By the grace of the Lord, Brahma was able to fulfill his mission, as he begot four sons: Sanaka, Sanat-Kumara, Sanandana, and Sanatana. Because these four Kumaras embody the knowledge of the Supreme Lord, they taught this spiritual knowledge so explicitly that all sages were able to assimilate it without the slightest difficulty. By following in the footsteps of the four Kumaras, the individual can immediately realize the presence of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, within his heart. The Lord first appeared at the beginning of creation in the form of the four Kumaras, sons of Brahma, the demiurge, the first created being empowered by God to govern the universe. Bound by a vow of strict celibacy, they undertook severe austerities to realize the Absolute Truth. The material universe (the material galaxy) is created, maintained, and then annihilated at regular intervals. And these various creations bear different names, according to the different Brahmas who administer them, each being the father of all the beings in the creation he governs. The Kumaras, mentioned in our verse, who belong to the empowered Avatars, appeared in the Kumara creation; to show us the path to the realization of the Spiritual Being, they submitted to a very severe discipline, accompanied by strict continence. But before submitting to this, all became qualified wise scholars. This allows us to understand that before embarking on the path of realizing the Spiritual Being, one must acquire in a concrete way the qualities of holiness, of the wise scholar, which one does not possess only by being born into a family of wise scholars.
Words of Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to the four Kumara brothers, Jaya and Vijaya.
The four sage Kumaras are masters of devotional service.
Because they disregarded Me, My two servants, Jaya and Vijaya, committed a grave offense against you.
O illustrious sages, you who are devoted to Me, I approve of the sentence you have pronounced against them.
In My eyes, learned sages represent the highest and dearest of all beings. Indeed, I am the originator of the disrespect shown to you since these guardians are My servants. I consider Myself the author of the offense committed, and therefore ask you to grant Me forgiveness for this incident.
Just as a white leprous spot on any part of the body defiles the entire body, any fault committed by a servant brings blame upon his master. Any man in this world, even a candala, a man who feeds on the flesh of dogs, becomes immediately purified if he bathes himself in hearing the glories of My Name, My Fame, and everything related to My Person. You have now realized Me beyond doubt, so I would not hesitate to cut off My own arm if you judge it hostile toward you.