Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.5.23
Āśraya· The supreme shelterThe Supreme Person Exists Before Creation
“The Personality of Godhead, the master of all living entities, existed prior to the creation as one without a second. It is by His will only that creation is made possible and again everything merges in Him. This Supreme Self is symptomized by different names.”
What the purport teaches
- Maitreya’s explanation comes from hearing directly from the Lord. The original teaching refers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not to the individual living entities.
- Before material creation, the Personality of Godhead alone existed, with His energies merged in Him. Material existence was dormant, while spiritual existence remained with the Lord.
- The Lord is the master of all living entities, like the sun disc in relation to the particles of its rays. By His will, material creation appears and is again withdrawn.
Try this today
Pause today and remember: the Lord is the master, and my existence depends on Him.
Ask yourself
What does my dependence on the Supreme Personality of Godhead mean for my sense of independence?
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.