Text 37] Further Inquiries by Vidura 295

tattvanam bhagavams tesam
katidha pratisankramah
tatremam ka upasiran
ka u svid anuserate

tattvanam—of the elements of nature; bhagavan—O great sage; tesam—
of them; katidha—how many; pratisankramah— dissolutions; tatra—there-
upon; imam—unto the Supreme Lord; ke—who are they; upasiran—being
saved; ke—who are they; u—who; svit—may; anuserate—serve the Lord
while He sleeps.

TRANSLATION

Please describe how many dissolutions there are for the elements of
material nature and who survives after the dissolutions to serve the Lord
while He is asleep.

PURPORT

In the Brahma-samhité it is said that all the material manifestations
with innumerable universes appear and disappear with the breathing of the
Maha-Visnu lying in yoga-nidra, or mystic sleep.

yah karanarnava-jale bhajati sam yoga-
nidram ananta-jagadanda-saromakupah

adhara-saktim avalambya param sva-murtim
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya
fivanti loma-vilaja jagadanda-nathah

visnur mahan sa tha yasya kala-viseso
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

“Govinda, the ultimate and Supreme Personality of Godhead [Lord
Krsna], lies sleeping unlimitedly on the Causal Ocean in order to create
unlimited numbers of universes during that sleep. He lies on the water by
His own internal potency, and I worship that original Supreme Godhead.

“Due to His breathing, innumerable universes come into existence, and
when He withdraws His breath there occurs the dissolution of all the
lords of the universes. That plenary portion of the Supreme Lord is called
Maha-Visnu, and He is a part of the part of Lord Krsna. 1 worship Govinda,
the original Lord.” (Bs.5.47-5.48)

After the dissolution of the material manifestations, the Lord arid His
kingdom beyond the Causal Ocean do not disappear, nor do the inhabi-
tants, the Lord’s associates. The associates of the Lord are far more
