Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 8: “Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Chapter Five

SB8.5.24

TEXT 24

sri-suka uvaca

ity abhasya suran vedhah

saha devair arindama

ajitasya padam saksaj

jagama tamasah param

SYNONYMS

sri-sukah uvaca—Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; iti—thus; abhasya—talking; suran—unto the demigods; vedhah—Lord Brahma, who is the head of this universe and who gives everyone good sense in Vedic knowledge; saha—with; devaih—the demigods; arim-dama—O Maharaja Pariksit, subduer of all kinds of enemies (such as the senses); ajitasya—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; padam—to the place; saksat—directly; jagama—went; tamasah—the world of darkness; param—transcendental to, beyond.

TRANSLATION

O Maharaja Pariksit, subduer of all enemies, after Lord Brahma finished speaking to the demigods, he took them with him to the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, which is beyond this material world. The Lord’s abode is on an island called Svetadvipa, which is situated in the ocean of milk.

PURPORT

Maharaja Pariksit is addressed here as arindama, “subduer of all enemies.” Not only do we have enemies outside of our bodies, but within our bodies there are many enemies, such as lusty desires, anger and greed. Maharaja Pariksit is specifically addressed as arindama because in his political life he was able to subdue all kinds of enemies, and even though he was a young king, as soon as he heard that he was going to die within seven days, he immediately left his kingdom. He did not follow the dictates of enemies within his body, such as lust, greed and anger. He was not at all angry with the muni’s son who had cursed him. Rather, he accepted the curse and prepared for his death in the association of Sukadeva Gosvami. Death is inevitable; no one can surpass the force of death. Therefore Maharaja Pariksit, while fully alive, wanted to hear Srimad-Bhagavatam. He is consequently addressed here as arindama.

Another word, sura-priya, is also significant. Although Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is equal toward everyone, He is especially inclined toward His devotees (ye bhajanti tu mam bhaktya mayi te tesu capy aham). The devotees are all demigods. There are two kinds of men within this world. One is called the deva, and the other is called the asura. The Padma Purana states:

dvau bhuta-sargau loke ’smin
daiva asura eva ca
visnu-bhaktah smrto daiva
asuras tad-viparyayah

Anyone who is a devotee of Lord Krsna is called a deva, and others, even though they may be devotees of demigods, are called asuras. Ravana, for example, was a great devotee of Lord Siva, but he is described as an asura. Similarly, Hiranyakasipu is described as a great devotee of Lord Brahma, yet he was also an asura. Therefore, only the devotee of Lord Visnu is called sura, not asura. Lord Krsna is very much pleased with His devotees, even if they are not on the topmost stage of devotional service. Even on the lower stages of devotional service one is transcendental, and if one continues with devotional life, he continues to be a deva or sura. If one continues in this way, Krsna will always be pleased with him and will give him all instructions so that he may very easily return home, back to Godhead.

Concerning ajitasya padam, the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the milk ocean of this material world, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says: padam ksirodadhi-stha-svetadvipam tamasah prakrteh param. The island known as Svetadvipa, which is in the ocean of milk, is transcendental. It has nothing to do with this material world. A city government may have a rest house where the governor and important government officers stay. Such a rest house is not an ordinary house. Similarly, although Svetadvipa, which is in the ocean of milk, is in this material world, it is param padam, transcendental.

SB8.5.25

TEXT 25

tatradrsta-svarupaya

sruta-purvaya vai prabhuh

stutim abruta daivibhir

girbhis tv avahitendriyah

SYNONYMS

tatra—there (at the Lord’s abode known as Svetadvipa); adrsta-svarupaya—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who was not seen even by Lord Brahma; sruta-purvaya—but who was heard about from the Vedas; vai—indeed; prabhuh—Lord Brahma; stutim—prayers derived from Vedic literature; abruta—performed; daivibhih—by prayers mentioned in the Vedic literature or offered by persons strictly following Vedic principles; girbhih—by such sound vibrations or songs; tu—then; avahita-indriyah—fixed in mind, without deviation.

TRANSLATION

There [at Svetadvipa], Lord Brahma offered prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, even though he had never seen the Supreme Lord. Simply because Lord Brahma had heard about the Supreme Personality of Godhead from Vedic literature, with a fixed mind he offered the Lord prayers as written or approved by Vedic literature.

PURPORT

It is said that when Brahma and the other demigods go to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead in Svetadvipa, they cannot directly see Him, but their prayers are heard by the Lord, and the needful action is taken. This we have seen in many instances. The word sruta-purvaya is significant. We get experience by directly seeing or by hearing. If it is not possible to see someone directly, we can hear about him from authentic sources. Sometimes people ask whether we can show them God. This is ludicrous. It is not necessary for one to see God before he can accept God. Our sensory perception is always incomplete. Therefore, even if we see God, we may not be able to understand Him. When Krsna was on earth, many, many people saw Him but could not understand that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]. Even though the rascals and fools saw Krsna personally, they could not understand that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even upon seeing God personally, one who is unfortunate cannot understand Him. Therefore we have to hear about God, Krsna, from the authentic Vedic literature and from persons who understand the Vedic version properly. Even though Brahma had not seen the Supreme Personality of Godhead before, he was confident that the Lord was there in Svetadvipa. Thus he took the opportunity to go there and offer prayers to the Lord.

These prayers were not ordinary concocted prayers. Prayers must be approved by Vedic literature, as indicated in this verse by the words daivibhir girbhih. In our Krsna consciousness movement we do not allow any song that has not been approved or sung by bona fide devotees. We cannot allow cinema songs to be sung in the temple. We generally sing two songs. One is sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda. This is bona fide. It is always mentioned in the Caitanya-caritamrta, and it is accepted by the acaryas. The other, of course, is the maha-mantra—Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. We may also sing the songs of Narottama dasa Thakura, Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Locana dasa Thakura, but these two songs—“sri-krsna-caitanya” and the Hare Krsna maha-mantra—are sufficient to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although we cannot see Him. Seeing the Lord is not as important as appreciating Him from the authentic literature or the authentic statements of authorized persons.

SB8.5.26

TEXT 26

sri-brahmovaca

avikriyam satyam anantam adyam

guha-sayam niskalam apratarkyam

mano-’grayanam vacasaniruktam

namamahe deva-varam varenyam

SYNONYMS

sri-brahma uvaca—Lord Brahma said; avikriyam—unto the Personality of Godhead, who never changes (as opposed to material existence); satyam—the eternal supreme truth; anantam—unlimited; adyam—the original cause of all causes; guha-sayam—present in everyone’s heart; niskalam—without any decrease in potency; apratarkyam—inconceivable, not within the jurisdiction of material arguments; manah-agrayanam—more quick than the mind, inconceivable to mental speculation; vacasa—by jugglery of words; aniruktam—indescribable; namamahe—all of us demigods offer our respectful obeisances; deva-varam—unto the Supreme Lord, who is not equalled or surpassed by anyone; varenyam—the supreme worshipable, who is worshiped by the Gayatri mantra.

TRANSLATION

Lord Brahma said: O Supreme Lord, O changeless, unlimited supreme truth. You are the origin of everything. Being all-pervading, You are in everyone’s heart and also in the atom. You have no material qualities. Indeed, You are inconceivable. The mind cannot catch You by speculation, and words fail to describe You. You are the supreme master of everyone, and therefore You are worshipable for everyone. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.

PURPORT

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is not anything of material creation. Everything material must change from one form to another—for example, from earth to earthen pot and from earthen pot to earth again. All our creations are temporary, impermanent. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, however, is eternal, and similarly the living entities, who are parts of Him, are also eternal (mamaivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhutah sanatanah [Bg. 15.7]). The Supreme Personality of Godhead is sanatana, eternal, and the individual living entities are also eternal. The difference is that Krsna, or God, is the supreme eternal, whereas the individual souls are minute, fragmental eternals. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (13.3), ksetrajnam capi mam viddhi sarva-ksetresu bharata. Although the Lord is a living being and the individual souls are living beings, the Supreme Lord, unlike the individual souls, is vibhu, all-pervading, and ananta, unlimited. The Lord is the cause of everything. The living entities are innumerable, but the Lord is one. No one is greater than Him, and no one is equal to Him. Thus the Lord is the supreme worshipable object, as understood from the Vedic mantras (na tat-samas cabhyadhikas ca drsyate). The Lord is supreme because no one can evaluate Him by mental speculation or jugglery of words. The Lord can travel more quickly than the mind. In the sruti-mantras of Isopanisad it is said:

anejad ekam manaso javiyo
nainad deva apnuvan purvam arsat
tad dhavato ’nyan atyeti tisthat
tasminn apo matarisva dadhati

“Although fixed in His abode, the Personality of Godhead is swifter than the mind and can overcome all others running. The powerful demigods cannot approach Him. Although in one place, He controls those who supply the air and rain. He surpasses all in excellence.” (Isopanisad 4) Thus the Supreme is never to be equaled by the subordinate living entities.

Because the Lord is situated in everyone’s heart and the individual living entity is not, never should the individual living entity be equated with the Supreme Lord. In Bhagavad-gita (15.15) the Lord says, sarvasya caham hrdi sannivistah: “I am situated in everyone’s heart.” This does not mean, however, that everyone is equal to the Lord. In the sruti-mantras it is also said, hrdi hy ayam atma pratisthitah. In the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said, satyam param dhimahi. The Vedic mantras say, satyam jnanam anantam and niskalam niskriyam santam niravadyam. God is supreme. Although naturally He does not do anything, He is doing everything. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gita:

maya tatam idam sarvam
jagad avyakta-murtina
mat-sthani sarva-bhutani
na caham tesv avasthitah

“By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.” (Bg. 9.4)

mayadhyaksena prakrtih
suyate sacaracaram
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate

“This material nature, working under My direction, O son of Kunti, is producing all moving and unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.” (Bg. 9.10) Thus although the Lord is silent in His abode, He is doing everything through His different energies (parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate).

All the Vedic mantras, or sruti-mantras, are included in this verse spoken by Lord Brahma, for Brahma and his followers, the Brahma-sampradaya, understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead through the parampara system. We have to gain understanding through the words of our predecessors. There are twelve mahajanas, or authorities, of whom Brahma is one.

svayambhur naradah sambhuh
kumarah kapilo manuh
prahlado janako bhismo
balir vaiyasakir vayam

(Bhag. 6.3.20)

We belong to the disciplic succession of Brahma, and therefore we are known as the Brahma-sampradaya. As the demigods follow Lord Brahma to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we also have to follow the authorities of the parampara system to understand the Lord.

SB8.5.27

TEXT 27

vipascitam prana-mano-dhiyatmanam

arthendriyabhasam anidram avranam

chayatapau yatra na grdhra-paksau

tam aksaram kham tri-yugam vrajamahe

SYNONYMS

vipascitam—unto the omniscient; prana—how the living force is working; manah—how the mind is working; dhiya—how the intelligence is working; atmanam—of all living entities; artha—the objects of the senses; indriya—the senses; abhasam—knowledge; anidram—always awake and free from ignorance; avranam—without a material body subject to pains and pleasures; chaya-atapau—the shelter for all who are suffering from ignorance; yatra—wherein; na—not; grdhra-paksau—partiality toward any living being; tam—unto Him; aksaram—infallible; kham—all-pervading like the sky; tri-yugam—appearing with six opulences in three yugas (Satya, Treta and Dvapara); vrajamahe—I take shelter.

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Personality of Godhead directly and indirectly knows how everything, including the living force, mind and intelligence, is working under His control. He is the illuminator of everything and has no ignorance. He does not have a material body subject to the reactions of previous activities, and He is free from the ignorance of partiality and materialistic education. I therefore take shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, who is eternal, all-pervading and as great as the sky and who appears with six opulences in three yugas [Satya, Treta and Dvapara].

PURPORT

In the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam the Supreme Personality of Godhead is described in this way: janmady asya yato’nvayad itaratas carthesv abhijnah [Bhag. 1.1.1]. The Lord is the origin of all emanations, and He directly and indirectly knows everything about all the activities within His creation. Therefore the Lord is addressed here as vipascitam, one who is full of all knowledge or who knows everything. The Lord is the Supreme Soul, and He knows everything about the living entities and their senses.

The word anidram, meaning “always awake and free from ignorance,” is very important in this verse. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (15.15), mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca: it is the Lord who gives intelligence to everyone and who causes everyone to forget. There are millions and millions of living entities, and the Lord gives them directions. Therefore He has no time to sleep, and He is never in ignorance of our activities. The Lord is the witness of everything; He sees what we are doing at every moment. The Lord is not covered by a body resulting from karma. Our bodies are formed as a result of our past deeds (karmana daiva-netrena), but the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not have a material body, and therefore He has no avidya, ignorance. He does not sleep, but is always alert and awake.

The Supreme Lord is described as tri-yuga because although He appeared variously in Satya-yuga, Treta-yuga and Dvapara-yuga, when He appeared in Kali-yuga He never declared Himself the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam
sangopangastra-parsadam

The Lord appears in Kali-yuga as a devotee. Thus although He is Krsna, He chants the Hare Krsna mantra like a devotee. Still, Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.32) recommends:

yajnaih sankirtana-prayair
yajanti hi sumedhasah

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, whose complexion is not black like that of Krsna but is golden (tvisakrsnam), is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is accompanied by associates like Nityananda, Advaita, Gadadhara and Srivasa. Those who are sufficiently intelligent worship this Supreme Personality of Godhead by performing sankirtana-yajna. In this incarnation, the Supreme Lord declares Himself not to be the Supreme Lord, and therefore He is known as Tri-yuga.

SB8.5.28

TEXT 28

ajasya cakram tv ajayeryamanam

manomayam pancadasaram asu

tri-nabhi vidyuc-calam asta-nemi

yad-aksam ahus tam rtam prapadye

SYNONYMS

ajasya—of the living being; cakram—the wheel (the cycle of birth and death in this material world); tu—but; ajaya—by the external energy of the Supreme Lord; iryamanam—going around with great force; manah-mayam—which is nothing but a mental creation depending chiefly on the mind; pancadasa—fifteen; aram—possessing spokes; asu—very quick; tri-nabhi—having three naves (the three modes of material nature); vidyut—like electricity; calam—moving; asta-nemi—made of eight fellies (the eight external energies of the Lord—bhumir apo ’nalo vayuh, etc.); yat—who; aksam—the hub; ahuh—they say; tam—unto Him; rtam—the fact; prapadye—let us offer our respectful obeisances.

TRANSLATION

In the cycle of material activities, the material body resembles the wheel of a mental chariot. The ten senses [five for working and five for gathering knowledge] and the five life airs within the body form the fifteen spokes of the chariot’s wheel. The three modes of nature [goodness, passion and ignorance] are its center of activities, and the eight ingredients of nature [earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence and false ego] comprise the rim of the wheel. The external, material energy moves this wheel like electrical energy. Thus the wheel revolves very quickly around its hub or central support, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the Supersoul and the ultimate truth. We offer our respectful obeisances unto Him.

PURPORT

The cycle of repeated birth and death is figuratively described herein. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (7.5):

apareyam itas tv anyam
prakrtim viddhi me param
jiva-bhutam maha-baho
yayedam dharyate jagat

The entire world is going on because the living entity, who is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, is utilizing the material energy. Under the clutches of the material energy, the jivatma is revolving on the wheel of birth and death under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The central point is the Supersoul. As explained in Bhagavad-gita (18.61):

isvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese ’rjuna tisthati
bhramayan sarva-bhutani
yantrarudhani mayaya

“The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.” The material body of the living entity is a result of the conditioned soul’s activities, and because the supporter is the Supersoul, the Supersoul is the true reality. Every one of us, therefore, should offer respectful obeisances to this central reality. One should not be misguided by the activities of this material world and forget the central point, the Absolute Truth. That is the instruction given here by Lord Brahma.

SB8.5.29

TEXT 29

ya eka-varnam tamasah param tad

alokam avyaktam ananta-param

asam cakaropasuparnam enam

upasate yoga-rathena dhirah

SYNONYMS

yah—the Supreme Personality of Godhead who; eka-varnam—absolute, situated in pure goodness; tamasah—to the darkness of the material world; param—transcendental; tat—that; alokam—who cannot be seen; avyaktam—not manifested; ananta-param—unlimited, beyond the measurement of material time and space; asam cakara—situated; upa-suparnam—on the back of Garuda; enam—Him; upasate—worship; yoga-rathena—by the vehicle of mystic yoga; dhirah—persons who are sober, undisturbed by material agitation.

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated in pure goodness [suddha-sattva], and therefore He is eka-varna—the omkara [pranava]. Because the Lord is beyond the cosmic manifestation, which is considered to be darkness, He is not visible to material eyes. Nonetheless, He is not separated from us by time or space, but is present everywhere. Seated on His carrier, Garuda, He is worshiped by means of mystical yogic power by those who have achieved freedom from agitation. Let us all offer our respectful obeisances unto Him.

PURPORT

Sattvam visuddham vasudeva-sabditam (Bhag. 4.3.23). In this material world, the three modes of material nature—goodness, passion and ignorance—prevail. Among these three, goodness is the platform of knowledge, and passion brings about a mixture of knowledge and ignorance, but the mode of ignorance is full of darkness. Therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead is beyond darkness and passion. He is on the platform where goodness or knowledge is not disturbed by passion and ignorance. This is called the vasudeva platform. It is on this platform of vasudeva that Vasudeva, or Krsna, can appear. Thus Krsna appeared on this planet as the son of Vasudeva. Because the Lord is situated beyond the three modes of material nature, He is unseen by those who are dominated by these three modes. One must therefore become dhira, or undisturbed by the modes of material nature. The process of yoga may be practiced by one who is free from the agitation of these modes. Therefore yoga is defined in this way: yoga indriya-samyamah. As previously explained, we are disturbed by the indriyas, or senses. Moreover, we are agitated by the three modes of material nature, which are imposed upon us by the external energy. In conditional life, the living entity moves turbulently in the whirlpool of birth and death, but when one is situated on the transcendental platform of visuddha-sattva, pure goodness, he can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who sits on the back of Garuda. Lord Brahma offers his respectful obeisances unto that Supreme Lord.

SB8.5.30

TEXT 30

na yasya kascatititarti mayam

yaya jano muhyati veda nartham

tam nirjitatmatma-gunam paresam

namama bhutesu samam carantam

SYNONYMS

na—not; yasya—of whom (the Supreme Personality of Godhead); kasca—anyone; atititarti—is able to overcome; mayam—the illusory energy; yaya—by whom (by the illusory energy); janah—people in general; muhyati—become bewildered; veda—understand; na—not; artham—the aim of life; tam—unto Him (the Supreme Personality of Godhead); nirjita—completely controlling; atma—the living entities; atma-gunam—and His external energy; para-isam—the Lord, who is transcendentally situated; namama—we offer our respectful obeisances; bhutesu—unto all living beings; samam—equally situated, or equipoised; carantam—controlling or ruling them.

TRANSLATION

No one can overcome the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s illusory energy [maya], which is so strong that it bewilders everyone, making one lose the sense to understand the aim of life. That same maya, however, is subdued by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who rules everyone and who is equally disposed toward all living entities. Let us offer our obeisances unto Him.

PURPORT

The prowess of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, certainly controls all living entities, so much so that the living entities have forgotten the aim of life. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum: [SB 7.5.31] the living entities have forgotten that the aim of life is to go back home, back to Godhead. The external energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead gives all conditioned souls what appears to be an opportunity to be happy within this material world, but that is maya; in other words, it is a dream that is never to be fulfilled. Thus every living being is illusioned by the external energy of the Supreme Lord. That illusory energy is undoubtedly very strong, but she is fully under the control of the transcendental person who is described in this verse as paresam, the transcendental Lord. The Lord is not a part of the material creation, but is beyond the creation. Therefore, not only does He control the conditioned souls through His external energy, but He also controls the external energy itself. Bhagavad-gita clearly says that the strong material energy controls everyone and that getting out of her control is extremely difficult. That controlling energy belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and works under His control. The living entities, however, being subdued by the material energy, have forgotten the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB8.5.31

TEXT 31

ime vayam yat-priyayaiva tanva

sattvena srsta bahir-antar-avih

gatim na suksmam rsayas ca vidmahe

kuto ’suradya itara-pradhanah

SYNONYMS

ime—these; vayam—we (the demigods); yat—to whom; priyaya—appearing very near and dear; eva—certainly; tanva—the material body; sattvena—by the mode of goodness; srstah—created; bahih-antah-avih—although fully aware, internally and externally; gatim—destination; na—not; suksmam—very subtle; rsayah—great saintly persons; ca—also; vidmahe—understand; kutah—how; asura-adyah—the demons and atheists; itara—who are insignificant in their identities; pradhanah—although they are leaders of their own societies.

TRANSLATION

Since our bodies are made of sattva-guna, we, the demigods, are internally and externally situated in goodness. All the great saints are also situated in that way. Therefore, if even we cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, what is to be said of those who are most insignificant in their bodily constitutions, being situated in the modes of passion and ignorance? How can they understand the Lord? Let us offer our respectful obeisances unto Him.

PURPORT

Atheists and demons cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although He is situated within everyone. For them the Lord finally appears in the form of death, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (mrtyuh sarva-haras caham). Atheists think that they are independent, and therefore they do not care about the supremacy of the Lord, yet the Lord asserts His supremacy when He overcomes them as death. At the time of death, their attempts to use their so-called scientific knowledge and philosophical speculation to deny the supremacy of the Lord cannot work. Hiranyakasipu, for example, was an exalted representative of the atheistic class of men. He always challenged the existence of God, and thus he became inimical even toward his own son. Everyone was afraid of Hiranyakasipu’s atheistic principles. Nonetheless, when Lord Nrsimhadeva appeared in order to kill him, Hiranyakasipu’s atheistic principles could not save him. Lord Nrsimhadeva killed Hiranyakasipu and took away all his power, influence and pride. Atheistic men, however, never understand how everything they create is annihilated. The Supersoul is situated within them, but because of the predominance of the modes of passion and ignorance, they cannot understand the supremacy of the Lord. Even the demigods, the devotees, who are transcendentally situated or situated on the platform of goodness, are not fully aware of the qualities and position of the Lord. How then can the demons and atheists understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead? It is not possible. Therefore, to gain this understanding, the demigods, headed by Lord Brahma, offered their respectful obeisances to the Lord.

SB8.5.32

TEXT 32

padau mahiyam sva-krtaiva yasya

catur-vidho yatra hi bhuta-sargah

sa vai maha-purusa atma-tantrah

prasidatam brahma maha-vibhutih

SYNONYMS

padau—His lotus feet; mahi—the earth; iyam—this; sva-krta—created by Himself; eva—indeed; yasya—of whom; catuh-vidhah—of four kinds of living entities; yatra—wherein; hi—indeed; bhuta-sargah—material creation; sah—He; vai—indeed; maha-purusah—the Supreme Person; atma-tantrah—self-sufficient; prasidatam—may He be merciful to us; brahma—the greatest; maha-vibhutih—with unlimited potency.

TRANSLATION

On this earth there are four kinds of living entities, who are all created by Him. The material creation rests on His lotus feet. He is the great Supreme Person, full of opulence and power. May He be pleased with us.

PURPORT

The word mahi refers to the five material elements—earth, water, air, fire and sky—which rest upon the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mahat-padam punya-yaso murareh. The mahat-tattva, the total material energy, rests on His lotus feet, for the cosmic manifestation is but another opulence of the Lord. In this cosmic manifestation there are four kinds of living entities—jarayu ja (those born from embryos), anda ja (those born from eggs), sveda ja (those born from perspiration), and udbhijja (those born from seeds). Everything is generated from the Lord, as confirmed in the Vedanta-sutra (janmady asya yatah [Bhag. 1.1.1]). No one is independent, but the Supreme Soul is completely independent. Janmady asya yato ’nvayad itaratas carthesv abhijnah sva-rat [Bhag. 1.1.1]. The word sva-rat means “independent.” We are dependent, whereas the Supreme Lord is completely independent. Therefore the Supreme Lord is the greatest of all. Even Lord Brahma, who created the cosmic manifestation, is but another opulence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The material creation is activated by the Lord, and therefore the Lord is not a part of the material creation. The Lord exists in His original, spiritual position. The universal form of the Lord, vairaja-murti, is another feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB8.5.33

TEXT 33

ambhas tu yad-reta udara-viryam

sidhyanti jivanty uta vardhamanah

loka yato ’thakhila-loka-palah

prasidatam nah sa maha-vibhutih

SYNONYMS

ambhah—the masses of water seen on this planet or on others; tu—but; yat-retah—His semen; udara-viryam—so powerful; sidhyanti—are generated; jivanti—live; uta—indeed; vardhamanah—flourish; lokah—all the three worlds; yatah—from which; atha—also; akhila-loka-palah—all the demigods throughout the universe; prasidatam—may be pleased; nah—upon us; sah—He; maha-vibhutih—a person with unlimited potency.

TRANSLATION

The entire cosmic manifestation has emerged from water, and it is because of water that all living entities endure, live and develop. This water is nothing but the semen of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, may the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has such great potency, be pleased with us.

PURPORT

Despite the theories of so-called scientists, the vast quantities of water on this planet and on other planets are not created by a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen. Rather, the water is sometimes explained to be the perspiration and sometimes the semen of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is from water that all living entities emerge, and because of water they live and grow. If there were no water, all life would cease. Water is the source of life for everyone. Therefore, by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we have so much water all over the world.

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