Garbhodaka Ocean

Expressions researched:
"Garbha" |"Garbhoda Ocean" |"Garbhoda" |"Garbhodak" |"Garbhodaka Ocean" |"Garbhodaka"

SB Canto 2

SB 2.7.1, Purport:

Lord Brahmā said: When the unlimitedly powerful Lord assumed the form of a boar as a pastime, just to lift the planet earth, which was drowned in the great ocean of the universe called the Garbhodaka, the first demon (Hiraṇyākṣa) appeared, and the Lord pierced him with His tusk."

SB 2.7.1, Purport, Purport:

Since the beginning of creation, the demons and the demigods, or the Vaiṣṇavas, are always the two classes of living beings to dominate the planets of the universes. Lord Brahmā is the first demigod, and Hiraṇyākṣa is the first demon in this universe. Only under certain conditions do the planets float as weightless balls in the air, and as soon as these conditions are disturbed, the planets may fall down in the Garbhodaka Ocean, which covers half the universe. The other half is the spherical dome within which the innumerable planetary systems exist. The floating of the planets in the weightless air is due to the inner constitution of the globes, and the modernized drilling of the earth to exploit oil from within is a sort of disturbance by the modern demons and can result in a greatly harmful reaction to the floating condition of the earth. A similar disturbance was created formerly by the demons headed by Hiraṇyākṣa (the great exploiter of the gold rush), and the earth was detached from its weightless condition and fell down into the Garbhodaka Ocean. The Lord, as maintainer of the whole creation of the material world, therefore assumed the gigantic form of a boar with a proportionate snout and picked up the earth from within the water of Garbhodaka.

SB Canto 3

SB 3.13.15, Purport:

The great water mentioned in this connection is the Garbhodaka Ocean, which fills half of the universe.

SB 3.13.30, Purport:

The word rasāyām is sometimes interpreted to mean Rasātala, the lowest planetary system, but that is not applicable in this connection, according to Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura. The earth is seven times superior to the other planetary systems, namely Tala, Atala, Talātala, Vitala, Rasātala, Pātāla, etc. Therefore the earth cannot be situated in the Rasātala planetary system. It is described in the Viṣṇu-dharma:

pātāla-mūleśvara-bhoga-saṁhatau

vinyasya pādau pṛthivīṁ ca bibhrataḥ

yasyopamāno na babhūva so 'cyuto

mamāstu māṅgalya-vivṛddhaye hariḥ

Therefore the Lord found the earth on the bottom of the Garbhodaka Ocean, where the planets rest during the devastation at the end of Brahmā's day.

SB 3.19.31, Purport:

The Lord is spoken of herewith as the origin of the boar species. As stated in the Vedānta-sūtra (1.1.2), the Absolute Truth is the origin of everything. Therefore it is to be understood that all 8,400,000 species of bodily forms originate from the Lord, who is always ādi, or the beginning. In Bhagavad-gītā Arjuna addresses the Lord as ādyam, or the original. Similarly, in the Brahma-saṁhitā the Lord is addressed as ādi-puruṣam, the original person. Indeed, in Bhagavad-gītā (10.8) the Lord Himself declares, mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate: "From Me everything proceeds."

In this situation the Lord assumed the shape of a boar to kill the demon Hiraṇyākṣa and pick up the earth from the Garbha Ocean. Thus He became ādi-sūkara, the original boar.

SB 3.20.17, Purport:

When that Supreme Personality of Godhead who is lying on the Garbhodaka Ocean entered the heart of Brahmā, Brahmā brought his intelligence to bear, and with the intelligence invoked he began to create the universe as it was before."

SB 3.28.23, Purport:

Brahmā is the appointed lord of the universe. Because his father is Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, is automatically his mother. Lakṣmījī is worshiped by all demigods and by the inhabitants of other planets as well. Human beings are also eager to receive favor from the goddess of fortune. Lakṣmī is always engaged in massaging the legs and thighs of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Nārāyaṇa, who is lying on the ocean of Garbha within the universe. Brahmā is described here as the son of the goddess of fortune, but actually he was not born of her womb. Brahmā takes his birth from the abdomen of the Lord Himself. A lotus flower grows from the abdomen of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, and Brahmā is born there.

SB 3.32.4, Purport:

There are two kinds of dissolutions. One dissolution takes place at the end of the life of Brahmā. At that time all the planetary systems, including the heavenly systems, are dissolved in water and enter into the body of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, who lies on the Garbhodaka Ocean on the bed of serpents, called Śeṣa. In the other dissolution, which occurs at the end of Brahmā's day, all the lower planetary systems are destroyed. When Lord Brahmā rises after his night, these lower planetary systems are again created.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.17.27, Purport:

The earth informed King Pṛthu that if he destroyed her, he and his subjects would all fall down into the waters of the garbha ocean. King Pṛthu now replies to that point. Although the earth assumed the shape of a cow by her mystic powers in order to be saved from being killed by the King, the King was aware of this fact and would not hesitate to cut her to pieces, just like small bits of grain.

SB 4.17.34, Purport:

This refers to the time when Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared as the supreme boar, Varāha, and rescued the earth, which had been merged in water. The asura Hiraṇyākṣa had dislocated the earth from its orbit and thrown it beneath the waters of the Garbhodaka Ocean. Then the Lord, in the shape of the original boar, rescued the earth.

SB 4.24.34, Purport:

The Lord as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu lies in the ocean of Garbha within this universe, and from His navel the lotus flower sprouts. Lord Brahmā is generated from that lotus flower, and from Lord Brahmā the creation of this material world begins. As such, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, is the origin of the material senses and sense objects.

SB Canto 5

SB 5.18.39, Purport:

My Lord, as the original boar within this universe, You fought and killed the great demon Hiraṇyakṣa. Then You lifted me (the earth) from the Garbhodaka Ocean on the end of Your tusk, exactly as a sporting elephant plucks a lotus flower from the water. I bow down before You."

SB 5.23.9, Purport:

Summarizing the entire description of the planetary systems of the universe, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that one who is able to meditate upon this arrangement as the virāṭ-rūpa, or viśva-rūpa, the external body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and worship Him three times a day by meditation will always be free from all sinful reactions. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura estimates that Dhruvaloka, the polestar, is 3,800,000 yojanas above the sun. Above Dhruvaloka by 10,000,000 yojanas is Maharloka, above Maharloka by 20,000,000 yojanas is Janaloka, above Janaloka by 80,000,000 yojanas is Tapoloka, and above Tapoloka by 120,000,000 yojanas is Satyaloka. Thus the distance from the sun to Satyaloka is 233,800,000 yojanas, or 1,870,400,000 miles. The Vaikuṇṭha planets begin 26,200,000 yojanas (209,600,000 miles) above Satyaloka. Thus the Viṣṇu Purāṇa describes that the covering of the universe is 260,000,000 yojanas (2,080,000,000 miles) away from the sun. The distance from the sun to the earth is 100,000 yojanas, and below the earth by 70,000 yojanas are the seven lower planetary systems called Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talātala, Mahātala, Rasātala and Pātāla. Below these lower planets by 30,000 yojanas, Śeṣa Nāga is lying on the Garbhodaka Ocean. That ocean is 249,800,000 yojanas deep. Thus the total diameter of the universe is approximately 500,000,000 yojanas, or 4,000,000,000 miles.

SB 5.25.10, Purport:

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has translated this verse as follows. "The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the cause of all causes. It is by His will that gross and subtle ingredients interact. He appears in various incarnations just to please the hearts of His pure devotees." For example, the Supreme Lord appeared in the transcendental incarnation of Lord Varāha (the boar) just to please His devotees by lifting the planet earth from the Garbhodaka Ocean.

SB 5.26.1, Purport:

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains that the different hellish planets within this universe are held slightly above the Garbhodaka Ocean and remain situated there. This chapter describes how all sinful persons go to these hellish planets and how they are punished there by the assistants of Yamarāja. Different individuals with different bodily features enjoy or suffer various reactions according to their past deeds.

SB 5.26.5, Purport:

The great sage Śukadeva Gosvāmī answered: All the hellish planets are situated in the intermediate space between the three worlds and the Garbhodaka Ocean. They lie on the southern side of the universe, beneath Bhū-maṇḍala, and slightly above the water of the Garbhodaka Ocean. Pitṛloka is also located in this region between the Garbhodaka Ocean and the lower planetary systems. All the residents of Pitṛloka, headed by Agniṣvāttā, meditate in great samādhi on the Supreme Personality of Godhead and always wish their families well."

As previously explained, below our planetary system are seven lower planetary systems, the lowest of which is called Pātālaloka. Beneath Pātālaloka are other planets, known as Narakaloka, or the hellish planets. At the bottom of the universe lies the Garbhodaka Ocean. Therefore the hellish planets lie between Pātālaloka and the Garbhodaka Ocean.

SB 5.26.6, Purport:

Yamarāja is not a fictitious or mythological character; he has his own abode, Pitṛloka, of which he is king. Agnostics may not believe in hell, but Śukadeva Gosvāmī affirms the existence of the Naraka planets, which lie between the Garbhodaka Ocean and Pātālaloka. Yamarāja is appointed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to see that the human beings do not violate His rules and regulations.

SB Canto 7

SB 7.1.41, Purport:

Appearing as Nṛsiṁhadeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Hari, killed Hiraṇyakaśipu. When the Lord delivered the planet earth, which had fallen in the Garbhodaka Ocean, Hiraṇyākṣa tried to hinder Him, and then the Lord, as Varāha, killed Hiraṇyākṣa."

SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)

SB 12.12.10, Purport:

Other topics include the subtle and gross movements of time, the generation of the lotus from the navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, and the killing of the demon Hiraṇyākṣa when the earth was delivered from the Garbhodaka Ocean."

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 1.7, Purport:

May Śrī Nityānanda Rāma be the object of my constant remembrance. Saṅkarṣaṇa, Śeṣa Nāga and the Viṣṇus who lie on the Kāraṇa Ocean, Garbha Ocean and ocean of milk are His plenary portions and the portions of His plenary portions."

CC Adi 2.30, Purport:

When Brahmā saw this mystic power of Lord Kṛṣṇa's, he admitted defeat and offered prayers to the Lord, addressing Him as the proprietor and seer of everything in the creation and as the Supersoul who is within each and every living entity and is dear to all. That Lord Kṛṣṇa is Nārāyaṇa, the father of Brahmā, because Lord Kṛṣṇa's plenary expansion Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, after placing Himself on the Garbha Ocean, created Brahmā from His own body. Mahā-Viṣṇu in the Causal Ocean and Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, the Supersoul in everyone's heart, are also transcendental expansions of the Supreme Truth.

CC Adi 5.7, Purport:

May Śrī Nityānanda Rāma be the object of my constant remembrance. Saṅkarṣaṇa, Śeṣa Nāga and the Viṣṇus who lie on the Kāraṇa Ocean, Garbha Ocean and ocean of milk are His plenary portions and the portions of His plenary portions."

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 6.99, Purport:

Thus the Lord's incarnations were enumerated, including Matsya, the fish incarnation; Kūrma, the tortoise; Lord Rāmacandra; Nṛsiṁhadeva; Vāmanadeva; and Varāha, the boar incarnation. Thus there are innumerable līlā-avatāras, and all of these exhibit wonderful pastimes. Lord Varāha, the boar incarnation, lifted the entire planet earth from the depths of the Garbhodaka Ocean. The tortoise incarnation, Lord Kūrma, became a pivot for the emulsification of the whole sea, and Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva appeared as half-man, half-lion. These are some of the wonderful and uncommon features of līlā-avatāras.

CC Madhya 25.36, Purport:

This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.9.3). This verse was spoken by Lord Brahmā, who perfectly realized the Supreme Personality of Godhead after meditating upon the Lord within the water of the Garbhodaka Ocean. Brahmā realized that the form of the Lord is completely spiritual. This is certainly a better understanding of the Absolute Truth than the impersonal understanding.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.15.38 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1973:

You can manufacture a toy sputnik to fly in the sky, to float in the sky, by so many mechanical arrangements. As soon as the machine is gone out, immediately falls down. But just see what machine is there, millions and trillions of airplanes, big, big planet with big, big mountains, oceans, they are floating. So that is His intelligence. Your intelligence may be that you can also float a big airplane. But what is that big airplane in comparison to this big, big planet? It is nothing. There is also petrol stock, and in the airplane there is also petrol stock. Perhaps it is floating by petrol, and you are taking out all the petrols. One day it will fall down. Yes. You are disturbing God's arrangement. Just like we had the history of Lord Varāha's lifting this planet, earth planet, from the Garbhodaka Ocean. So any time it can fall down. But it is being floated by the supreme power. Otherwise by calculation how such a big planet can float just like a cotton swab? Yes, it is floating. Not only one, millions.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Calcutta, March 5, 1972:

So brahmādayaḥ, everyone, everyone is servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa. Īśvara means controller, order giver, that is one. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). All others, they are... (break) ...it is said, śiva-viriñci-nutaṁ śaraṇyam bhṛtyārti-ham, vande mahā-puruṣa te caraṇāravindam (SB 11.5.33). Śiva-viriñci-nutaṁ. Brahma, viriñci means Brahma and śivaḥ means Lord Siva. They also offer obeisances unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. That is Ṛg Veda mantra, that Viṣṇu is paraṁ padam, supreme. And Viṣṇu is partial expansion of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Mahā-Viṣṇu, not ordinary Viṣṇu. There are different types of Viṣṇu also. Mahā-Viṣṇu, from Mahā-Viṣṇu there is Garbhodak... Mahā-Viṣṇu is called Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. And this Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu enters in every universe as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. And this Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu again expands as Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. These are viṣṇu-tattvas. But this original Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is plenary expansion of Kṛṣṇa.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.7 -- Mayapur, March 31, 1975:

That is Kāraṇa-toya-śāyī, kāraṇa-udaka, Causal Ocean. That is beginning of creation. Then all the universes, they gradually develop into gigantic form. In the originally, it is coming out. We cannot understand. Sometimes we become surprised that "How such innumerable universes are being created by a person?" So, the universe is not so big in the beginning. Just like our, this body is not so big in the beginning of our body within the womb of our mother. It is not so big. It is very small, minute, and then it becomes just like a pea, and gradually the body develops. The same process is applicable to the universes. In the beginning, they are coming out of the breathing of Kāraṇa-toya-śāyī Viṣṇu, and then gradually they are developed bṛhannatvāt, bṛhatvāt. It increases gradually. That Kāraṇa-toya-śāyī Viṣṇu is also Saṅkarṣaṇa. And then Garbhodakaśāyī. The universes are created. Then, when they develop, then same Viṣṇu, Mahā-Viṣṇu, enters into each universe, and He creates an ocean. That is called Garbhoda Ocean. And He lies down there on Śeṣa-Nāga, And then, from the navel, the lotus flower sprouts, and then Lord Brahmā is created. Then, after many years tapasya, tapo, he understands how to create. In this way the whole creation of universes takes place. Garbhodakaśāyī. And after creation of this universe, then same Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī, within this universe He creates His own Vaikuṇṭha where there is an ocean of milk. There are different kinds of oceans, we learn from śāstra. We have got experience of the salted ocean, but there are many other oceans, just like milk ocean and ghee ocean, oil ocean and yogurt ocean. There are. We get this information from the śāstra.

Festival Lectures

Varaha-dvadasi, Lord Varaha's Appearance Day Lecture Dasavatara-stotra Purport -- Los Angeles, February 18, 1970:

Prabhupāda: ...lifted the world when it was submerged within the water of Garbhodaka Ocean. The universe which we are seeing, it is only half. The other half is filled with water, and in that water is Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu lying. So one demon, Hiraṇyākṣa, he pushed this earthly planet within that water, and Lord Kṛṣṇa delivered this earthly planet from water in the shape of a boar. So that auspicious day is today, Varāha-dvadaśī. This is called Varāha-dvadasi. So on this day it is better to sing, to glorify the different incarnations of Lord within this universe. The first incarnation is the fish form.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Showing of Planetary Sketches -- June 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhakti-Prema: ...has come right from the ocean, from the bottom of the ocean.

Prabhupāda: So explained there. Then this question is solved.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. The whole Bhū-maṇḍala fell.

Bhakti-Prema: So the universe is round, and from bottom of the Garbhodaka ocean to top of Satyaloka there is four billion miles. Then the again, from east to west again is another four billion miles. Because Bhū-maṇḍala is situated in between the earth.

Prabhupāda: Explain. He'll explain.

Yaśodānandana: (background talking)

Bhakti-Prema: (background talking)

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Mohanananda -- Delhi 6 December, 1971:

Regarding your question on the creation, Mahavisnu is lying in the causal ocean and while He is breathing the universes are coming out like small seeds. And when they come into contact with the causal ocean they develop. Then the same Mahavisnu enters into each universe and again he lies down in the Garbha Ocean within each universe. From this Garbha ocean lying down, a lotus stem grows from His navel and Lord Brahma is born. Brahma creates all other things. Lord Siva is born from Brahma and He is reserved for dissolving everything. These things are all described in the 2nd Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam.