SB 5.12.10 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

एवं कृशं स्थूलमणुर्बृहद्यद् असच्च सज्जीवमजीवमन्यत् । द्रव्यस्वभावाशयकालकर्म- नाम्नाजयावेहि कृतं द्वितीयम् ॥ १० ॥

Verse text

evaṁ kṛśaṁ sthūlam aṇur bṛhad yad asac ca saj jīvam ajīvam anyat dravya-svabhāvāśaya-kāla-karma- nāmnājayāvehi kṛtaṁ dvitīyam

Synonyms

evam — thus ; kṛśam — skinny or short ; sthūlam — fat ; aṇuḥ — tiny ; bṛhat — big ; yat — which ; asat — impermanent ; ca — and ; sat — existing ; jīvam — the living entities ; ajīvam — inanimate, lifeless matter ; anyat — other causes ; dravya — phenomena ; sva — bhāva — nature ; āśaya — disposition ; kāla — time ; karma — activities ; nāmnā — only by such names ; ajayā — by material nature ; avehi — you should understand ; kṛtam — done ; dvitīyam — duality .

Translation

Since this universe has no real ultimate existence, the things within it — shortness, differences, grossness, skinniness, smallness, bigness, result, cause, living symptoms, and materials — are all imagined. They are all pots made of the same substance, earth, but they are named differently. The differences are characterized by the substance, nature, predisposition, time and activity. You should know that all these are simply mechanical manifestations created by material nature.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Know that everything is made by māyā, characterized by substance, nature, mind, time and karma, with divisions of fine and very fine, big and very big, cause and effect, conscious and unconscious objects One should know that everything is made of māyā (ajayā), characterized by substance, nature, mind, time, or karma, or distinct qualities like fine and very fine (aṇūh,) big and very big (bṛhat), cause (asat) and effect (sat), objects with consciousness (jīvam) and objects without consciousness (ajīvam).

Purport

The temporary manifestations and varieties within this material world are simply creations of material nature under various circumstances: prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ. The actions and reactions carried out by the material nature are sometimes accepted as our scientific inventions; therefore we want to take credit for them and defy the existence of God. This is described in Bhagavad-gītā (3.27) , ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate: due to being covered by the illusory external energy, the living entity tries to take credit for the differentiated creations within the material world. Actually all these are being created automatically by the material force set in motion by the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore the ultimate cause is the Supreme Person. As stated in Brahma-saṁhitā: īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam He is the cause of all causes, the ultimate cause. In this regard Śrīla Madhvācārya says: evaṁ sarvaṁ tathā prakṛtvayai kalpitaṁ viṣṇor anyat. evaṁ prakṛtyādhāraḥ svayam ananyādhāro viṣṇur eva ataḥ sarva-śabdāś ca tasminn eva. Actually the original cause is Lord Viṣṇu, but out of ignorance people think that matter is the cause of everything. rājā goptāśrayo bhūmiḥ śaraṇaṁ ceti laukikaḥ vyavahāro na tat satyaṁ tayor brahmāśrayo vibhuḥ Things are contemplated on the ephemeral or external platform, but actually this is not the truth. The actual protector and shelter of everyone is Brahman, the Supreme, not the king. goptrī ca tasya prakṛtis tasyā viṣṇuḥ svayaṁ prabhuḥ tava goptrī tu pṛthivī na tvaṁ goptā kṣiteḥ smṛtaḥ ataḥ sarvāśrayaiś caiva goptā ca harir īśvaraḥ sarva-śabdābhidheyaś ca śabda-vṛtter hi kāraṇam sarvāntaraḥ sarva-bahir eka eva janārdanaḥ The actual protectress is the material nature, but Viṣṇu is her Lord. He is the Lord of everything. Lord Janārdana is the director both externally and internally. He is the cause of the function of words and what is expressed in all sound. śirasodhāratā yadvad grīvāyās tadvad eva tu āśrayatvaṁ ca goptṛtvam anyeṣām upacārataḥ Lord Viṣṇu is the resting place of the entire creation: brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham ( Bg. 14.27 ). On Brahman, everything is resting. All the universes are resting on the brahmajyoti, and all the planets are resting on the universal atmosphere. In each and every planet there are oceans, hills, states and kingdoms, and each planet is giving shelter to so many living entities. They are all standing on the earth of feet and legs, torso and shoulders, but actually everything is resting ultimately on the potencies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore He is known ultimately as sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam, the cause of all causes.