yo nah sapatnair bhrsam ardyamanan

 devarsi-tiryan-nrsu nitya eva

krtavataras tanubhih sva-mayaya

 krtvatmasat pati yuge yuge ca

 

tam eva devam vayam atma-daivatam

 param pradhanam purusam visvam anyam

vrajama sarve saranam saranyam

 svanam sa no dhasyati sam mahatma

 

Translation by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada: 

 

By His inconceivable internal potency, the Supreme Personality of Godhead expands into various transcendental bodies as Vamanadeva, the incarnation of strength among the demigods; Parasurama, the incarnation among saints; Nrsimhadeva and Varaha, incarnations among animals; and Matsya and Kurma, incarnations among aquatics. He accepts various transcendental bodies among all types of living entities, and among human beings He especially appears as Lord Krsna and Lord Rama. By His causeless mercy, He protects the demigods, who are always harassed by the demons. He is the supreme worshipable Deity of all living entities. He is the supreme cause, represented as the male and female creative energies. Although different from this universe, He exists in His universal form [virat-rupa]. In our fearful condition, let us take shelter of Him, for we are sure that the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Soul, will give us His protection.

Purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada: 

In this verse, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, is ascertained to be the original cause of creation. Sridhara Svami, in his commentary Bhavartha-dipika, replies to the idea that prakrti and purusa are the causes of the cosmic manifestation. As stated herein, param pradhanam purusam visvam anyam: “He is the supreme cause, represented as the male and female creative energies. Although different from this universe, He exists in His universal form [virat rupa].” The word prakrti, which is used to indicate the source of generation, refers to the material energy of the Supreme Lord, and the word purusa refers to the living entities, who are the superior energy of the Lord. Both the prakrti and purusa ultimately enter the Supreme Lord, as stated in Bhagavad-gita (prakrtim yanti mamikam).

 

Although prakrti and purusa superficially appear to be the causes of the material manifestation, both are emanations of different energies of the Supreme Lord. Therefore the Supreme Lord is the cause of prakrti and purusa. He is the original cause (sarva-karana-karanam). The Naradiya Purana says:

 

avikaro ’pi paramah

 prakrtis tu vikarini

anupravisya govindah

 prakrtis cabhidhiyate

 

Both the prakrti and purusa, which are inferior and superior energies, are emanations from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As explained in Bhagavad-gita (gam avisya), the Lord enters the prakrti, and then the prakrti creates different manifestations. The prakrti is not independent or beyond His energies. Vasudeva, Lord Sri Krsna, is the original cause of everything. Therefore the Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (10.8):

 

aham sarvasya prabhavo

 mattah sarvam pravartate

iti matva bhajante mam

 budha bhava-samanvitah

 

“I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.” In Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.9.33) the Lord also says, aham evasam evagre: “Only I existed before the creation.” This is confirmed in the Brahmanda Purana as follows:

 

smrtir avyavadhanena

 prakrtitvam iti sthitih

ubhayatmaka-sutitvad

 vasudevah parah puman

prakrtih purusas ceti

 sabdair eko ’bhidhiyate

 

To generate the universe, the Lord acts indirectly as the purusa and directly as the prakrti. Because both energies emanate from Lord Vasudeva, the all-pervasive Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is known as both prakrti and purusa. Therefore Vasudeva is the cause of everything (sarva-karana-karanam).