SB 5.18.27
yam loka-palah kila matsara-jvara
hitva yatanto ’pi prthak sametya ca
patum na sekur dvi-padas catus-padah
sarisrpam sthanu yad atra drsyate
Translation by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
My Lord, from the great leaders of the universe, such as Lord Brahma and other demigods, down to the political leaders of this world, all are envious of Your authority. Without Your help, however, they could neither separately nor concertedly maintain the innumerable living entities within the universe. You are actually the only maintainer of all human beings, of animals like cows and asses, and of plants, reptiles, birds, mountains and whatever else is visible within this material world.
Purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
It is fashionable for materialistic persons to compete with the power of God. When so-called scientists try to manufacture living entities in their laboratories, their only purpose is to defy the talent and ability of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is called illusion. It exists even in the higher planetary systems, where great demigods like Lord Brahma, Lord Siva and others reside. In this world everyone is puffed up with false prestige despite the failure of all his endeavors. When so-called philanthropists, who supposedly want to help the poor, are approached by members of the Krsna consciousness movement, they say, “You are simply wasting your time, while I am feeding vast masses of starving people.” Unfortunately, their meager efforts, either singly or together, do not solve anyone’s problems.
Sometimes so-called svamis are very eager to feed poor people, thinking them to be daridra-narayana, the Lord’s incarnations as beggars. They prefer to serve the manufactured daridra-narayana than the original, supreme Narayana. They say, “Don’t encourage service to Lord Narayana. It is better to serve the starving people of the world.” Unfortunately such materialists, either singly or combined in the form of the United Nations, cannot fulfill their plans. The truth is that the many millions of human beings, animals, birds and trees — indeed, all living entities — are maintained solely by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman: one person, the Supreme Lord, is supplying the necessities of life for all other living entities. To challenge the authority of Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the business of asuras (demons). Yet sometimes suras, or devotees, are also bewildered by the illusory energy and falsely claim to be the maintainer of the entire universe. Such incidents are described in the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, where Sukadeva Gosvami tells how Lord Brahma and King Indra became puffed up and were eventually chastised by Krsna.