Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 2.10.28
Sarga· CreationLife and Departure Reveal Our Dependence
“Thereafter, when He desired to move from one body to another, the navel and the air of departure and death were combinedly created. The navel is the shelter for both, namely death and the separating force.”
What the purport teaches
- The prāṇa-vāyu maintains life, while the apāna-vāyu stops the living force. Both arise from the abdominal opening, the navel.
- The navel is described as the joint between bodies. The purport illustrates this through Brahmā’s birth from Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and a child’s separation from the mother by cutting the navel joint.
- The Supreme Lord thus manifested Himself as separated many. The living entities are separated parts and have no independence.
Try this today
Reflect for one minute on the statement that living entities are separated parts of the Supreme Lord and are not independent.
Ask yourself
How does understanding myself as a dependent part of the Supreme Lord affect my sense of self?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.