FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.6.5

परेण विशता स्वस्मिन्मात्रया विश्वसृग्गण: । चुक्षोभान्योन्यमासाद्य यस्मिन्लोकाश्चराचरा: ॥ ५ ॥
pareṇa viśatā svasmin
[parena vishataa svasmin]
mātrayā viśva-sṛg-gaṇaḥ
[maatrayaa vishva-srig-ganah]
cukṣobhānyonyam āsādya
[chukshobhaanyonyam aasaadya]
yasmin lokāś carācarāḥ
[yasmin lokaash charaacharaah]
pareṇa — by the Lord viśatā — thus entering svasmin — by His own self mātrayā — by a plenary portion viśva-sṛk — the elements of universal creation gaṇaḥ — all cukṣobha — transformed anyonyam — one another āsādya — having obtained yasmin — in which lokāḥ — the planets cara-acarāḥ — movable and immovable.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
pareṇa viśatā svasmin
pareṇa
by the Lord
viśatā
thus entering
svasmin
by His own self
mātrayā viśva-sṛg-gaṇaḥ
mātrayā
by a plenary portion
viśva-sṛk
the elements of universal creation
gaṇaḥ
all
cukṣobhānyonyam āsādya
cukṣobha
transformed
anyonyam
one another
āsādya
having obtained
yasmin lokāś carācarāḥ
yasmin
in which
lokāḥ
the planets
cara-acarāḥ
movable and immovable.
As the Lord, in His plenary portion, entered into the elements of the universal creation, they transformed into the gigantic form in which all the planetary systems and all movable and immovable creations rest.

The elements of cosmic creation are all matter and have no potency to increase in volume unless entered into by the Lord in His plenary portion. This means that matter does not increase or decrease unless it is spiritually touched. Matter is a product of spirit and increases only by the touch of spirit. The entire cosmic manifestation has not assumed its gigantic form by itself, as wrongly calculated by less intelligent persons. As long as spirit is within matter, matter can increase as needed; but without the spirit, matter stops increasing. For example, as long as there is spiritual consciousness within the material body of a living entity, the body increases to the required size, but a dead material body, which has no spiritual consciousness, stops increasing. In Bhagavad-gītā (Chapter Two) importance is given to the spiritual consciousness, not the body. The entire cosmic body increased by the same process that we experience in our small bodies. One should not, however, foolishly think that the individual infinitesimal soul is the cause of the gigantic manifestation of the universal form. The universal form is called the virāṭ-rūpa because the Supreme Lord is within it in His plenary portion.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The elements for creating the universe, combined together by the Lord who had entered by his portion, formed a fetus in which all the planets and living entities exist. This verse shows how the universal form was generated. The elements which comprise creation, combining together by the Supreme Lord who had entered into them by his portion (mātrayā) --assuming a condition where their main qualities manifested-- became transformed into a fetus.
The scale of the creation in this verse is not given to overwhelm us but to right-size us. Most of our anxiety shrinks when our self-importance shrinks. The verse keeps returning to cosmic manifestation.
Reflection Questions
  • Where have you been demanding outcomes from a system you did not design?
  • Which 'cosmic' problem are you trying to solve when your actual task is just to play your small part well?
📝 My note

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