74 Teachings of Lord Chaitanya

independent, and the Master of all objects movable and immovable in the
material world.

The influence of material Nature cannot reach beyond the Viroja, or
Causal Ocean, and this is confirmed in the Srimad Bhagwatam, Second Canto,
Ninth Chapter. On the Vaikuntha planets there is no influence of the modes
of material Nature. There is no mixture of the modes of goodness, passion,
and ignorance, and neither is there any influence of material time. On those
planets the liberated associates of Krishna live eternally, and they are wor-
shipped both by the demigods and the demons.

The material Nature acts in two capacities, as Maya and Pradhana. Maya
is the direct cause and Pradhana means the elements of material manifesta-
tion. The first Purusha Avatara, Maha Vishnu, glances over the material
Nature and thereby the material Nature becomes agitated, and the Purusha
Avatara thus impregnates matter with the living entities. By this glancing,
consciousness is created, and consciousness is known as Maha Tattwa. The
predominating deity of Maha Tattwa is Vasudeva. Consciousness is then
divided into three departmental activities, under the three gunas, or modes of
material Nature. Consciousness in the mode of goodness is described in the
Srimad Bhagwatam Eleventh Canto, and the predominating deity is called
Aniruddha. Consciousness in the mode of material passion produces intelli-
gence, and the predominating deity is called Pradyumna. He is the Master
of the senses. Consciousness in the mode of ignorance is the cause of produc-
tion of the ether, the sky, and the cause of production of the hearing instrument,
the ear. The cosmic manifestation is the combination of all these, and thereby
innumerable Universes are created. Nobody can count how many Universes
there are.

These innumerable Universes are being produced from the pores on the
body of Maha Vishnu. It is also said that, as innumerable atoms are coming
and going through the holes in a window, so from the pores of the body of
Maha Vishnu innumerable Universes emanate. From His breathing also
innumerable Universes are being produced and annihilated. All His energies
are spiritual—they have nothing to do with the material energy. In the Brahma
Samhita this fact is stated also. In the fifth Chapter, 54th verse, it is said that
the predominating deity of each Universe, Brahma, lives only during one
breath of Maha Vishnu. Maha Vishnu again is the original Supersoul of all
the Universes, and He is also the Master of all the Universes. That is the des-
cription of the first incarnation, known as Maha Vishnu.

The second Vishnu incarnation enters into each and every Universe. In
