Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 61

यो माययेदं पुरुरूपयासृजद् बिभर्ति भूय: क्षपयत्यविक्रिय: । यद्भेदबुद्धि: सदिवात्मदु:स्थया त्वमात्मतन्त्रं भगवन् प्रतीमहि ॥ ६१ ॥

yo māyayedaṁ puru-rūpayāsṛjad bibharti bhūyaḥ kṣapayaty avikriyaḥ yad-bheda-buddhiḥ sad ivātma-duḥsthayā tvam ātma-tantraṁ bhagavan pratīmahi

噢薄伽梵,您以多样形态的幻力创造此宇宙,似乎令其恒常而维持之,终又使之归于毁灭;而您自身却永不变异。众生因自我困厄而起分别心,以为您与世界相离;但我明见您乃全然自主的至上灵。

yaḥhe who
yaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun; Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular
māyayāby (his) māyā
māyayā:
Karaṇa (करण/instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootmāyā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular
idamthis (universe)
idam:
Karma (कर्म/object)
TypeNoun
Rootidam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun; Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular
puru-rūpayāwith many forms
puru-rūpayā:
Karaṇa (करण/instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootpuru (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; karmadhāraya: ‘many-formed (power/form)’
asṛjatcreated
asṛjat:
Kriyā (क्रिया/predicate)
TypeVerb
Root√sṛj (सृज्, धातु)
FormImperfect (लङ्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; parasmaipada
bibhartisustains/bears
bibharti:
Kriyā (क्रिया/predicate)
TypeVerb
Root√bhṛ (भृ, धातु)
FormPresent (लट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; parasmaipada
bhūyaḥagain/further
bhūyaḥ:
Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootbhūyaḥ (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; adverb (पुनरर्थक)
kṣapayatidestroys/causes to perish
kṣapayati:
Kriyā (क्रिया/predicate)
TypeVerb
Root√kṣi (क्षि, धातु; causative/ṇic)
FormPresent (लट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; causative sense ‘causes to perish/destroys’
avikriyaḥunchanging
avikriyaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Roota-vikriya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; qualifying yaḥ
yat-bheda-buddhiḥ(that) notion of difference
yat-bheda-buddhiḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + bheda (प्रातिपदिक) + buddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; tatpuruṣa: ‘discriminating notion of difference’ with relative yat- (‘whose/wherein’)
satas if real
sat:
Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsat (√as, अस्; शतृ/प्रातिपदिकवत्)
FormAvyaya usage; ‘as/being’ (सत्) used adverbially with iva
ivaas if
iva:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiva (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; simile particle
ātma-duḥsthayāby self-affliction
ātma-duḥsthayā:
Karaṇa (करण/instrument/cause)
TypeNoun
Rootātman (प्रातिपदिक) + duḥstha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; tatpuruṣa: ‘by the misery/affliction of the self’
tvamyou
tvam:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootyusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun; Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular
ātma-tantramself-governed
ātma-tantram:
Karma (कर्म/object-complement)
TypeAdjective
Rootātman (प्रातिपदिक) + tantra (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; used predicatively/object-complement with pratīmahi; tatpuruṣa: ‘self-dependent/under one’s own control’
bhagavanO Lord
bhagavan:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/address)
TypeNoun
Rootbhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular
pratīmahiwe recognize/consider
pratīmahi:
Kriyā (क्रिया/predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootprati-√mā (मा, धातु)
FormPresent (लट्), 1st Person (उत्तमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन); ātmanepada

It is clearly explained that Lord Kṛṣṇa has multienergies, which can be grouped into three, namely the external energy, the internal energy and the marginal energy. There are also different cosmic manifestations — namely the spiritual world and the material world — as well as different types of living entities. Some living entities are conditioned, and others are eternally free. The eternally free living entities are called nitya-mukta, for they never come in contact with the material energy. However, some living entities are conditioned in this material world, and thus they think themselves separated from the Supreme Lord. Due to their contact with the material energy, their existence is always troublesome. Being always in distress, the conditioned soul considers the material energy to be very much disturbing. This fact is explained by a Vaiṣṇava kavi, or poet:

B
Bhagavan (Supreme Lord)
P
Pracetas

FAQs

This verse says the Lord manifests, maintains, and withdraws the universe through māyā, while the perceived divisions are only “as if real,” arising from the conditioned soul’s disturbed state.

They affirm that cosmic change belongs to the Lord’s energies and māyā, not to His essential nature—He acts as the controller of transformation while remaining unchanged.

By remembering that shifting circumstances are transformations of nature, one can anchor the mind in devotion to the unchanging Lord and reduce anxiety born from temporary dualities.