506
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 4, Ch. 12]
TEXT 15
मन्यमान इदं विश्वं मायारचित्तमात्मनि । अविद्यारचित्तस्वमगन्धर्वनगरोपमम् ॥१५॥
manyamāna idam viśvam māyā-racitam ātmani avidyā-racita-svapna- gandharva-nagaropamam
manyamānaḥ—realizing; idam—this; viśvam—universe; māyā—by the external energy; racitam—manufactured; ātmani—unto the living entity; avidyā—by illusion; racita—manufactured; svapna—a dream; gandharva-nagara—phantasmagoria; upamam—like.
TRANSLATION
Śrīla Dhruva Mahārāja  realized that this cosmic manifestation bewilders living entities like a dream or phantasmagoria because it is a creation of the illusory external energy of the Supreme Lord.
PURPORT
In the deep forest sometimes it appears that there are big palaces and nice cities. That is technically called  gandharva-nagara . Similarly, in dreams also we create many false things out of imagination. A self-realized person or a devotee knows well that this material cosmic manifestation is a temporary illusory representation appearing to be truth. It is like phantasmagoria. But behind this shadow creation there is reality—the spiritual world. A devotee is interested in the spiritual world, not its shadow. Since he has realization of the supreme truth, a devotee is not interested in this temporary shadow of truth. This is confirmed in the  Bhagavad-gītā  ( param dṛṣṭvā nivartate ).
TEXT 16
यात्यस्यपत्यसुदरो रलमृद्धकोश-   मन्तःपुरं परिविहारभ्रवश्च रम्याः ।   भूमण्डलं जलधियेत्वत्पाकलय   कालोपसृष्टमिति स प्रययौ विशालाम् ॥१६॥