240
Śrimad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 7, Ch. 9]
as we do not realize this, we live in the material world, but when we are fully Kṛṣṇa conscious we live not in the material world but in the spiritual world.
TEXT 34
तत्सम्भवः कविरतोऽन्यदपश्यमान-
स्त्वां बीजमात्मनि ततं स बहिर्विचिन्त्य ।
नाविन्ददब्दशतमप्सु निमज्जमानो
जातेऽङ्कुरे कथमुहोपलभेत बीजम् ॥३४॥
tat-sambhavaḥ kavir ato 'nyad apaśyamānas tvām bījam ātmani tatam sa bahir vicintya nāvindad abda-śatam apsu nimajjamāno jāte 'ikure katham uhopalabheta bījam
tat-sambhavaḥ —who was generated from that lotus flower;  kaviḥ —he who can understand the subtle cause of creation (Lord Brahmā);  ataḥ —from that (lotus);  anyat —anything else;  apaśyamānaḥ —not able to see;  tvām —Your Lordship;  bījam —the cause of the lotus;  ātmani —in himself;  tatam —expanded;  saḥ —he (Lord Brahmā);  bahiḥ vicintya —considering to be external;  na —not;  avindat —understood (You);  abda-śatam —for a hundred years according to the demigods;*  apsu —in the water;  nimajjamānaḥ —diving;  jāte aikure —when the seed fructifies and is manifested as a creeper;  katham —how;  uha —O my Lord;  upalabheta —one can perceive;  bījam —the seed that has already fructified.
TRANSLATION
From that great lotus flower, Brahmā was generated, but Brahmā certainly could see nothing but the lotus. Therefore, thinking You to be outside, Lord Brahmā dove into the water and attempted to find the source of the lotus for one hundred years. He could find no trace of You, however, for when a seed fructifies, the original seed cannot be seen.
*One day for the demigods equals six of our months.