180 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 8, Ch. 5
padau mahiyam sva-krtaiva yasya
catur-vidho yatra hi bhita-sargah
sa vai mahd-pitrusa dtma-tantrah
prasidatam brahma maha-vibhitih

pddau—His lotus feet; mahi—the earth; iyam—this; sva-krta—cre-
ated by Himself; eva—indeed; yasya—of whom; catuh-vidhah—of
four kinds of living entities; yatra—wherein; hi—indeed; bhiita-
sargah—material creation; sah—He; vai—indeed; mahd-pirusah —the
Supreme Person; dtma-tantrah—self-sufficient; prasidatam—may He
be merciful to us; brahma—the greatest; mahd-vibhiitih—with un-
limited potency.

TRANSLATION

On this earth there are four kinds of living entities, who are all
created by Him. The material creation rests on His lotus feet. He is
the great Supreme Person, full of opulence and power. May He be
pleased with us.

PURPORT

The word mahi refers to the five material elements—earth, water, air,
fire and sky—which rest upon the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. Mahat-padam punya-yaso murdareh. The mahat-tattva, the
total material energy, rests on His lotus feet, for the cosmic manifestation
is but another opulence of the Lord. In this cosmic manifestation there
are four kinds of living entities—jardyu-ja (those born from embryos),
anda-ja (those born from eggs), sveda-ja (those born from perspiration),
and udbhij-ja (those born from seeds). Everything is generated from the
Lord, as confirmed in the Veddnta-siitra (janmédy asya yatah). No one
is independent, but the Supreme Soul is completely independent. Jan-
mady asya yato ’nvaydd itaratas cdrthesv abhijfiah sva-rat. The word
sva-rat means “‘independent.”’ We are dependent, whereas the Supreme
Lord is completely independent. Therefore the Supreme Lord is the
greatest of all. Even Lord Brahma, who created the cosmic manifestation,
is but another opulence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The ma-
terial creation is activated by the Lord, and therefore the Lord is not a
part of the material creation. The Lord exists in His original, spiritual
