Devanagari
एतदण्डं विशेषाख्यं क्रमवृद्धैर्दशोत्तरै: ।
तोयादिभि: परिवृतं प्रधानेनावृतैर्बहि: ।
यत्र लोकवितानोऽयं रूपं भगवतो हरे: ॥ ५२ ॥
Verse text
etad aṇḍaṁ viśeṣākhyaṁ
krama-vṛddhair daśottaraiḥ
toyādibhiḥ parivṛtaṁ
pradhānenāvṛtair bahiḥ
yatra loka-vitāno ’yaṁ
rūpaṁ bhagavato hareḥ
Synonyms
etat
—
this
;
aṇḍam
—
egg
;
viśeṣa
—
ākhyam — called viśeṣa
;
krama
—
one after another
;
vṛddhaiḥ
—
increased
;
daśa
—
ten times
;
uttaraiḥ
—
greater
;
toya
—
ādibhiḥ — by water and so on
;
parivṛtam
—
enveloped
;
pradhānena
—
by pradhāna
;
āvṛtaiḥ
—
covered
;
bahiḥ
—
on the outside
;
yatra
—
where
;
loka
—
vitānaḥ — the extension of the planetary systems
;
ayam
—
this
;
rūpam
—
form
;
bhagavataḥ
—
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
;
hareḥ
—
of Lord Hari .
Translation
This universal egg, or the universe in the shape of an egg, is called the manifestation of material energy. Its layers of water, air, fire, sky, ego and mahat-tattva increase in thickness one after another. Each layer is ten times bigger than the previous one, and the final outside layer is covered by pradhāna. Within this egg is the universal form of Lord Hari, of whose body the fourteen planetary systems are parts.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The universal globe called viśeṣa, is surrounded by layers of elements such as water, each ten times thicker than the previous layer, covered by a layer of prakṛti on the outside. Within the universe are the variety of planets, which are a form of the Supreme Lord.
The globe is called viśeṣa (particular). It is surrounded by layers each ten times thicker than the next proceeding outwards to the final covering of prakṛti. This is a material form of the Lord.
Purport
This universe, or the universal sky which we can visualize with its innumerable planets, is shaped just like an egg. As an egg is covered by a shell, the universe is also covered by various layers. The first layer is water, the next is fire, then air, then sky, and the ultimate holding crust is
pradhāna.
Within this egglike universe is the universal form of the Lord as the
virāṭ-puruṣa.
All the different planetary situations are parts of His body. This is already explained in the beginning of
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
Second Canto. The planetary systems are considered to form different bodily parts of that universal form of the Lord. Persons who cannot directly engage in the worship of the transcendental form of the Lord are advised to think of and worship this universal form. The lowest planetary system, Pātāla, is considered to be the sole of the Supreme Lord, and the earth is considered to be the belly of the Lord. Brahmaloka, or the highest planetary system, where Brahmā lives, is considered to be the head of the Lord.
This
virāṭ-puruṣa
is considered an incarnation of the Lord. The original form of the Lord is Kṛṣṇa, as confirmed in
Brahma-saṁhitā:
ādi-puruṣa.
The
virāṭ-puruṣa
is also
puruṣa,
but He is not
ādi-puruṣa.
The
ādi-puruṣa
is Kṛṣṇa:
īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ/ anādir ādir govindaḥ.
In
Bhagavad-gītā
Kṛṣṇa is also accepted as the
ādi-puruṣa,
the original. Kṛṣṇa says, “No one is greater than Me.” There are innumerable expansions of the Lord, and all of them are
puruṣas,
or enjoyers, but neither the
virāṭ-puruṣa
nor the
puruṣa-avatāras
— Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu — nor any of the many other expansions, is the original. In each universe there are Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, the
virāṭ-puruṣa
and Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. The active manifestation of the
virāṭ-puruṣa
is described here. Persons who are in the lower grade of understanding regarding the Supreme Personality of Godhead may think of the universal form of the Lord, for that is advised in the
Bhāgavatam.
The dimensions of the universe are estimated here. The outer covering is made of layers of water, air, fire, sky, ego and
mahat-tattva,
and each layer is ten times greater than the one previous. The space within the hollow of the universe cannot be measured by any human scientist or anyone else, and beyond the hollow there are seven coverings, each one ten times greater than the one preceding it. The layer of water is ten times greater than the diameter of the universe, and the layer of fire is ten times greater than that of water. Similarly, the layer of air is ten times greater than that of fire. These dimensions are all inconceivable to the tiny brain of a human being.
It is also stated that this description is of only one egglike universe. There are innumerable universes besides this one, and some of them are many, many times greater. It is considered, in fact, that this universe is the smallest; therefore the predominating superintendent, or Brahmā, has only four heads for management. In other universes, which are far greater than this one, Brahmā has more heads. In the
Caitanya-caritāmṛta
it is stated that all these Brahmās were called one day by Lord Kṛṣṇa on the inquiry of the small Brahmā, who, after seeing all the larger Brahmās, was thunderstruck. That is the inconceivable potency of the Lord. No one can measure the length and breadth of God by speculation or by false identification with God. These attempts are symptoms of lunacy.