Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 40
The Six Dvīpas Beyond Jambūdvīpa and the Cosmic Boundary of Lokāloka
तेषां स्वविभूतीनां लोकपालानां च विविधवीर्योपबृंहणाय भगवान् परममहापुरुषो महाविभूतिपतिरन्तर्याम्यात्मनो विशुद्धसत्त्वं धर्मज्ञानवैराग्यैश्वर्याद्यष्टमहासिद्ध्युपलक्षणं विष्वक्सेनादिभि: स्वपार्षदप्रवरै: परिवारितो निजवरायुधोपशोभितैर्निजभुजदण्डै: सन्धारय-माणस्तस्मिन् गिरिवरे समन्तात्सकललोकस्वस्तय आस्ते ॥ ४० ॥
teṣāṁ sva-vibhūtīnāṁ loka-pālānāṁ ca vividha-vīryopabṛṁhaṇāya bhagavān parama-mahā-puruṣo mahā-vibhūti-patir antaryāmy ātmano viśuddha-sattvaṁ dharma-jñāna-vairāgyaiśvaryādy-aṣṭa-mahā-siddhy-upalakṣaṇaṁ viṣvaksenādibhiḥ sva-pārṣada-pravaraiḥ parivārito nija-varāyudhopaśobhitair nija-bhuja-daṇḍaiḥ sandhārayamāṇas tasmin giri-vare samantāt sakala-loka-svastaya āste.
To increase the varied powers of those elephant kings and the guardians of the worlds, and for the welfare of all beings in every planet, Bhagavān—the Supreme Mahāpuruṣa, master of all transcendental opulences and the indwelling Antaryāmī—manifests atop that mountain in a spiritual form of pure goodness, untouched by material modes. Surrounded by His foremost attendants such as Viṣvaksena, and beautified by the weapons in His four hands, He displays His glories—dharma, knowledge, renunciation, sovereignty—and mystic perfections like aṇimā, laghimā, and mahimā.
FAQs
This verse describes the Supreme Lord as the antaryāmī—present within as the indwelling Self—who sustains and protects the worlds while empowering the cosmic rulers.
In the cosmological narration, Śukadeva highlights that the universe and its administrators function by the Lord’s power; His purity, opulences, and mystic perfections indicate His supreme capacity to uphold and bless all realms.
Remembering that the Lord sustains everything encourages humility and steadiness: do your duty (dharma), seek true knowledge, practice detachment, and rely on the Divine protector rather than anxiety.