Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.11.40
Sarga· CreationThe Material Universe Has Ordered Categories
“This phenomenal material world is expanded to a diameter of four billion miles, as a combination of eight material elements transformed into sixteen further categories, within and without, as follows.”
What the purport teaches
- Sāṅkhya philosophy analytically studies the material world. Its sixteen diversities are the eleven senses and five sense objects.
- The eight gross and subtle material elements are earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence and ego. Together with the sixteen diversities, they are distributed throughout the universe.
- The universe described here has a diameter of four billion miles. Beyond our experienced universe are innumerable others, some larger, composed of similar material elements.
Try this today
Write out the eight material elements, noting that they include mind, intelligence and ego.
Ask yourself
What changes in my perspective when I consider mind, intelligence and ego among the material elements?
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.