khaḿ vāyur jyotir āpo bhūs
tat-kṛteṣu yathāśayam
āvis-tiro-'lpa-bhūry eko
nānātvaḿ yāty asāv api
kham -- ether; vayuh -- air; jyotih -- fire; apah -- water; bhuh -- earth; tat -- their; kriteshu -- in the products; yatha-asayam -- according to the particular locations; avih -- manifest; tirah -- unmanifest; alpa -- small; bhuri -- large; ekah -- one; nanatvam -- the status of being many; yati -- assumes; asau -- it; api -- also.
The elements of ether, air, fire, water and earth become visible, invisible, minute or extensive as they manifest in various objects. Similarly, the Paramatma, though one, appears to become many.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti explains this and the previous verse as follows: The one Paramatma appears to be many by the influence of the modes of nature that He Himself creates. How is that? Because although in truth the Paramatma is self-illuminating, eternal, aloof from everything, and free of the modes of nature, when He appears as His manifestations He seems to be just the opposite -- a multiplicity of temporary objects saturated with the modes of nature. Just as the elements of ether and so on, when manifesting in pots and other things, seem to appear and disappear, so the Paramatma seems to appear and disappear in His various manifestations.
