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ekah—He, one alone; nanatvam—varieties; anvicchan—so desiring; yoga-talpat—from the bedstead of mystic slumber; samutthitah—thus generated; viryam—the semina; hiranmayam—golden hue; devah—the demigod; mayaya—by the external energy; vyasrjat—perfectly created; tridha—in three features.

The Lord, while lying on His bed of mystic slumber, generated the seminal symbol, golden in hue, through external energy out of His desire to manifest varieties of living entities from Himself alone.

In the Bhagavad-gita (9.7–8) the creation and annihilation of the material world are stated as follows:

sarva-bhutani kaunteya
prakrtim yanti mamikam
kalpa-ksaye punas tani
kalpadau visrjamy aham

prakrtim svam avastabhya
visrjami punah punah
bhuta-gramam imam krtsnam
avasam prakrter vasat

“At the end of each millennium the creative forces, namely the material nature and the living entities who struggle in the material nature, all merge together into the transcendental body of the Lord, and again when the Lord desires to manifest them, all of them are again displayed by the Lord.

“Therefore the material nature is working under the control of the Lord. All of them, under the agency of material nature and under the control of the Lord, are thus repeatedly created and annihilated by the will of the Lord.”

As such, before the creation or manifestation of the material cosmic world, the Lord exists as total energy (maha-samasti), and thus desiring Himself to be diffused to many, He expands Himself further into multitotal energy (samasti). From the multitotal energy He further expands Himself into individuals in three dimensions, namely adhyatmic, adhidaivic and adhibhautic, as explained before (vyasti). As such, the whole creation and the creative energies are nondifferent and different simultaneously. Because everything is an emanation from Him (the Maha-Visnu or Maha-samasti), nothing of the cosmic energies is different from Him; but all such expanded energies have specific functions and display as designed by the Lord, and therefore they are simultaneously different from the Lord. The living entities are also similar energy (marginal potency) of the Lord, and thus they are simultaneously one with and different from Him.

At the stage of nonmanifestation, the living energies remain potent in the Lord, and when they are let loose in the cosmic manifestation they are exhibited differently in terms of different desires under the modes of nature. Such differential manifestations of the living energies are conditional states of the living entities. The liberated living entities, however, in the sanatana (eternal) manifestation, are unconditionally surrendered souls, and therefore they are not subject to the conditions of creation and annihilation. So this creation takes place by the glance of the Lord from His bedstead of mystic slumber. And thus all the universes and the lord of the universe, Brahma, are again and again manifested and annihilated.

SB2.10.14

TEXT 14

adhidaivam athadhyatmam

adhibhutam iti prabhuh

athaikam paurusam viryam

tridhabhidyata tac chrnu

adhidaivam—the controlling entities; atha—now; adhyatmam—the controlled entities; adhibhutam—the material bodies; iti—thus; prabhuh—the Lord; atha—in this way; ekam—one only; paurusam—of His Lordship; viryam—potency; tridha—in three; abhidyata—divided; tat—that; srnu—just hear from me.

Just hear from me how the potency of His Lordship divides one into three, called the controlling entities, the controlled entities and the material bodies, in the manner mentioned above.

SB2.10.15

TEXT 15

antah sarira akasat

purusasya vicestatah

ojah saho balam jajne

tatah prano mahan asuh

SYNONYMS

antah sarire—within the body; akasat—from the sky; purusasya—of Maha-Visnu; vicestatah—while so trying, or willing; ojah—the energy of the senses; sahah—mental force; balam—bodily strength; jajne—generated; tatah—thereafter; pranah—the living force; mahan asuh—the fountainhead of everyone’s life.

TRANSLATION

From the sky situated within the transcendental body of the manifesting Maha-Visnu, sense energy, mental force and bodily strength are all generated, as well as the sum total of the fountainhead of the total living force.

SB2.10.16

TEXT 16

anuprananti yam pranah

pranantam sarva-jantusu

apanantam apananti

nara-devam ivanugah

SYNONYMS

anuprananti—follow the living symptoms; yam—whom; pranah—senses; pranantam—endeavoring; sarva-jantusu—in all living entities; apanantam—stop endeavoring; apananti—all others stop; nara-devam—a king; iva—like; anugah—the followers.

TRANSLATION

As the followers of a king follow their lord, similarly when the total energy is in motion, all other living entities move, and when the total energy stops endeavoring, all other living entities stop sensual activities.

PURPORT

The individual living entities are completely dependent on the total energy of the supreme purusa. No one has independent existence, just as no electric lamp has independent effulgence. Each and every electrical instrument depends fully on the total powerhouse, the total powerhouse depends on the reservoir of water for generating electricity, water depends on the clouds, the clouds depend on the sun, the sun depends on creation, and the creation depends on the movement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the cause of all causes.

SB2.10.17

TEXT 17

pranenaksipata ksut trd

antara jayate vibhoh

pipasato jaksatas ca

pran mukham nirabhidyata

pranena—by the living force; aksipata—being agitated; ksut—hunger; trt—thirst; antara—from within; jayate—generates; vibhoh—of the Supreme; pipasatah—being desirous to quench the thirst; jaksatah—being desirous to eat; ca—and; prak—at first; mukham—the mouth; nirabhidyata—was opened.

The living force, being agitated by the virat-purusa, generated hunger and thirst, and when He desired to drink and eat, the mouth opened.

The process by which all living beings in the womb of the mother develop their sense organs and sense perceptions appears to follow the same principles in the case of the virat-purusa, the sum total of all living entities. Therefore the supreme cause of all generation is not impersonal or without desire. The desires for all kinds of sense perception and sense organs exist in the Supreme, and thus they take place in the individual persons. This desire is the nature of the supreme living being, the Absolute Truth. Because He has the sum total of all mouths, the individual living entities have mouths. Similarly with all other senses and sense organs. Here the mouth is the symbolic representation of all sense organs, for the same principles apply to the others also.

SB2.10.18

TEXT 18

mukhatas talu nirbhinnam

jihva tatropajayate

tato nana-raso jajne

jihvaya yo ’dhigamyate

mukhatah—from the mouth; talu—the palate; nirbhinnam—being generated; jihva—the tongue; tatra—thereupon; upajayate—becomes manifested; tatah—thereupon; nana-rasah—various tastes; jajne—became manifested; jihvaya—by the tongue; yah—which; adhigamyate—become relished.

From the mouth the palate became manifested, and thereupon the tongue was also generated. After this all the different tastes came into existence so that the tongue can relish them.

This gradual process of evolution suggests the explanation of the controlling deities (adhidaiva) because Varuna is the controlling deity for all relishable juices. Therefore the mouth becomes the resting place for the tongue, which tastes all the different juices, of which the controlling deity is Varuna. This suggests, therefore, that Varuna was also generated along with the development of the tongue. The tongue and the palate, being instrumental, are adhibhutam, or forms of matter, but the functioning deity, who is a living entity, is adhidaiva, whereas the person undergoing the function is adhyatma. Thus the three categories are also explained as to their birth after the opening of the mouth of the virat-purusa. The four principles mentioned in this verse serve to explain the three main principles, namely the adhyatma, adhidaiva and adhibhutam, as explained before.

SB2.10.19

TEXT 19

vivaksor mukhato bhumno

vahnir vag vyahrtam tayoh

jale caitasya suciram

nirodhah samajayata

vivaksoh—when there was a need to speak; mukhatah—from the mouth; bhumnah—of the Supreme; vahnih—fire or the controlling deity of fire; vak—vibration; vyahrtam—speeches; tayoh—by both; jale—in the water; ca—however; etasya—of all these; suciram—a very, very long time; nirodhah—suspension; samajayata—did continue.

When the Supreme desired to speak, speeches were vibrated from the mouth. Then the controlling deity Fire was generated from the mouth. But when He was lying in the water, all these functions remained suspended.

The peculiarity of the gradual development of the different senses is simultaneously supported by their controlling deities. It is to be understood, therefore, that the activities of the sense organs are controlled by the will of the Supreme. The senses are, so to speak, offering a license for the conditioned souls, who are to use them properly under the control of the controlling deity deputed by the Supreme Lord. One who violates such controlling regulations has to be punished by degradation to a lower status of life. Consider, for example, the tongue and its controlling deity, Varuna. The tongue is meant for eating, and men, animals and birds each have their different tastes because of different licenses. The taste of human beings and that of the swine are not on the same level. The controlling deity, however, awards or certifies a particular type of body when the particular living entity develops a taste in terms of different modes of nature. If the human being develops taste without discrimination, as does the swine, then the controlling deity is certainly certified for the next term to award him the body of a swine. The swine accepts any kind of foodstuff, including stools, and a human being who has developed such indiscriminate taste must be prepared for a degraded life in the next life. Such a life is also God’s grace because the conditioned soul desired a body like that for perfectly tasting a particular type of foodstuff. If a man gets the body of a swine it must be considered the grace of the Lord because the Lord awards the facility. After death the next body is offered by superior control, not blindly. A human being, therefore, must be on his guard as to what sort of body he is going to have in the next life. An irresponsible life of indiscrimination is risky, and that is the declaration of all scriptures.

tatra vayur gandha-vaho

ghrano nasi jighrksatah

nasike—in the nostrils; nirabhidyetam—being developed; dodhuyati—rapidly blowing; nabhasvati—air respiration; tatra—thereupon; vayuh—air; gandha-vahah—smelling odor; ghranah—sense of smell; nasi—in the nose; jighrksatah—desiring to smell odors.

Thereafter, when the supreme purusa desired to smell odors, the nostrils and respiration were generated, the nasal instrument and odors came into existence, and the controlling deity of air, carrying smell, also became manifested.

The nasal instrument, odor, and the controlling deity air, smelling, etc., all became manifested simultaneously when the Lord desired to smell. The Vedic mantras confirm this statement in the Upanisads’ statement that everything is first desired by the Supreme before the subordinate living entity can act upon it. The living entity can see only when the Lord sees, the living entity can smell when the Lord smells, and so on. The idea is that the living entity cannot do anything independently. He can simply think of doing something independently, but he cannot act independently. This independence in thinking is there by the grace of the Lord, but the thinking can be given shape by the grace of the Lord, and therefore the common saying is that man proposes and God disposes. The whole explanation is on the subject of the absolute dependence of the living entities and absolute independence of the Supreme Lord. Less intelligent persons claiming to be on an equal level with God must first prove themselves to be absolute and independent, and then they must substantiate their claim to being one with God.

SB2.10.21

TEXT 21

yadatmani niralokam

atmanam ca didrksatah

nirbhinne hy aksini tasya

jyotis caksur guna-grahah

yada—while; atmani—unto Himself; niralokam—without any light; atmanam—His own transcendental body; ca—also other bodily forms; didrksatah—desired to look upon; nirbhinne—due to being sprouted; hi—for; aksini—of the eyes; tasya—of Him; jyotih—the sun; caksuh—the eyes; guna-grahah—the power of seeing.

Thus when everything existed in darkness, the Lord desired to see Himself and all that was created. Then the eyes, the illuminating god Sun, the power of vision and the object of sight all became manifested.

The universe is by nature dense darkness, and therefore the total creation is called tamas, or darkness. The night is the real feature of the universe, for then one cannot see anything, including oneself. The Lord, out of His causeless mercy, first desired to see Himself and all the creation as well, and thus the sun became manifested, the power of vision for all living entities became possible, and the objects of vision were also manifested. This means that the whole phenomenal world became visible after the creation of the sun.

SB2.10.22

TEXT 22

bodhyamanasya rsibhir

atmanas taj jighrksatah

karnau ca nirabhidyetam

disah srotram guna-grahah

bodhyamanasya—desiring to understand; rsibhih—by the authorities; atmanah—of the Supreme Being; tat—that; jighrksatah—when He desired to take up; karnau—the ears; ca—also; nirabhidyetam—became manifested; disah—the direction or the god of air; srotram—the power of hearing; guna-grahah—and the objects of hearing.

By development of the desire of the great sages to know, the ears, the power of hearing, the controlling deity of hearing, and the objects of hearing became manifested. The great sages desired to hear about the Self.

As stated in the Bhagavad-gita, by advancement of knowledge one should try to know about the Supreme Lord, the summum bonum of everything. Knowledge does not mean knowledge only of the laws of nature or physical knowledge, which are working by the direction of the Lord. The scientists are eager to hear about the physical laws working in material nature. They are eager to hear through the medium of radio and television about things taking place far away from them on other planets, but they should know that the power of hearing and the instruments for hearing were given to them by the Lord for hearing about the Self, or about the Lord. Unfortunately the power of hearing is misused in hearing the vibrations of mundane affairs. The great sages were interested in hearing about the Lord through Vedic knowledge and nothing more. That is the beginning of aural reception of knowledge.

SB2.10.23

TEXT 23

vastuno mrdu-kathinya-

laghu-gurv-osna-sitatam

jighrksatas tvan nirbhinna

tasyam roma-mahi-ruhah

tatra cantar bahir vatas

tvaca labdha-guno vrtah

vastunah—of all matter; mrdu—softness; kathinya—hardness; laghu—lightness; guru—heaviness; osna—warmness; sitatam—coldness; jighrksatah—desiring to perceive; tvak—the touch sensation; nirbhinna—distributed; tasyam—in the skin; roma—hairs on the body; mahi-ruhah—as well as the trees, the controlling deities; tatra—there; ca—also; antah—within; bahih—outside; vatah tvaca—the sense of touch or the skin; labdha—having been perceived; gunah—objects of sense perception; vrtah—generated.

When there was a desire to perceive the physical characteristics of matter, such as softness, hardness, warmth, cold, lightness and heaviness, the background of sensation, the skin, the skin pores, the hairs on the body and their controlling deities (the trees) were generated. Within and outside the skin is a covering of air through which sense perception became prominent.

The physical characteristics of matter, such as softness, are subjects of sense perception, and thus physical knowledge is the subject matter of the touch sensation. One can measure the temperature of matter by touching with the hand, and one can measure the weight of an object by lifting it with the hand and thus estimate its heaviness or lightness. The skin, the skin pores and the hairs on the body are all interdependent with the touch sensation. The air blowing within and outside the skin is also an object of sense perception. This sense perception is also a source of knowledge, and therefore it is suggested here that physical or physiological knowledge is subordinate to the knowledge of the Self, as above mentioned. Knowledge of Self can expand to the knowledge of phenomena, but physical knowledge cannot lead to knowledge of the Self.

There is, however, an intimate relation between the hairs on the body and the vegetation on the body of the earth. The vegetables are nourishment for the skin both as food and medicine, as stated in the Third Canto: tvacam asya vinirbhinnam vivisur dhisnyam osadhih.

SB2.10.24

TEXT 24

hastau ruruhatus tasya

nana-karma-cikirsaya

tayos tu balavan indra

adanam ubhayasrayam

hastau—the hands; ruruhatuh—manifested; tasya—His; nana—various; karma—work; cikirsaya—being so desirous; tayoh—of them; tu—however; balavan—to give strength; indrah—the demigod in heaven; adanam—activities of the hand; ubhaya-asrayam—dependent on both the demigod and the hand.

Thereafter when the Supreme Person desired to perform varieties of work, the two hands and their controlling strength, and Indra, the demigod in heaven, became manifested, as also the acts dependent on both the hands and the demigod.

In every item we can note with profit that the sense organs of the living entity are never independent at any stage. The Lord is known as the Lord of the senses (Hrsikesa). Thus the sense organs of the living entities are manifested by the will of the Lord, and each organ is controlled by a certain type of demigod. No one, therefore, can claim any proprietorship of the senses. The living entity is controlled by the senses, the senses are controlled by the demigods, and the demigods are the servants of the Supreme Lord. That is the arrangement in the system of creation. The whole thing is controlled ultimately by the Supreme Lord, and there is no independence either of the material nature or of the living entity. The illusioned living entity who claims to be the lord of his senses is under the clutches of the external energy of the Lord. As long as a living entity continues to be puffed up by his tiny existence, he is to be understood to be under the stringent control of the external energy of the Lord, and there is no question of liberation from the clutches of illusion (maya), however much one may declare himself a liberated soul.

SB2.10.25

TEXT 25

gatim jigisatah padau

ruruhate ’bhikamikam

padbhyam yajnah svayam havyam

karmabhih kriyate nrbhih

gatim—movement; jigisatah—so desiring; padau—the legs; ruruhate—being manifested; abhikamikam—purposeful; padbhyam—from the legs; yajnah—Lord Visnu; svayam—personally Himself; havyam—the duties; karmabhih—by one’s occupational duty; kriyate—caused to be done; nrbhih—by different human beings.

Thereupon, because of His desiring to control movement, His legs became manifested, and from the legs the controlling deity named Visnu was generated. By His personal supervision of this act, all varieties of human being are busily engaged in dutiful occupational sacrifice.

Every human being is engaged in his particular occupational duty, and such activities are visible as men go hither and thither. This is very prominently visible in big cities of the world: people are going all over the cities with great concern, from one place to another. This movement is not limited only to the cities, but is also visible outside the cities from one place to another, or from one city to another, by different means of vehicles. Men are moving by cars and rails on the roads, by subways within the earth and by planes in the sky for the purpose of business success. But in all these movements the real purpose is to earn wealth for comfortable life. For this comfortable life the scientist is engaged, the artist is engaged, the engineer is engaged, the technician is engaged, all in different branches of human activity. But they do not know how to make the activities purposeful to fulfill the mission of human life. Because they do not know this secret, all their activities are targeted towards the goal of sense gratification without control, and therefore by all this business they are unknowingly entering into the deep regions of darkness.

Because they have been captivated by the external energy of the Supreme Lord, they have completely forgotten the Supreme Lord Visnu, and thus they have taken it for granted that this life, as presently manifested under the conditions of material nature, is all in all for enjoying the highest amount of sense gratification. But such a wrong conception of life cannot give anyone the desired peace of mind, and thus in spite of all advancement in knowledge by use of the resources of nature, no one is happy in this material civilization. The secret is that at every step they should try to execute sacrifices toward the path of world peace. The Bhagavad-gita (18.45–46) also advises the same secret in the following verses.

sve sve karmany abhiratah
samsiddhim labhate narah
sva-karma-niratah siddhim
yatha vindati tac chrnu

yatah pravrttir bhutanam
yena sarvam idam tatam
sva-karmana tam abhyarcya
siddhim vindati manavah

The Lord said to Arjuna: “Just hear from Me how one can attain the highest perfection in life simply by discharging his specified occupational duty. Man can attain the highest perfection of life by worshiping the Supreme Lord and by performing sacrifice for the sake of the Supreme Lord Visnu, who is all-pervading and by whose control every living being acquires his desired facilities, according to his personal propensity.”

There is no harm in having different propensities in life because every human being is proportionately independent to chalk out the plan of his life by different occupations, but one should make it a point in his life to know perfectly well that he is not independent absolutely. One is certainly under the control of the Supreme Lord and under different agencies. Knowing this, one should make it a point that by his work and the result of his labor he serves the Supreme Lord as prescribed by the authorities expert in the transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord Visnu. For performing such occupational duties of life the leg is the most important instrument of the body because without the help of the legs one cannot move from one place to another, and therefore the Lord has special control over the legs of all human beings, which are meant for performing yajnas.

SB2.10.26

TEXT 26

nirabhidyata sisno vai

prajanandamrtarthinah

upastha asit kamanam

priyam tad-ubhayasrayam

nirabhidyata—came out; sisnah—the genitals; vai—certainly; praja-ananda—sex pleasure; amrta-arthinah—aspiring to taste the nectar; upasthah—the male or female organ; asit—came into existence; kamanam—of the lustful; priyam—very dear; tat—that; ubhaya-asrayam—shelter for both.

Thereupon, for sexual pleasure, begetting offspring and tasting heavenly nectar, the Lord developed the genitals, and thus there is the genital organ and its controlling deity, the Prajapati. The object of sexual pleasure and the controlling deity are under the control of the genitals of the Lord.