Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.12.20
Āśraya· The supreme shelterOne Lord, Innumerable Manifestations
“When many seeds are placed in an agricultural field, innumerable manifestations of trees, bushes, vegetables and so on will arise from a single source, the soil. Similarly, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who gives life to all and is eternal, originally exists beyond the scope of the cosmic manifestation. In the course of time, however, the Lord, who is the resting place of the three modes of nature and the source of the universal lotus flower, in which the cosmic manifestation takes place, divides His material potencies and thus appears to be manifest in innumerable forms, although He is one.”
What the purport teaches
- As many plants arise from seeds placed in one field, innumerable manifestations arise through the Supreme Lord's different potencies. Although He is one, He appears in many forms through these expansions.
- The three modes of material nature are not independent; they remain under the Lord's superior control. All creation takes place within Him, and material objects undergo creation and annihilation by His will.
- Lord Kṛṣṇa is the source of the cosmic manifestation and gives life to all. His original spiritual form is eternal and does not undergo birth, transformation or death.
Try this today
Look at one plant today and recall the verse's example: many manifestations can arise from one source, just as creation depends on the Lord's potencies.
Ask yourself
How does remembering the Lord's control change my view of the changing world?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.