Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.11.1
Sarga· CreationAtoms Underlie the Material Body
“The material manifestation’s ultimate particle, which is indivisible and not formed into a body, is called the atom. It exists always as an invisible identity, even after the dissolution of all forms. The material body is but a combination of such atoms, but it is misunderstood by the common man.”
What the purport teaches
- The atom is described as the ultimate indivisible particle, invisible and not formed into a body. It remains even after the dissolution of all forms.
- The material body is a combination of atoms, though the common person misunderstands it.
- Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam includes descriptions of knowledge such as the theory of atomism. The purport calls the atom the minute subtle form of eternal time.
Try this today
Look at your hand and recall the verse’s description of the material body as a combination of atoms.
Ask yourself
How does seeing the body as a combination of atoms change your understanding of it?
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.