Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Madhya 25.113
The Lord Exists Before and After Creation
“ ‘Prior to the cosmic manifestation, only I exist, and no phenomena exist, either gross, subtle or primordial. After creation, only I exist in everything, and after annihilation, only I remain eternally.’
What the purport teaches
- Before the cosmic manifestation, the Lord alone exists. No gross, subtle or primordial phenomena exist then.
- After creation, the Lord exists in everything. After annihilation, He alone remains eternally.
- The purport identifies this as the first verse of the catuḥ-ślokī, quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Try this today
Read the translation slowly once, noticing what it says about before creation, after creation and after annihilation.
Ask yourself
How does the Lord’s eternal existence change the way I view things that come and go?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport; the practice and question are plain words for trying the verse today.