Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.6.8
Āśraya· The supreme shelterAll Creation Rests in the Lord
“The gigantic universal form of the Supreme Lord is the first incarnation and plenary portion of the Supersoul. He is the Self of an unlimited number of living entities, and in Him rests the aggregate creation, which thus flourishes.”
What the purport teaches
- The gigantic universal form is the first incarnation and plenary portion of the Supersoul. The aggregate creation rests and flourishes in Him.
- The Lord expands through personal plenary expansions and separated minute expansions. His personal expansions are viṣṇu-tattvas, while the separated expansions are living entities.
- Because living entities are very small, they are described as the Lord’s marginal energy. Although some consider them identical with the Supersoul, the purport distinguishes these two kinds of expansion.
Try this today
Write down the two kinds of the Lord’s expansions today, noting where the living entities belong.
Ask yourself
How does seeing myself as a minute expansion of the Lord shape my sense of dependence on 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.