Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 3
Nara-Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi and the Lord’s Unlimited Incarnations
भूतैर्यदा पञ्चभिरात्मसृष्टै: पुरं विराजं विरचय्य तस्मिन् । स्वांशेन विष्ट: पुरुषाभिधान- मवाप नारायण आदिदेव: ॥ ३ ॥
bhūtair yadā pañcabhir ātma-sṛṣṭaiḥ puraṁ virājaṁ viracayya tasmin svāṁśena viṣṭaḥ puruṣābhidhānam avāpa nārāyaṇa ādi-devaḥ
ആദിദേവനായ നാരായണൻ തനിൽ നിന്നുത്ഭവിച്ച പഞ്ചഭൂതങ്ങളാൽ വിരാട്-പുരം (വിശ്വദേഹം) സൃഷ്ടിച്ച്, തന്റെ സ്വാംശത്തോടെ അതിൽ പ്രവേശിച്ചപ്പോൾ, അവൻ ‘പുരുഷൻ’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധനായി।
The words bhūtaiḥ pañcabhiḥ in this verse refer to the five gross material elements — earth, water, fire, air and sky — which form the basic building blocks of the material world. When the conditioned living entity enters within these five elements, consciousness becomes manifest, along with the functions of the mind and intelligence. Unfortunately, the consciousness manifest under the modes of material nature is governed by ahaṅkāra, or false ego, in which the living entity wrongly considers himself the enjoyer of the material elements. Although the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Puruṣottama, enjoys His pure transcendental existence in the spiritual sky, the material elements are also meant for His enjoyment, through the process of yajña, or sacrifice. This material world is called Devī-dhāma, or the abode of the illusory energy of the Lord, Māyādevī. The Brahma-saṁhitā explains that the Supreme Person is not at all attracted to His inferior energy, māyā, but when the material creation is used in the devotional service of the Lord, the Lord becomes attracted by the devotion and sacrifice of the living entities, and thus, indirectly, He is also the enjoyer of the material world.
FAQs
This verse says that Nārāyaṇa arranged the universal form (Virāṭ) using the five self-created elements and then entered it by His own plenary portion, thereby being known as “Puruṣa.”
Because after manifesting the cosmic body and entering it as His own expansion, He functions as the indwelling cosmic Person—the Puruṣa—within creation.
It trains one to see the world as pervaded by the Lord’s presence, encouraging reverence, responsibility, and devotion rather than seeing matter as separate from God.