Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.87.37
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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ekarase
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whose experience of spiritual ecstasy is unchanging
Compound: eka (one) + rasa. Bhagavān's spiritual bliss is eka-rasa — consistent, never decreasing. Gauḍīyas: yet within eka-rasa, infinite variety of rasas plays (the seeming paradox is acintya). The constant is the underlying ānanda; the variation is His līlā.
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mṛṣā
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false
From √mṛṣ. Used carefully here — mṛṣā means 'falsely-claimed' rather than 'utterly nonexistent.' Gauḍīyas: the world is not mṛṣā in itself; it is mṛṣā when claimed as permanent. The mind's vilāsa is mṛṣā; the substrate is real.
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manaḥ-vilāsam
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fantasy of the mind
Compound: manas (mind) + vilāsa (sport, play). The phenomenal world as the mind's playful arrangement. Gauḍīyas: yet the Lord's līlā in Vraja is also called vilāsa — His sport. The two vilāsas mirror each other: one trapping, one liberating.
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draviṇa-jāti-vikalpa-pathaiḥ
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with the varieties of transformations of material substance
Compound: draviṇa (substance) + jāti (kind) + vikalpa (transformation) + patha (way). Substances transforming into innumerable categories. Like the gold-and-ornaments analogy from verse 26 generalized.
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abudhaḥ
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the unintelligent
From a + budha (wise). Those who take the dream as substance. Gauḍīyas: not 'unaware' in a Buddhist sense, but those who lack proper sambandha-jñāna — the right relation-knowledge between Lord, jīva, and world.
Having thus defeated all attempts of the ritualists to prove the substantial reality of material creation, the personified Vedas now present positive evidence to the contrary — that this world is unreal in that it is temporary. Before the creation of the universe and after its dissolution, only the spiritual reality of the Supreme Lord, along with His abode and entourage, continue to exist. The śrutis confirm this: Ātmā va idam eka evāgra āsīt. “Prior to the creation of this universe, only the Self existed.” ( Aitareya Upaniṣad 1.1) Nāsad āsīn no sad āsīt tadānīm: “At that time neither the subtle nor the gross aspects of matter were present.” ( Ṛg Veda 10.129.1) One can understand the relativity of creation by an analogy. When basic materials like clay and metal are processed and shaped into various products, the created objects exist separately from the clay and metal only in name and form. The basic substance remains unchanged. Similarly, when the energies of the Supreme Lord are transformed into the known things of this world, these things exist separately from Him only in name and form. In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (6.1.4-6), the sage Udālaka explains a similar analogy to his son: yathā saumyaikena mṛtpiṇḍena sarvaṁ mṛn-mayaṁ vijñātam syād vācārambhaṇaṁ vikāro nāmadheyaṁ mṛttikety eva satyam. “For example, my dear boy, by understanding a single lump of clay one can understand everything made from clay. The existence of transformed products is only a creation of language, a matter of assigning designations: the clay alone is real.” In conclusion, there is no convincing evidence that the things of this world are eternal or substantial, while there is overwhelming evidence that they are temporary and conditioned by false designations. Therefore only the ignorant can take the imaginary permutations of matter to be real. Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī prays: mukuṭa-kuṇḍala-kaṅkaṇa-kiṅkiṇī- pariṇataṁ kanakaṁ paramārthataḥ mahad-ahaṅkṛti-kha-pramukhaṁ tathā nara-harer na paraṁ paramārthataḥ “Transformations of gold such as crowns, earrings, bangles and ankle bells are not ultimately separate from gold itself. Similarly, the material elements — headed by the mahat, false ego and ether — are not ultimately separate from Lord Narahari.”
The stutis supporting sat karya vad repeat what they previous said with logic and clarity. "This known universe, did not exist before the creation, and after destruction in the future will not exist. It exists only between these two as an object of knowledge (mitam). Where does this happen? It happens within you, the Supreme Lord who considers, "I create this world." This world cannot be eternal, since it was previously not existing and will be destroyed in the future. It is shown to be real, by similarity with the earth and gold producing pots and earrings, rather than false, like the rope and shell appearing as snake and silver." The vi in vibhati indicates the perceivable nature of the creation. "The jnanis who think this world is false, a production of the mind, and karma mimamsakas who think the world is real but eternal, are actually without knowledge (abudhah)."
Since this universe did not exist prior to its creation and will no longer exist after its annihilation, we conclude that in the interim it is nothing more than a manifestation imagined to be visible within you, whose spiritual enjoyment never changes. We liken this universe to the transformation of various material substances into diverse forms. Certainly those who believe that this figment of the imagination is substantially real are less intelligent. “Why should we not reject the world which is an illusory transformation?” Other śrutis, drawing a conclusion, confirm what was previously spoken. If (yat) this universe after destruction had no creation, it could not arise from you. It would be like creating oil from sand. The universe (idam) remains in a subtle form. Sad eva somyedam agra āsīt: the universe in subtle form existed before the creation of the universe. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad) Nāsad āsīn no sad āsīt tadānīm: at that time neither the subtle nor the gross aspects of matter were present. (Ṛg Veda 10.129.1) This denies the universe existing in a visible form after destruction. After destruction and during the time of maintenance (antarā) the universe exists in you alone, who are pure (eka-rase). Yad bhūtaṁ bhavac ca bhaviṣyac ca: the Lord is everything that has ever existed, exists now or will ever exist.” (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.8.4) Ayam ātmāpahata-pāpmā: the Lord is without sin. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 8.1.5) It appears false to the unintelligent (mṛṣā). The meaning is this. The universe arises because you have śakti, which you and no one else place in pradhāna. Maintenance and destruction are similar. But completely unlike the universe, you remain unchanged, untouched by the external energy, by the power of your internal energy. Arjuna says: tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ sākṣād īśvaraḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ māyāṁ vyudasya cic-chaktyā kaivalye sthita ātmani You are the original Lord, the controller, beyond material energy. You are situated in your spiritual form, being one with your spiritual energy, and separate from the material energy.
What was explained before is made clear. This universe (idam) before creation did not exist because it was merged in you. It was not separate. Being merged with you in the future, it would not exist. Between creation and destruction (antara) it appears to be different (vibhāti) from you, who are made of consciousness (eka-rase). That is false. The universe may be compared to ornaments made from gold or silver since it is one with the conscious Lord. As the ornaments are one with the gold, so the universe is one with the Lord. Therefore the world is real. The foolish say it is a product of the mind. Or “These heretic argue according to scriptures. Why are they considered blind?” Since these false philosophies (idam) of Jainas or mlecchas did not exist in Satya-yuga (agre), since they will be created after destruction, during the period of destruction, they will not appear. After that, between Dvāparā and Kali yuga (antarā), knowledge (mānam) of you in the Vedas, which indicate you (ekarase) becomes corrupted (mṛṣā). It is compared to taking birth on Svarga (draviṇa-jāti) by using combinations of poisonous herbs (vikalpana). By making various interpretations using grammar they destroy their hopes for wealth. That is their scripture. “Being intelligent, by do they have strong faith in these paths?” They are not intelligent but foolish, since they speak false information (vitatha) with no basis (manovilāsam).
- What in my world have I been holding as solid that is actually appearance?
- How does seeing the universe as temporary lift the weight of permanent expectations?
Before creation, no universe; after annihilation, no universe; in between, what looks like a universe is a passing appearance within Your unchanging spiritual bliss — the way a dream-city flickers within a single mind. To call this dream-city eternal is folly; to call it unreal is foolishness of a different kind. It is what it is: a transient manifestation of Your eka-rasa.
My note
Source: vedabase.io