Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 27
Brahmā’s Day, the Four Pralayas, and the Supreme Shelter Beyond Cause–Effect
सत्यं ह्यवयव: प्रोक्त: सर्वावयविनामिह । विनार्थेन प्रतीयेरन् पटस्येवाङ्ग तन्तव: ॥ २७ ॥
satyaṁ hy avayavaḥ proktaḥ sarvāvayavinām iha vinārthena pratīyeran paṭasyevāṅga tantavaḥ
王よ、ここでは、あらゆる複合物を成り立たせる素材因（構成要素）は、それ自体として別個の実在として知覚され得ると言われる。布を成す糸が布とは別に認識されるように。
FAQs
This verse states that parts are considered real only in relation to the real composite they belong to; without the underlying substance/whole, the parts would not be meaningfully perceived—illustrated by threads being understood through the cloth.
In Canto 12, Śukadeva is giving Parīkṣit a philosophical clarification about reality, perception, and how attributes and components depend on an underlying entity—supporting the Bhagavatam’s broader teaching on tattva and ultimate truth.
Focus on the underlying reality rather than getting lost in fragments—see people, situations, and even the self as integrated wholes, and direct attention toward the ultimate substance (Bhagavān) rather than only external details.