Brahmā, the first of the gods, he came to be, the maker of the universe, the protector of the world. May that god grant me peace.

An invocation to Brahmā, the creator, as the prathama (first) among the devas. He is viśvasya kartā (maker of the universe) and bhuvanasya goptā (protector of the world). In our yoga practice, this prayer recognizes cosmic functions: creation, preservation, dissolution. Brahmā represents the emergence of multiplicity from unity. The śānti (peace) requested is not absence of conflict but harmony of all functions in their source. Even the creator of the universe depends on the higher Reality; this prayer is recognition of that dependence.