Text 242
catvāro vāsudevādyā
nārāyaṇa-nṛsiṁhakau
hayagrīvo mahākroḍo
brahmā ceti navoditāḥ
catvāraḥ — four principal protectors; vāsudeva-ādyāḥ — Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha; nārāyaṇa — including Lord Nārāyaṇa; nṛsiṁhakau — as well as Lord Nṛsiṁha; hayagrīvaḥ — Lord Hayagrīva; mahākroḍaḥ — Lord Varāha; brahmā — Lord Brahmā; ca — also; iti — thus; nava-uditāḥ — nine personalities.
“ ‘The nine personalities mentioned are Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Nārāyaṇa, Nṛsiṁha, Hayagrīva, Varāha and Brahmā.’
This verse is found in the Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta (1.451). The Brahmā mentioned herein is not a living entity. Sometimes, when there is a scarcity of living entities to take charge of Brahmā’s post, Mahā-Viṣṇu expands Himself as Lord Brahmā. This Brahmā is not considered to be a living entity; He is an expansion of Viṣṇu.