Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 6
Nondual Vision Beyond Praise and Blame
Dvandva-nivṛtti and Ātma-viveka
आत्मैव तदिदं विश्वं सृज्यते सृजति प्रभु: । त्रायते त्राति विश्वात्मा ह्रियते हरतीश्वर: ॥ ६ ॥ तस्मान्न ह्यात्मनोऽन्यस्मादन्यो भावो निरूपित: । निरूपितेऽयं त्रिविधा निर्मूला भातिरात्मनि । इदं गुणमयं विद्धि त्रिविधं मायया कृतम् ॥ ७ ॥
ātmaiva tad idaṁ viśvaṁ sṛjyate sṛjati prabhuḥ trāyate trāti viśvātmā hriyate haratīśvaraḥ
The Supersoul alone is the ultimate controller and creator of this world, and thus He alone is also the created. Similarly, the Soul of all existence Himself both maintains and is maintained, withdraws and is withdrawn. No other entity can be properly ascertained as separate from Him, the Supreme Soul, who nonetheless is distinct from everything and everyone else. The appearance of the threefold material nature, which is perceived within Him, has no actual basis. Rather, you should understand that this material nature, composed of the three modes, is simply the product of His illusory potency.
The Absolute Truth, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, expands His external potency and thus creates the material cosmos. As with the sun globe and its expanded rays, the Lord and His expanded potency are simultaneously one and different. Although to conditioned souls material duality seems to be based on the modes of nature, the entire material manifestation is actually nondifferent from the Lord and is of one ultimately spiritual nature. The modes of nature create sense objects, demigods, human beings, animals, friends, enemies and so forth. But in reality, everything is simply an expansion of the potency of the Supreme Lord.
FAQs
This verse states that the Supreme Self alone manifests as the universe and performs all cosmic functions—creation, protection, and withdrawal—while also being present within the very effects.
In the Uddhava-gītā teachings, Kṛṣṇa explains the nature of the Self and māyā so Uddhava can see one Supreme Reality behind all changing states and thus become steady in devotion and knowledge.
Train yourself to respond with humility and compassion—seeing one divine presence in all—reducing ego-based conflict and increasing steadiness in both success and loss.