SB 3.9.44
maitreya uvaca
tasma evam jagat-srastre
pradhana-purusesvarah
vyajyedam svena rupena
kañja-nabhas tirodadhe
Translation by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
The sage Maitreya said: After instructing Brahma, the creator of the universe, to expand, the primeval Lord, the Personality of Godhead in His personal form as Narayana, disappeared.
Purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
Before his activity in creating the universe, Brahma saw the Lord. That is the explanation of the catuh-sloki Bhagavatam. When the creation awaited Brahma’s activity, Brahma saw the Lord, and therefore the Lord existed in His personal form before the creation. His eternal form is not created by the attempt of Brahma, as imagined by less intelligent men. The Personality of Godhead appeared as He is before Brahma, and He disappeared from him in the same form, which is not materially tinged.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Third Canto, Ninth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “Brahma’s Prayers for Creative Energy.”