Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.5.6
Āśraya· The supreme shelterCreation Rests Within the Lord
“He lies down on His own heart spread in the form of the sky, and thus placing the whole creation in that space, He expands Himself into many living entities, which are manifested as different species of life. He does not have to endeavor for His maintenance, because He is the master of all mystic powers and the proprietor of everything. Thus He is distinct from the living entities.”
What the purport teaches
- Descriptions of creation differ in small details because they concern different kalpas, or millenniums. The creative principles and the Lord's control remain the same.
- The gigantic sky is described as the Lord's material body, the virāṭ-rūpa. All material creations rest within it, described here as His heart.
- Living entities are the Lord's superior energy, while matter is His inferior energy; their combination manifests the material world. The Lord remains distinct from living entities and needs no endeavor for His own maintenance.
Try this today
Look at the sky for a moment and reflect on the teaching that all material creation rests within the Lord.
Ask yourself
How does seeing both life and matter as the Lord's energies change 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.