SB 5.12.10
evam krsam sthulam anur brhad yad
asac ca saj jivam ajivam anyat
dravya-svabhavasaya-kala-karma-
namnajayavehi krtam dvitiyam
Translation by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
Since this universe has no real ultimate existence, the things within it — shortness, differences, grossness, skinniness, smallness, bigness, result, cause, living symptoms, and materials — are all imagined. They are all pots made of the same substance, earth, but they are named differently. The differences are characterized by the substance, nature, predisposition, time and activity. You should know that all these are simply mechanical manifestations created by material nature.
Purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
The temporary manifestations and varieties within this material world are simply creations of material nature under various circumstances: prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah. The actions and reactions carried out by the material nature are sometimes accepted as our scientific inventions; therefore we want to take credit for them and defy the existence of God. This is described in Bhagavad-gita (3.27), ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate: due to being covered by the illusory external energy, the living entity tries to take credit for the differentiated creations within the material world. Actually all these are being created automatically by the material force set in motion by the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore the ultimate cause is the Supreme Person. As stated in Brahma-samhita:
isvarah paramah krsnah
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
sarva-karana-karanam
He is the cause of all causes, the ultimate cause. In this regard Srila Madhvacarya says: evam sarvam tatha prakrtvayai kalpitam visnor anyat. evam prakrtyadharah svayam ananyadharo visnur eva atah sarva-sabdas ca tasminn eva. Actually the original cause is Lord Visnu, but out of ignorance people think that matter is the cause of everything.
raja goptasrayo bhumih
saranam ceti laukikah
vyavaharo na tat satyam
tayor brahmasrayo vibhuh
Things are contemplated on the ephemeral or external platform, but actually this is not the truth. The actual protector and shelter of everyone is Brahman, the Supreme, not the king.
goptri ca tasya prakrtis
tasya visnuh svayam prabhuh
tava goptri tu prthivi
na tvam gopta ksiteh smrtah
atah sarvasrayais caiva
gopta ca harir isvarah
sarva-sabdabhidheyas ca
sabda-vrtter hi karanam
sarvantarah sarva-bahir
eka eva janardanah
The actual protectress is the material nature, but Visnu is her Lord. He is the Lord of everything. Lord Janardana is the director both externally and internally. He is the cause of the function of words and what is expressed in all sound.
sirasodharata yadvad
grivayas tadvad eva tu
asrayatvam ca goptrtvam
anyesam upacaratah
Lord Visnu is the resting place of the entire creation: brahmano hi pratisthaham (Bg. 14.27). On Brahman, everything is resting. All the universes are resting on the brahmajyoti, and all the planets are resting on the universal atmosphere. In each and every planet there are oceans, hills, states and kingdoms, and each planet is giving shelter to so many living entities. They are all standing on the earth of feet and legs, torso and shoulders, but actually everything is resting ultimately on the potencies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore He is known ultimately as sarva-karana-karanam, the cause of all causes.