Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 4
Nara-Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi and the Lord’s Unlimited Incarnations
यत्काय एष भुवनत्रयसन्निवेशो यस्येन्द्रियैस्तनुभृतामुभयेन्द्रियाणि । ज्ञानं स्वत: श्वसनतो बलमोज ईहा सत्त्वादिभि: स्थितिलयोद्भव आदिकर्ता ॥ ४ ॥
yat-kāya eṣa bhuvana-traya-sanniveśo yasyendriyais tanu-bhṛtām ubhayendriyāṇi jñānaṁ svataḥ śvasanato balam oja īhā sattvādibhiḥ sthiti-layodbhava ādi-kartā
यस्य काय एष भुवनत्रयसन्निवेशः; यस्य दिव्येन्द्रियैः सर्वदेहिनाम् उभयेन्द्रियाणि प्रवर्तन्ते। स्वतः श्वसनतो बलमोज ईहा च, सत्त्वादिगुणैः सृष्टि-स्थिति-लयहेतुरादिकर्ता स एव।
When a conditioned soul becomes completely exhausted by his strenuous activities, or when he is overcome by disease, death or fear, he loses all power to manifest practical knowledge or activities. Thus we should understand that independent of the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead we can neither work nor cultivate knowledge. By the mercy of the Personality of Godhead the conditioned soul acquires a material body, which is a perverted reflection of the unlimited spiritual body of the Lord. Thus the living entity engages in ignorant materialistic activities for society, friendship and love. But the entire program suddenly vanishes with the unforeseen dissolution of the material body. Similarly, our material knowledge is always subject to become null and void within an instant, since the material nature is itself constantly changing. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the prime mover behind the birth, maintenance and destruction of the universe. And the living entity should try to understand that Personality of Godhead who has given him so much facility for illusion. The Personality of Godhead actually wants the conditioned soul to surrender to Him and regain an eternal life of bliss and knowledge at the Lord’s side. The conditioned soul should reason, “If the Lord is giving me so much facility to merge into ignorance, surely He will give even more facility to come out of this ignorance if I humbly follow His direction without foolish speculations.”
FAQs
This verse explains that the Lord is the ādi-kartā, the prime cause: through the guṇas such as sattva He manifests creation, sustains the worlds, and brings about dissolution.
He is teaching Parīkṣit Mahārāja the Lord’s all-pervading supremacy: the cosmos and its functions depend on Him, so devotion is directed to the ultimate shelter rather than to temporary manifestations.
Seeing one’s life-force, abilities, and intelligence as gifts from the Supreme fosters humility, gratitude, and steady bhakti instead of pride and anxiety over temporary power.