FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.3.30

एतद्रूपं भगवतो ह्यरूपस्य चिदात्मन: । मायागुणैर्विरचितं महदादिभिरात्मनि ॥ ३० ॥
etad rūpaṁ bhagavato
[etad roopam bhagavato]
hy arūpasya cid-ātmanaḥ
[hy aroopasya chid-aatmanah]
māyā-guṇair viracitaṁ
[maayaa-gunair virachitam]
mahadādibhir ātmani
[mahadaadibhir aatmani]
etat — all these rūpam — forms bhagavataḥ — of the Lord hi — certainly arūpasya — of one who has no material form cit-ātmanaḥ — of the Transcendence māyā — material energy guṇaiḥ — by the qualities viracitam — manufactured mahat-ādibhiḥ — with the ingredients of matter ātmani — in the self.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
etad rūpaṁ bhagavato
etat
all these
rūpam
forms
bhagavataḥ
of the Lord
hy arūpasya cid-ātmanaḥ
māyā-guṇair viracitaṁ
mahadādibhir ātmani
hi
certainly
arūpasya
of one who has no material form
cit-ātmanaḥ
of the Transcendence
māyā
material energy
guṇaiḥ
by the qualities
viracitam
manufactured
mahat-ādibhiḥ
with the ingredients of matter
ātmani
in the self.
The conception of the virāṭ universal form of the Lord, as appearing in the material world, is imaginary. It is to enable the less intelligent [and neophytes] to adjust to the idea of the Lord’s having form. But factually the Lord has no material form.

The conception of the Lord known as the viśva-rūpa or the virāṭ-rūpa is particularly not mentioned along with the various incarnations of the Lord because all the incarnations of the Lord mentioned above are transcendental and there is not a tinge of materialism in their bodies. There is no difference between the body and self as there is in the conditioned soul. The virāṭ-rūpa is conceived for those who are just neophyte worshipers. For them the material virāṭ-rūpa is presented, and it will be explained in the Second Canto. In the virāṭ-rūpa the material manifestations of different planets have been conceived as His legs, hands, etc. Actually all such descriptions are for the neophytes. The neophytes cannot conceive of anything beyond matter. The material conception of the Lord is not counted in the list of His factual forms. As Paramātmā, or Supersoul, the Lord is within each and every material form, even within the atoms, but the outward material form is but an imagination, both for the Lord and for the living being. The present forms of the conditioned souls are also not factual. The conclusion is that the material conception of the body of the Lord as virāṭ is imaginary. Both the Lord and the living beings are living spirits and have original spiritual bodies.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
This material realm, composed of the material guṇas and the elements from mahat-tattva to earth and wtih the Paramātmā as its basis, is a material form of the Lord who has a spiritual form of consciousness and is devoid of a material form.
Commentary

“The universal form of the Lord has been recommended as the first type of worship in the Second Canto and other places with such verses as pātālam etasya hi pāda-mūlam: Pātāla is the base of his feet. (SB 2.1.26) Why is this not considered an avatāra of the Lord?” This verse answers. This material realm, composed of collective and individual universes, is a material form of the Lord who has a spiritual form of consciousness (cid-ātmanaḥ), and is devoid of a material form (arūpasya). This material form is composed of the material guṇas and the elements from mahat-tattva to earth (mahadādibhiḥ) situated on the paramātmā as its basis (ātmani). In other words this universal form composed of matter is not counted among the avatāras such as Matsya and Kūrma composed of viśuddha-sattva.

Related verses
The universal-form (virāṭ) is offered as a starting visualization for those new to formless God. It is not the Lord's actual material body. We are given training wheels — and we should know when we are still on them.
Reflection Questions
  • Which of my current spiritual concepts might still be 'training wheels'?
  • Where am I confusing the scaffold with the building?
📝 My note

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