Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 5
Vidura’s Questions on Devotion and Sarga; Maitreya Begins the Account of Creation
करोति कर्माणि कृतावतारो यान्यात्मतन्त्रो भगवांस्त्र्यधीश: । यथा ससर्जाग्र इदं निरीह: संस्थाप्य वृत्तिं जगतो विधत्ते ॥ ५ ॥
karoti karmāṇi kṛtāvatāro yāny ātma-tantro bhagavāṁs tryadhīśaḥ yathā sasarjāgra idaṁ nirīhaḥ saṁsthāpya vṛttiṁ jagato vidhatte
হে মহর্ষি, কৃপা কৰি বৰ্ণনা কৰক—ত্রিলোকাধীশ, স্বতন্ত্ৰ আৰু নিৰীহ ভগৱানে অৱতাৰ গ্ৰহণ কৰি কোন কোন লীলা-কর্ম কৰে; আৰু আদিতে এই জগত কেনেকৈ সৃষ্টি কৰি, তাৰ স্থিতিৰ বাবে নিয়মবদ্ধ ব্যৱস্থা কেনেকৈ স্থাপন কৰিলে।
Lord Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead from whom the three creative incarnations, namely the puruṣa-avatāras — Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu — expand. The whole material creation is conducted by the three puruṣas in successive stages under the external energy of the Lord, and thus material nature is controlled by Him. Thinking material nature to be independent is like seeking milk from the nipplelike bags on the neck of a goat. The Lord is independent and desireless. He does not create the material world for His own satisfaction as we create our household affairs to fulfill our material desires. Actually the material world is created for the illusory enjoyment of the conditioned souls, who have been against the transcendental service of the Lord since time immemorial. But the material universes are full in themselves. There is no scarcity for maintenance in the material world. Because of their poor fund of knowledge, the materialists are disturbed when there is an apparent increase of population on the earth. Whenever there is a living being on the earth, however, his subsistence is immediately arranged by the Lord. The other species of living entities, who far outnumber human society, are never disturbed for maintenance; they are never seen dying of starvation. It is only human society that is disturbed about the food situation and, to cover up the real fact of administrative mismanagement, takes shelter in the plea that the population is excessively increasing. If there is any scarcity in the world, it is the scarcity of God consciousness; otherwise, by the grace of the Lord, there is no scarcity of anything.
FAQs
This verse describes the Lord as try-adhīśaḥ, the master of the three guṇas—He governs material nature yet remains independent and not forced by it.
The verse explains that His actions are not driven by material desire; He acts by His own will to create, establish order, and sustain the world’s functioning.
Cultivate inner discipline and dependence on dharma and devotion rather than being pushed by impulses—modeling steadiness while performing duties without selfish motivation.