Received the Veda in his heart from the Lord
He is the Adi-kavi into whose heart the Lord imparted brahma: 'tene brahma hrda ya adi-kavaye' (SB 1.1.1).
Deity
Brahma
ब्रह्मा
Also known as विरिञ्चि · धाता · आत्मयोनिः · वेदगर्भः · प्रपितामहः · Svayambhu · Aja (the unborn) · Abja-sambhuta (lotus-born)
Brahma is the first god of the Hindu trimurti — the creator — forming the cosmic triad with Vishnu (preservation) and Shiva (dissolution); tradition derives his birth from the lotus springing from Vishnu's navel. In the processed verses he is the Adi-kavi, the first sage, into whose heart the Supreme Lord directly imparted the Vedic wisdom: 'tene brahma hrda ya adi-kavaye' (SB 1.1.1). In SB 1.2.23, within the one supreme Purusha's governance of prakriti's modes, he bears the designation Virinci, associated with the function of creation. At SB 1.1.22 the Creator (dhata) — understood as Brahma — is said to have appointed Suta as helmsman for the sages crossing the ocean of Kali (STRONG_CONTEXT reading).
Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa 1.1.1 — Sanskrit Wikisource (pinned oldid=110172)
Teacher
Father
Narada
Sage
Brahma is the teacher of Narada. Source evidence (SB 2.4.25): Brahma declared to Narada, when he asked, that very thing which Hari Himself had told him: 'etad evatmabhu rajan naradaya viprichchhate veda-garbho 'bhyadhat sakshad yad aha harir atmanah' (SB 2.4.25). Direction: teacher -> disciple. Evidence: EXPLICIT. Additional source (SB 2.7.51): Brahma is the teacher of Narada. Source evidence (SB 2.7.51): Brahma, having told Narada the whole matter, commanded him to expand it: 'idam bhagavatam nama yan me bhagavatoditam, sangraho 'yam vibhutinam tvam etad vipuli-kuru' (SB 2.7.51). Direction: teacher -> disciple. Evidence: EXPLICIT.
Brahma is the father of Narada. Source evidence (SB 2.9.40): Narada is Brahma's son and dearest of his heirs: 'tam naradah priyatamo rikthadanam anuvratah' (SB 2.9.40); and Brahma, well pleased, told the Bhagavata 'to his son' (SB 2.9.43). Direction: son -> father. Evidence: EXPLICIT.
Father Shiva DeityBrahma is the father of Shiva. Source evidence (SB 3.12.7): At SB 3.12.7 the anger of the Prajapati Brahma was born from between his brows as Kumara Nila-lohita, who is Shiva.
Father Sanaka SageBrahma is the father of Sanaka. Source evidence (SB 3.12.4): At SB 3.12.4 Atma-bhu, Brahma, created Sanaka and the other sages: 'sanakaM cha sanandaM cha sanAtanam athAtmabhUH'.
Father Marichi SageBrahma is the father of Marichi. Source evidence (SB 3.12.22): At SB 3.12.22 Marichi is listed first among the ten sons of Brahma, and at SB 3.12.24 'marIchir manaso abhavat' — Marichi came from the mind.
Student Krishna DeityBrahma is the student of Krishna. Source evidence (SB 1.1.1): The Supreme Lord imparted the Veda (brahma) into the heart of the first sage. Sanskrit: 'tene brahma hrda ya adi-kavaye' (SB 1.1.1) - subject 'ya' (the Lord, verb 'tene'), dative 'adi-kavaye' = recipient (Adi-kavi, i.e. Brahma). Evidence: EXPLICIT (recipient named by epithet; Adi-kavi = Brahma is the universal traditional reading). Direction verified: Lord -> Brahma. Additional source (SB 2.2.32): Brahma is the student of Krishna. Source evidence (SB 2.2.32): The Lord Vasudeva, worshipped and well pleased, declared these two eternal paths to Brahma of old: 'ye vai pura brahmana aha tushta aradhito bhagavan vasudevah' (SB 2.2.32). Direction: teacher -> hearer. Evidence: EXPLICIT.
Father Atri SageBrahma is the father of Atri. Source evidence (SB 3.12.22): At SB 3.12.22 Atri is counted among the ten sons of Brahma; at SB 3.12.24 'akShNoḥ atriḥ' — Atri came from the eye.
Father Sananda SageBrahma is the father of Sananda. Source evidence (SB 3.12.4): At SB 3.12.4 Atma-bhu, Brahma, created Sananda among the four sages.
Father Angiras SageBrahma is the father of Angiras. Source evidence (SB 3.12.22): At SB 3.12.22 Angiras is counted among the ten sons of Brahma; at SB 3.12.24 'a~NgirA mukhataḥ' — Angiras came from the mouth.
Father Sanatana SageBrahma is the father of Sanatana. Source evidence (SB 3.12.4): At SB 3.12.4 Atma-bhu, Brahma, created Sanatana among the four sages.
Father Pulastya SageBrahma is the father of Pulastya. Source evidence (SB 3.12.22): At SB 3.12.22 Pulastya is counted among the ten sons of Brahma; at SB 3.12.24 'pulastyaH karNayoH R^iShiH' — the sage came from the two ears.
Father Sanatkumara SageBrahma is the father of Sanatkumara. Source evidence (SB 3.12.4): At SB 3.12.4 Sanatkumara is counted among the four sages created by Atma-bhu, Brahma.
Father Pulaha SageBrahma is the father of Pulaha. Source evidence (SB 3.12.22): At SB 3.12.22 Pulaha is counted among the ten sons of Brahma; at SB 3.12.24 'pulaho nAbhito jaj~ne' — Pulaha came from the navel.
Father Kratu SageBrahma is the father of Kratu. Source evidence (SB 3.12.22): At SB 3.12.22 Kratu is counted among the ten sons of Brahma; at SB 3.12.23 'karAt kratuH' — Kratu came from the hand.
Father Bhrigu SageBrahma is the father of Bhrigu. Source evidence (SB 3.12.22): At SB 3.12.22 Bhrigu is counted among the ten sons of Brahma; at SB 3.12.23 'bhR^igus tvachi' — Bhrigu came from the skin.
Father Vasishtha SageBrahma is the father of Vasishtha. Source evidence (SB 3.12.22): At SB 3.12.22 Vasishtha is counted among the ten sons of Brahma; at SB 3.12.23 'prANAd vasiShThaH sa~njAtaH' — Vasishtha came from the breath.
Father Daksha DeityBrahma is the father of Daksha. Source evidence (SB 3.12.22): At SB 3.12.22 Daksha is counted among the ten sons of Brahma; at SB 3.12.23 'dakSho a~NguShThAt svayambhuvaH' — Daksha came from the thumb of the Self-existent.
Designated Virinci for the function of creation
Within the one Purusha's bearing of the modes, the designation for creation is Virinci: 'sthityadaye hari-virinci-hariti samjnah' (SB 1.2.23).
He refuses the title of world-teacher: even that is His maya
'yan-mayaya durjayaya mam vadanti jagad-gurum' (SB 2.5.12); 'yena sva-rocisha vishvam rocitam rocayamy aham' (SB 2.5.11) — like sun and moon, Brahma too shines by a light not his own.
Even in concentrated yoga he could not reach Him from whom he was himself born
'so 'ham samamnaya-mayas tapo-mayah prajapatinam abhivanditah patih, asthaya yogam nipunam samahitas tam nadhyagaccham yata atma-sambhavah' (SB 2.6.34); 'neither I nor you nor Vamadeva know His course' (SB 2.6.36).
Because he holds Hari with a longing heart, his speech is never found false
'na bharati me 'nga mrishopalakshyate... yan me hridautkanthyavata dhrito harih' (SB 2.6.33) — the ground of his authority is devotion, not office.
Heard in the waters a two-syllabled word, 'tapa', uttered twice
'sa cintayan dvy-aksharam ekadambhasi upashrinod dvir-gaditam vaco vibhuh, sparsheshu yat shodasham ekavimsham' (SB 2.9.6) — the sixteenth consonant 'ta' and the twenty-first 'pa'; no speaker was to be seen (SB 2.9.7).
A life of two parardhas; the former already passed
At SB 3.11.32 the utmost life of Brahma is given as a hundred years, and at SB 3.11.33 the half of it is called a parardha: 'pUrvaH parArdho apakrAnto hy aparo adya pravartate' — the former has passed and the latter runs today. At SB 3.11.37 these two parardhas are treated as a mere blink of the unmanifest infinite.
Waking on the navel-lotus, the search, and absorption
At SB 3.8.15-16 the maker, made of the Veda, becomes self-born in the world-lotus and obtains four faces. At SB 3.8.18 He asks four questions — who is this, who am I, whence is this lotus, and what is below. At SB 3.8.19 the search fails; at SB 3.8.20 the three-rimmed wheel of time arises. At SB 3.8.21-22, returning to His own seat, He sees within His own heart, by the yoga of absorption pursued over a lifetime of man, what He had not seen before.
His praise of the Lord, and the command to create
In SB 3.9.1-25 Brahma praises the Lord, admitting that those who wear a body cannot come to know His motion (SB 3.9.1) and that he himself is afraid of Him (SB 3.9.18). In SB 3.9.26-28 he ceases as one wearied and the Lord quiets his distress with an unfathomable voice. In SB 3.9.29-43 the Lord commands him to stand in austerity and knowledge and to create the beings as before. At SB 3.9.44 the Lord reveals Himself in His own form and makes the lotus-navel form withdraw.
A hundred divine years of austerity, and the division of the lotus-cup
At SB 3.10.4 Virinchi practises austerity for a hundred divine years, setting the Self within his own self, as the unborn Lord had told him. At SB 3.10.6, by the growing austerity and by knowledge established in the self, he brings down the wind with the water. At SB 3.10.8, impelled by the work of the Lord, he enters the lotus-cup and divides the one in many ways — threefold as to what is to be meditated, and fourteenfold.
Brahma — regained memory by — Dharana
Brahma recovered his lost memory from the well-pleased Lord by this same concentration and created as before: 'evam pura dharanayatma-yonir nashtam smritim pratyavarudhya tushtat' (SB 2.2.1). Evidence: EXPLICIT.
Brahma — created by glance of — Krishna
Brahma, himself created, creates only as impelled by the glance of the Lord: 'tasyapi drashtur ishasya kutasthasyakhilatmanah srijyam srijami srishto 'ham ikshayaivabhicoditah' (SB 2.5.17); and 'srijami tan niyukto 'ham' (SB 2.6.31). Evidence: EXPLICIT.
Brahma — born from navel lotus of — Krishna
Brahma came to be from the lotus of the navel of the great Person: 'yadasya nabhyan nalinad aham asam mahatmanah' (SB 2.6.22); and he found no materials for sacrifice save the limbs of that Person. Direction: born -> source. Evidence: EXPLICIT.
Brahma — saw vaikuntha by grace of — Krishna
Pleased by a thousand divine years of austerity, the Lord showed Brahma His own supreme realm: 'tasmai sva-lokam bhagavan sabhajitah sandarshayam asa param na yat param' (SB 2.9.9); there he beheld the four-armed form (SB 2.9.14-16). Evidence: EXPLICIT.