Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.16.37
Āśraya· The supreme shelterThe Lord’s Potency Is Unlimited
“Every universe is covered by seven layers — earth, water, fire, air, sky, the total energy and false ego — each ten times greater than the previous one. There are innumerable universes besides this one, and although they are unlimitedly large, they move about like atoms in You. Therefore You are called unlimited [ananta].”
What the purport teaches
- Each universe has seven coverings: earth, water, fire, air, sky, total material energy and false ego. Each covering is ten times greater than the previous one.
- Millions of universes arise when Mahā-Viṣṇu exhales and are annihilated when He inhales. Mahā-Viṣṇu is a portion of a plenary portion of Govinda, Kṛṣṇa.
- Innumerable vast universes move like atoms within the Lord. The entire material world manifests only one fourth of His energy, so He is called ananta, unlimited.
Try this today
Reread the translation slowly, then offer a brief prayer appreciating the Lord’s unlimited greatness.
Ask yourself
What does the vastness of the universes help you appreciate about the Lord’s unlimited potency?
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.