṭā viśvam idaṁ bhavān

Synonyms

tapaḥ—penance; ātiṣṭha—be situated; bhadram—auspicious; te—unto you; sarva—all; bhūta—living entities; sukha-āvaham—bringing happiness; tapasā—by penance; eva—only; yathā—as much as; pūrvam—before; sraṣṭā—will create; viśvam—the universe; idam—this; bhavān—yourself.

Translation

My dear son, you had better situate yourself in penance, which is auspicious for all living entities and which will bring all benediction upon you. By penance only shall you be able to create the universe as it was before.

Purport

In the creation, maintenance and dissolution of the cosmic manifestation, the three deities Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara, or Śiva, are respectively in charge. Rudra was advised not to destroy while the period of creation and maintenance was going on, but to situate himself in penance and wait for the time of dissolution, when his services would be called for.