20 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 8, Ch. 1

unborn, beginningless; purdnah—the oldest; dhatte—He performs;
asya—of this universe; janma-ddi—the creation, maintenance and an-
nihilation; ajaya—by His external energy; atma-saktya—by His per-
sonal potency; t@m—that external material energy; vidyaya—by His
spiritual potency; udasya—giving up; nirihah—without any desire or
activity; dste—He is existing (untouched by the material energy).

TRANSLATION

The entire cosmic manifestation is the body of the Supreme Per-
sonality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, who has millions of
names and unlimited potencies. He is self-effulgent, unborn and
changeless. He is the beginning of everything, but He has no
beginning. Because He has created this cosmic manifestation by
His external energy, the universe appears to be created, main-
tained and annihilated by Him. Nonetheless, He remains inactive
in His spiritual energy and is untouched by the activities of the
material energy.

PURPORT

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says in His Siksdstaka, némndm akari
bahudha nija-sarva-saktih: the Supreme Personality of Godhead has
many names, which are all nondifferent from the Supreme Person. This
is spiritual existence. By chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, consist-
ing of names of the Supreme Lord, we find that the name has all the
potencies of the person. The Lord’s activities are many, and according to
His activities He has many names. He appeared as the son of mother
Yasoda, and also as the son of mother Devaki, and therefore He is named
Devaki-nandana and Yagoda-nandana. Pardsya Saktir vividhaiva
Srizyate: the Lord has a multitude of energies, and therefore He acts in
multifarious ways. Yet He has a particular name. The sdstras recommend
which names we should chant, such as Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna
Krsna, Hare Hare. It is not that we have to search for some name or
manufacture one. Rather, we must follow the saintly persons and the
Sdstras in chanting His holy name.

Although the material and spiritual energies both belong to the Lord,
He is impossible to understand as long as we are in the material energy.
And when we come to the spiritual energy, He is very easy to know. As
