Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 9
Kriyā-yoga, the Virāṭ-Puruṣa Mapping, and the Sun-God’s Monthly Expansions
यावानयं वै पुरुषो यावत्या संस्थया मित: । तावानसावपि महापुरुषो लोकसंस्थया ॥ ९ ॥
yāvān ayaṁ vai puruṣo yāvatyā saṁsthayā mitaḥ tāvān asāv api mahā- puruṣo loka-saṁsthayā
Just as one measures an ordinary person by the dimensions of his limbs, so the dimensions of the Mahāpuruṣa are understood by measuring the arrangement of the planetary systems within His universal form.
FAQs
This verse explains that just as an individual soul is understood through the measure of its body, the Supreme Mahā-puruṣa is understood through the measure of the entire cosmic arrangement—the universe as His vast manifestation.
To help the listener grasp the Lord’s all-pervading greatness through an accessible analogy: the body is the ‘field’ by which a person is perceived, and the cosmos is the ‘field’ by which the Supreme Person’s universal manifestation is perceived.
It encourages humility and God-consciousness: seeing one’s body as limited while recognizing a higher, all-encompassing order—prompting reverence, responsibility, and devotion rather than ego-centered living.