Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 12.4.26
Āśraya· The supreme shelterThe Universe Appears Within the Absolute Truth
“Just as clouds in the sky come into being and are then dispersed by the amalgamation and dissolution of their constituent elements, this material universe is created and destroyed within the Absolute Truth by the amalgamation and dissolution of its elemental, constituent parts.”
What the purport teaches
- Clouds come into being when their constituent elements combine, and disperse when those elements separate.
- Similarly, the material universe is created and destroyed through the combination and dissolution of its elemental parts.
- Both the creation and destruction of this universe take place within the Absolute Truth.
Try this today
Look at the sky today and recall the verse’s comparison between clouds and the material universe.
Ask yourself
How does the example of clouds help you understand the universe’s temporary appearance?
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.