Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.17.33
Āśraya· The supreme shelterThe Lord Is the Cause of All Causes
“My dear Lord, by Your own potencies You are the original cause of the material elements, the performing instruments (the senses), the workers of the senses (the controlling demigods), the intelligence and the ego, as well as everything else. By Your energy You manifest this entire cosmic creation, maintain it and dissolve it. Through Your energy alone everything is sometimes manifest and sometimes not manifest. You are therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.”
What the purport teaches
- Creation begins with the total energy, the mahat-tattva. Through the agitation of the three guṇas, the physical elements, mind, ego and controllers of the senses arise.
- These are created one after another by the Lord’s inconceivable energy. Like a mechanic setting off a chain reaction with one button, the Lord sets creation in motion.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead manifests, maintains and dissolves the cosmic creation through His energies. Everything follows His inconceivable plan, and He is worthy of our respectful obeisances.
Try this today
Offer one respectful prayer to the Lord, acknowledging Him as the source and maintainer of everything.
Ask yourself
How might recognizing the Lord as the cause of all causes deepen my respect for 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.