SB 3.8.18
Devanāgarī
क एष योऽसावहमब्जपृष्ठ एतत्कुतो वाब्जमनन्यदप्सु । अस्ति ह्यधस्तादिह किञ्चनैत- दधिष्ठितं यत्र सता नु भाव्यम् ॥ १८ ॥
Text
ka eṣa yo ’sāv aham abja-pṛṣṭha etat kuto vābjam ananyad apsu asti hy adhastād iha kiñcanaitad adhiṣṭhitaṁ yatra satā nu bhāvyam
Synonyms
kaḥ—who;eṣaḥ—this;yaḥasauaham—that I am;abja-pṛṣṭhe—on top of the lotus;etat—this;kutaḥ—wherefrom;vā—either;abjam—lotus flower;ananyat—otherwise;apsu—in the water;asti—there is;hi—certainly;adhastāt—from below;iha—in this;kiñcana—anything;etat—this;adhiṣṭhitam—situated;yatra—wherein;satā—automatically;nu—or not;bhāvyam—must be.
Translation
Lord Brahmā, in his ignorance, contemplated: Who am I that am situated on the top of this lotus? Wherefrom has it sprouted? There must be something downwards, and that from which this lotus has grown must be within the water.