Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.6.4
Sarga· CreationKṛṣṇa Is the Source of the Universal Form
“When the twenty-three principal elements were set in action by the will of the Supreme, the gigantic universal form, or the viśvarūpa body of the Lord, came into existence.”
What the purport teaches
- The universal form appeared when the Lord set the twenty-three elements into action. It is a material manifestation, not an eternal form in the spiritual sky.
- Kṛṣṇa exhibited the universal form to Arjuna to establish that He is the original Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇa is its source, not its product.
- The worshipable Deity, or arcā-vigraha, is also a manifestation of the Lord for beginners. Despite their material touch, the universal form and the Deity are nondifferent from His eternal form as Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Try this today
Repeat this teaching thoughtfully today: “Kṛṣṇa exhibited the universal form; the universal form did not produce Kṛṣṇa.”
Ask yourself
How does knowing that Kṛṣṇa reveals the universal form deepen my understanding of Him?
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.