Srimad Bhagavatam. Canto 6: Prescribed Duties for Mankind

Chapter 12: Vritrasura's Glorious Death. Text 11

पुरुषः प्रकृतिर्व्यक्तमात्मा भूतेन्द्रियाशयाः ।
शक्नुवन्त्यस्य सर्गादौ न विना यदनुग्रहात् ॥११॥

puruṣaḥ prakṛtir vyaktam
ÄtmÄ bhÅ«tendriyÄÅ›ayÄḥ
Å›aknuvanty asya sargÄdau
na vinÄ yad-anugrahÄt

 puruá¹£aḥ - the generator of the total material energy; praká¹›tiḥ - the material energy or material nature; vyaktam - the principles of manifestation (mahat-tattva); ÄtmÄ - the false ego; bhÅ«ta - the five material elements; indriya - the ten senses; ÄÅ›ayÄḥ - the mind, intelligence and consciousness; Å›aknuvanti - are able; asya - of this universe; sarga-Ädau - in the creation, etc.; na - not; vinÄ - without; yat - of whom; anugrahÄt - the mercy.


Text

The three puruá¹£as — KÄraṇodakaÅ›ÄyÄ« Viṣṇu, GarbhodakaÅ›ÄyÄ« Viṣṇu and KṣīrodakaÅ›ÄyÄ«-Viṣṇu — the material nature, the total material energy, the false ego, the five material elements, the material senses, the mind, the intelligence and consciousness cannot create the material manifestation without the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Purport

As confirmed in the Viṣṇu PurÄṇa, parasya brahmaṇaḥ Å›aktis tathedam akhilaá¹ jagat: whatever manifestations we experience are nothing but various energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These energies cannot create anything independently. This is also confirmed by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (9.10): mayÄdhyaká¹£eṇa praká¹›tiḥ sÅ«yate sa-carÄcaram. “This material nature is working under My direction, O son of KuntÄ«, and it is producing all moving and unmoving living beings.†Only under the direction of the Lord, the Supreme Person, can praká¹›ti, which is manifested in twenty-four elements, create different situations for the living entity. In the Vedas the Lord says:

madÄ«yaá¹ mahimÄnaá¹ ca
 parabrahmeti Å›abditam
vetsyasy anugṛhītaṠme
 sampraÅ›nair vivá¹›taá¹ há¹›di

“Since everything is a manifestation of My energy, I am known as Parabrahman. Therefore everyone should hear from Me about My glorious activities.†The Lord also says in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (10.2), aham Ädir hi devÄnÄm: “I am the origin of all the demigods.†Therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the origin of everything, and no one is independent of Him. ÅšrÄ«la MadhvÄcÄrya also says, anÄ«Å›a jÄ«va-rÅ«peṇa: the living entity is anÄ«Å›a, never the controller, but is always controlled. Therefore when a living entity becomes proud of being an independent Ä«Å›vara, or god, that is his foolishness. Such foolishness is described in the following verse.