Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 26
Brahmā’s Day, the Four Pralayas, and the Supreme Shelter Beyond Cause–Effect
यथा जलधरा व्योम्नि भवन्ति न भवन्ति च । ब्रह्मणीदं तथा विश्वमवयव्युदयाप्ययात् ॥ २६ ॥
yathā jala-dharā vyomni bhavanti na bhavanti ca brahmaṇīdaṁ tathā viśvam avayavy udayāpyayāt
Just as clouds in the sky come into being and are then dispersed by the amalgamation and dissolution of their constituent elements, this material universe is created and destroyed within the Absolute Truth by the amalgamation and dissolution of its elemental, constituent parts.
FAQs
This verse explains that the universe appears within Brahman like clouds in the sky—experienced as real, yet not independently real—because it is a changing composite that arises and dissolves.
To help Parīkṣit grasp detachment and clear metaphysical understanding: worldly forms come and go, while the Absolute (Brahman) remains the constant substratum.
Treat changing circumstances—success, loss, status, anxiety—as passing “clouds,” and anchor your identity and purpose in the unchanging spiritual reality, cultivating steadiness, humility, and devotion.