Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.22.7
Sarga· CreationDifferent Counts Reflect Different Methods
“O best among men, because subtle and gross elements mutually enter into one another, philosophers may calculate the number of basic material elements in different ways, according to their personal desire.”
What the purport teaches
- Material creation unfolds as a chain reaction. Subtle elements expand and transform into progressively denser elements.
- A cause is present within its effect, and the effect is subtly present within its cause. In this sense, subtle and gross elements enter into one another.
- Philosophers may assign different numbers and names according to their methods. Pride in one’s theory does not remove the influence of personal inclinations.
Try this today
Reread the verse and write one sentence explaining why different methods can produce different counts.
Ask yourself
Could a difference in classification explain a disagreement I have treated as a contradiction?
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.