Devanagari
विश्वं वै ब्रह्मतन्मात्रं संस्थितं विष्णुमायया ।
ईश्वरेण परिच्छिन्नं कालेनाव्यक्तमूर्तिना ॥ १२ ॥
Verse text
viśvaṁ vai brahma-tan-mātraṁ
saṁsthitaṁ viṣṇu-māyayā
īśvareṇa paricchinnaṁ
kālenāvyakta-mūrtinā
Synonyms
viśvam
—
the material phenomenon
;
vai
—
certainly
;
brahma
—
the Supreme
;
tat
—
mātram — the same as
;
saṁsthitam
—
situated
;
viṣṇu
—
māyayā — by the energy of Viṣṇu
;
īśvareṇa
—
by the Personality of Godhead
;
paricchinnam
—
separated
;
kālena
—
by the eternal time
;
avyakta
—
unmanifested
;
mūrtinā
—
by such a feature .
Translation
This cosmic manifestation is separated from the Supreme Lord as material energy by means of kāla, which is the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Lord. It is situated as the objective manifestation of the Lord under the influence of the same material energy of Viṣṇu.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
This universe which is firmly established by the māyā of Viṣṇu, whose cause is the Lord, is divided into various planets and living beings by time, whose form is invisible, and which is a representative of the Lord’s power.
This verse explains that time divides up the universe. Bu the energy of the Lord māyā, this universe is established firmly (saṁṣthitam). Its cause is the Lord. It is divided by time, a form of the Lord’s influence. “Divided” means that it is divided variously as described above. Its form is invisible. This explains the term “without particular attributes” in the previous verse.
Purport
As stated previously by Nārada before Vyāsadeva (
Bhāg.
1.5.20
),
idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān ivetaraḥ:
this manifested world is the selfsame Personality of Godhead, but it appears to be something else beyond or besides the Lord. It appears so because of its being separated from the Lord by means of
kāla.
It is something like the tape-recorded voice of a person who is now separated from the voice. As the tape recording is situated on the tape, so the whole cosmic manifestation is situated on the material energy and appears separate by means of
kāla.
The material manifestation is therefore the objective manifestation of the Supreme Lord and exhibits His impersonal feature so much adored by impersonalist philosophers.