SB 3.21.19 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

एक: स्वयं सञ्जगत: सिसृक्षया- द्वितीययात्मन्नधियोगमायया । सृजस्यद: पासि पुनर्ग्रसिष्यसे यथोर्णनाभिर्भगवन् स्वशक्तिभि: ॥ १९ ॥

Verse text

ekaḥ svayaṁ saṣ jagataḥ sisṛkṣayā- dvitīyayātmann adhi-yogamāyayā sṛjasy adaḥ pāsi punar grasiṣyase yathorṇa-nābhir bhagavan sva-śaktibhiḥ

Synonyms

ekaḥ — one ; svayam — Yourself ; san — being ; jagataḥ — the universes ; sisṛkṣayā — with a desire to create ; advitīyayā — without a second ; ātman — in Yourself ; adhi — controlling ; yoga — māyayā — by yoga-māyā ; sṛjasi — You create ; adaḥ — those universes ; pāsi — You maintain ; punaḥ — again ; grasiṣyase — You will wind up ; yathā — like ; ūrṇa — nābhiḥ — a spider ; bhagavan — O Lord ; sva — śaktibhiḥ — by its own energy .

Translation

My dear Lord, You alone create the universes. O Personality of Godhead, desiring to create these universes, You create them, maintain them and again wind them up by Your own energies, which are under the control of Your second energy, called yoga-māyā, just as a spider creates a cobweb by its own energy and again winds it up.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

O Lord! You alone exist, and desiring to create the universe, since there is no one else to desire, you create, maintain and destroy this universe through the guṇas, using material energy which contacts you through your glance, just as a spider creates a web independently. “You say the devotees are fortunate, but that you cannot be free of desire. Why do you not fulfil your desires by worshipping devatās who quickly fulfil those desires?” “But I do not see anyone except you in this universe.” That is stated in this verse. You alone exist. It is your desire alone to create, since there is no one else (advitīyayā), or, it is your desire to create, which becomes Brahmā’s desire. You alone permit him. You perform creation by your māyā which attained (adhi) you (atman) by contact (yoga) with your glance. Or you create the universe (adaḥ) by your material guṇas which you accepted through the influence of your spiritual energy (yoga-māyayā) under your control. The example of the spider is given to show that no one except the Lord performs the creation. I should serve you alone, even if I have material desires, since no devatās exist except you.

Purport

In this verse two important words nullify the impersonalist theory that everything is God. Here Kardama says, “O Personality of Godhead, You are alone, but You have various energies.” The example of the spider is very significant also. The spider is an individual living entity, and by its energy it creates a cobweb and plays on it, and whenever it likes it winds up the cobweb, thus ending the play. When the cobweb is manufactured by the saliva of the spider, the spider does not become impersonal. Similarly, the creation and manifestation of the material or spiritual energy does not render the creator impersonal. Here the very prayer suggests that God is sentient and can hear the prayers and fulfill the desires of the devotee. Therefore, He is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, the form of bliss, knowledge and eternity.