Srimad Bhagavatam — Shashtha Skandha, Shloka 35
Citraketu’s Detachment, Nārada’s Mantra, and the Darśana of Anantadeva
तव विभव: खलु भगवन् जगदुदयस्थितिलयादीनि । विश्वसृजस्तेꣷशांशा स्तत्र मृषा स्पर्धन्ति पृथगभिमत्या ॥ ३५ ॥
tava vibhavaḥ khalu bhagavan jagad-udaya-sthiti-layādīni viśva-sṛjas te ’ṁśāṁśās tatra mṛṣā spardhanti pṛthag abhimatyā
我主啊，此宇宙的显现，以及其生起、维持与毁灭，皆不过是你的威德与富饶。梵天等诸创造者也只是你之分分之一；他们那点局部的创造力并不使其成为主宰（īśvara）。他们自认是彼此分离的“主”，不过是虚妄的傲慢，毫无根据。
A devotee who has fully surrendered to the lotus feet of the Lord knows very well that the creative energy of the living entities, from Lord Brahmā down to the small ant, exists because the living entities are part and parcel of the Lord. In Bhagavad-gītā (15.7) the Lord says, mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ: “The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts.” The living entities are nothing but very small portions of the supreme spirit, like sparks of a fire. Because they are part of the Supreme, they have a creative quality in a very minute quantity.
FAQs
This verse states that these cosmic functions arise from Bhagavan’s own opulences; even the universe’s secondary creators act only as parts of His potency.
In praising the Lord, Citraketu highlights that even exalted cosmic administrators can fall into separate, competitive self-conceptions, forgetting their dependence on the Supreme.
Recognize abilities and achievements as gifts of the Supreme, reduce ego-driven competition, and cultivate gratitude and devotion while performing one’s duties.