Text 14] The Birth of Lord Krsna 217

In the Vedic literature, we find the creation described in relationship
to Maha-Visnu. As stated in the Brahma-samhita (5.35):

eko ’py asau racayitum jagad-anda-kotim
yac-chaktir asti jagad-anda-cayd yad-antah

andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham
govindam ddi-purusam tam aham bhajami

“I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda, the original Personality of God-
head. By His partial plenary expansion as Maha-Visnu, He enters into
material nature. Then He enters every universe as Garbhodakasayi
Visnu, and He enters all the elements, including every atom of matter, as
Ksirodakasayi Visnu. Such manifestations of cosmic creation are innum-
erable, both in the universes and in the individual atoms.’’ Govinda is
partially exhibited as antaryami, the Supersoul, who enters this material
world (anddéntara-stha) and who is also within the atom. The Brahma-
samhita (5.48) further says:

yasyaika-nisvasita-kadlam athavalambya
Jivanti loma-vilajé jagad-anda-nathah

visnur mahdan sa iha yasya kala-viseso
govindam 4di-purusam tam aham bhajami

This verse describes Maha-Visnu as a plenary expansion of Krsna. Maha-
Visnu lies on the Causal Ocean, and when He exhales, millions of
brahmdndas, or universes, come from the pores of His body. Then, when
Maha-Visnu inhales, all these brahmdndas disappear. Thus the millions
of brahmandas controlled by the Brahmas and other demigods come and
go in this material world through the breathing of Maha-Visnu.
Foolish persons think that when Krsna appears as the son of
Vasudeva, He is limited like an ordinary child. But Vasudeva was aware
that although the Lord had appeared as his son, the Lord had not entered
Devaki’s womb and then come out. Rather, the Lord was always there.
The Supreme Lord is all-pervading, present within and without. Pravista
iva bhévyase: He only seemed to have entered the womb of Devaki and
to have now appeared as Vasudeva’s child. The expression of this knowl-
edge by Vasudeva indicates that Vasudeva knew how these events took
