604 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 2, Ch. 10

smoke (when the smoke passes over the sky so many forms appear re-
sembling many known and unknown manifestations), the sparks are com-
pared to living entities, and the flames are compared to material nature,
pradhana. One must know that cach and every one of them is effective
simply by being empowered by the quality of fire (original). Therefore
every one of them, namely the material nature, the cosmic manifestation
and the living entities, are all but different energies of the Lord (fire).
Therefore those who accept the material nature as the original cause
(prakrti, the cause of creation according to Sankhya philosophy) of cosmic
manifestation are not correct in their conclusion. The material nature has
no separate existence without the Lord. Therefore, setting aside the Su-
preme Lord as the cause of all causes is the logic of ajagalastan, or trying
to milk the nipples on the neck of the goat. The nipples on the neck of a
goat may seem like sources of milk, but it will be foolish to try to get milk
from such nipples.

TEXT 46
wt TAA: BI: ATHY Tae! |
Ay: araot Ta AT: MEAT Wek

ayam tu brahmanah kalpah
sa-vikalpa udahrtah

vidhih sddharano yatra
sargah prakrta-vaikrtah

ayam—this process of creation and annihilation; tu—but; brahmanah—of
Brahma; kalpah—his one day; sa-vikalpah—along with the duration of the
universes; udahrtah—exemplified; vidhih—regulative principles; sadharanah
—in summary; yatra— wherein; sargah—creation; prakrta—in the matter of
material nature; vaikrtah—disbursement.

TRANSLATION

This process of creation and annihilation described herein is in summary
the regulative principle during the duration of Brahma’s one day, as well
as the creation of mahat in which the material nature is dispersed.

PURPORT

There are three different types of creation, called mahakalpa, vikalpa
and kalpa. In the mahakalpa the Lord assumes the first incarnation of
