SB 8.3.5 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

कालेन पञ्चत्वमितेषु कृत्स्‍नशो लोकेषु पालेषु च सर्वहेतुषु । तमस्तदासीद् गहनं गभीरं यस्तस्य पारेऽभिविराजते विभु: ॥ ५ ॥

Verse text

kālena paṣcatvam iteṣu kṛtsnaśo lokeṣu pāleṣu ca sarva-hetuṣu tamas tadāsīd gahanaṁ gabhīraṁ yas tasya pāre ’bhivirājate vibhuḥ

Synonyms

kālena — in due course of time (after millions and millions of years) ; paṣcatvam — when everything illusory is annihilated ; iteṣu — all transformations ; kṛtsnaśaḥ — with everything within this cosmic manifestation ; lokeṣu — all the planets, or everything that exists ; pāleṣu — maintainers like Lord Brahmā ; ca — also ; sarva — hetuṣu — all causative existences ; tamaḥ — great darkness ; tadā — then ; āsīt — was ; gahanam — very dense ; gabhīram — very deep ; yaḥ — the Supreme Personality of Godhead who ; tasya — this dark situation ; pāre — over and above ; abhivirājate — exists or shines ; vibhuḥ — the Supreme .

Translation

In due course of time, when all the causative and effective manifestations of the universe, including the planets and their directors and maintainers, are annihilated, there is a situation of dense darkness. Above this darkness, however, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I take shelter of His lotus feet.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

When in time all causes, effects and all devatās were destroyed, there was deep darkness, difficult to penetrate. The Lord alone remained above this darkness. This verse explains that the Lord exists at all times. The Lord remains beyond the influence of the darkness produced during the time of destruction of the universe. Śruti says āditya-varṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt: the Lord shines like the sun beyond the darkness. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3.8)

Purport

From the Vedic mantras we understand that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is above everything. He is supreme, above all the demigods, including Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva. He is the supreme controller. When everything disappears by the influence of His energy, the cosmic situation is one of dense darkness. The Supreme Lord, however, is the sunshine, as confirmed in the Vedic mantras: āditya-varṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt. In our daily experience, when we on earth are in the darkness of night, the sun is always luminous somewhere in the sky. Similarly, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme sun, always remains luminous, even when the entire cosmic manifestation is annihilated in due course of time.