SB 10.3.14
sa eva svaprakrtyedam
srstvagre tri-gunatmakam
tad anu tvam hy apravistah
pravista iva bhavyase
Translation by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
My Lord, You are the same person who in the beginning created this material world by His personal external energy. After the creation of this world of three gunas [sattva, rajas and tamas], You appear to have entered it, although in fact You have not.
Purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
In Bhagavad-gita (7.4) the Supreme Personality of Godhead clearly explains:
bhumir apo ’nalo vayuh
kham mano buddhir eva ca
ahankara itiyam me
bhinna prakrtir astadha
This material world of three modes of nature — sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna — is a composition of earth, water, fire, air, mind, intelligence and false ego, all of which are energies coming from Krsna, yet Krsna, being always transcendental, is aloof from this material world. Those who are not in pure knowledge think that Krsna is a product of matter and that His body is material like ours (avajananti mam mudhah). In fact, however, Krsna is always aloof from this material world.
In the Vedic literature, we find the creation described in relationship to Maha-Visnu. As stated in the Brahma-samhita (5.35):
eko ’py asau racayitum jagad-anda-kotim
yac-chaktir asti jagad-anda-caya yad-antah
andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
“I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda, the original Personality of Godhead. By His partial plenary expansion as Maha-Visnu, He enters into material nature. Then He enters every universe as Garbhodakasayi Visnu, and He enters all the elements, including every atom of matter, as Ksirodakasayi Visnu. Such manifestations of cosmic creation are innumerable, both in the universes and in the individual atoms.” Govinda is partially exhibited as antaryami, the Supersoul, who enters this material world (andantara-stha) and who is also within the atom. The Brahma-samhita (5.48) further says:
yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya
jivanti loma-vilaja jagad-anda-nathah
visnur mahan sa iha yasya kala-viseso
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
This verse describes Maha-Visnu as a plenary expansion of Krsna. Maha-Visnu lies on the Causal Ocean, and when He exhales, millions of brahmandas, or universes, come from the pores of His body. Then, when Maha-Visnu inhales, all these brahmandas disappear. Thus the millions of brahmandas controlled by the Brahmas and other demigods come and go in this material world through the breathing of Maha-Visnu.
Foolish persons think that when Krsna appears as the son of Vasudeva, He is limited like an ordinary child. But Vasudeva was aware that although the Lord had appeared as his son, the Lord had not entered Devaki’s womb and then come out. Rather, the Lord was always there. The Supreme Lord is all-pervading, present within and without. Pravista iva bhavyase: He only seemed to have entered the womb of Devaki and to have now appeared as Vasudeva’s child. The expression of this knowledge by Vasudeva indicates that Vasudeva knew how these events took place. Vasudeva was certainly a devotee of the Lord in full knowledge, and we must learn from devotees like him. Bhagavad-gita (4.34) therefore recommends:
tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jñanam
jñaninas tattva-darsinah
“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.” Vasudeva begot the Supreme Personality of Godhead, yet he was in full knowledge of how the Supreme Lord appears and disappears. He was therefore tattva-darsi, a seer of the truth, because he personally saw how the Supreme Absolute Truth appeared as his son. Vasudeva was not in ignorance, thinking that because the Supreme Godhead had appeared as his son, the Lord had become limited. The Lord is unlimitedly existing and all-pervading, inside and outside. Thus there is no question of His appearance or disappearance.