Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 21
Sāṅkhya of Creation and Annihilation
Sarga–Nirodha-viveka
विराण्मयासाद्यमानो लोककल्पविकल्पकः । पञ्चत्वाय विशेषाय कल्पते भुवनैः सह ॥ २१ ॥
virāṇ mayāsādyamāno loka-kalpa-vikalpakaḥ pañcatvāya viśeṣāya kalpate bhuvanaiḥ saha
I am the basis of the universal form, which displays endless variety through the repeated creation, maintenance and destruction of the planetary systems. Originally containing within itself all planets in their dormant state, My universal form manifests the varieties of created existence by arranging the coordinated combination of the five elements.
According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, the word mayā refers to the Lord in His form as eternal time.
FAQs
This verse states that when dissolution arrives, the manifested worlds cease their cycles of arrangement and become fit to merge into the five gross elements (earth, water, fire, air, ether), entering a distinct stage of dissolution.
Krishna instructs Uddhava in tattva-jñāna (truth about reality) to cultivate detachment from temporary cosmic structures and to anchor devotion in the eternal Supreme, beyond creation and dissolution.
It encourages remembering impermanence: worldly arrangements change and end, so one should prioritize steady spiritual practice—bhakti, humility, and inner clarity—over anxiety about shifting external circumstances.