background is god

When Svayambhuva Manu saw that Dhruva Maharaja understood the philosophy of Vaisnavism, and yet was still dissatisfied because of his brother's death, he gave him an explanation of how this material body is created by the five elements of material nature. In the Bhagavad-gita it is also confirmed, prakrteḥ kriyamanani: everything is created, maintained and annihilated by the material modes of nature. In the background, of course, there is the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita (mayadhyaksena). In the Ninth Chapter, Krsna says, "Under My superintendence material nature is acting." Svayambhuva Manu wanted to impress on Dhruva Maharaja that the death of the material body of his brother was not actually the Yaksas' fault; it was an act of the material nature. The Supreme Personality of Godhead has immense varieties of potencies, and they act in different gross and subtle ways.    (More...)

First, creation takes place with the ingredients of the five elements of material nature. Then, by the interaction of the modes of material nature, maintenance also takes place. When a child is born, the parents immediately see to its maintenance. This tendency for maintenance of offspring is present not only in human society, but in animal society as well. Even tigers care for their cubs, although their propensity is to eat other animals. By the interaction of the material modes of nature, creation, maintenance and also annihilation take place inevitably. But at the same time we should know that all is conducted under the superintendence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everything is going on under that process. Creation is the action of the rajo-guna, the mode of passion; maintenance is the action of sattva-guna, the mode of goodness; and annihilation is the action of tamo-guna, the mode of ignorance. We can see that those who are situated in the mode of goodness live longer than those who are situated in the tamo-guna or rajo-guna. In other words, if one is elevated to the mode of goodness, he is elevated to a higher planetary system, where the duration of life is very great. urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthaḥ: Great rsis, sages and sannyasis who maintain themselves in sattva-guna, or the mode of material goodness, are elevated to a higher planetary system. Those who are transcendental even to the material modes of nature are situated in the mode of pure goodness; they attain eternal life in the spiritual world.    (More...)

How the external energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead works within this material world is explained in this verse. Everything is happening by the energy of the Supreme Lord. The atheistic philosophers who do not agree to accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the original cause of creation think that the material world moves by the action and reaction of different material elements. A simple example of the interaction of elements occurs when we mix soda and acid and the movement of effervescence is produced. But one cannot produce life by such interaction of chemicals. There are 8,400,000 different species of life, with different wishes and different actions. How the material force is working cannot be explained just on the basis of chemical reaction. A suitable example in this connection is that of the potter and the potter's wheel. The potter's wheel rotates, and several varieties of earthen pots come out. There are many causes for the earthen pots, but the original cause is the potter, who sets a force on the wheel. That force comes by his superintendence. The same idea is explained in Bhagavad-gita-behind all material action and reaction there is Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krsna says that everything depends on His energy and yet He is not everywhere. The pot is produced under certain conditions of action and reaction of material energy, but the potter is not in the pot. In a similar way, the material creation is set up by the Lord, but He remains aloof. As stated in the Vedas, He simply glanced over it, and the agitation of matter immediately began.    (More...)