310 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 2, Ch. 6
The one is Lord Vasudeva, and by His different energies and expansions
only, different manifestations, both in the material and in the spiritual
worlds, are maintained. In the material world also, Lord Vasudeva is
everything, as is stated in the Bhagavad-gita (Bg. 7.19): vadsudevah sarvam
iti, everything is Vasudeva only. In the Vedic hymns also the same
Vasudeva is held to be supreme. It is said in the Vedas, vasudevat paro
brahman na caényo’rtho’ti tattvata: in fact there is no greater truth than
Vasudeva. And Lord Krsna affirms the same truth in the Bhagavad-gita
(Bg. 7.7), mattah parataram nanyati: there is nothing above Me (Lord
Krsna). So the conception of oneness, as is overly stressed by the im-
personalist, is also accepted by the personalist devotee of the Lord. The
difference is that the impersonalist denies personality in the ultimate issue,
whereas the devotee gives more importance to the Personality of Godhead.
Srimad-Bhagavatam explains this truth in the verse under discussion: Lord
Vasudeva is one without a second, but because He is all-powerful, He can
expand Himself as well as display His omnipotencies. The Lord is described
here as omnipotent by three energies (tri-sakti-dhrk). So primarily His
three energies are internal, marginal, and external. This external energy is
also displayed in the three modes of goodness, passion and ignorance.
Similarly, the internal potency is also displayed in three spiritual modes,
samvit, sandhini, and hladini. The marginal potency or the living entities
are also spiritual (prakrtim viddhi me param), but they are never equal with
the Lord. The Lord is nirasta samya atigaya; in other words, no one is
greater than or equal to the Supreme Lord. So the living entities, including
even such great personalities as Lord Brahma and Lord Siva, are all
subordinate to the Lord. In the material world also, in His eternal form of
Visnu, He maintains and controls all the affairs of the demigods, including
Brahm and Siva.
TEXT 33
sf ashied Ta TeMASTA |
APTANA: PERTH ATATTAHY 113 2
iti te’bhihitam tata
yathedam anuprechasi
nanyad bhagavatah kifcid
bhavyam sad-asad-atmakam
