Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.18.38
Sarga· CreationKṛṣṇa Is the Original Cause
“O Lord, You do not desire the creation, maintenance or annihilation of this material world, but You perform these activities for the conditioned souls by Your creative energy. Exactly as a piece of iron moves under the influence of a lodestone, inert matter moves when You glance over the total material energy.”
What the purport teaches
- The Supreme Lord does not create the material world to inflict suffering. He creates it because the conditioned souls want to enjoy it.
- Material nature does not work independently. Just as a lodestone moves iron, the Lord’s glance sets inert material energy into motion.
- Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the original cause of the cosmic manifestation. Material nature becomes a secondary cause only through His energy.
Try this today
Today, pause while observing something moving in nature and remember that material nature acts through the Lord’s energy.
Ask yourself
How does knowing that material nature depends on Kṛṣṇa change the way you see the world?
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.