TEXT 8
sa gam udastat salilasya gocare
vinyasya tasyam adadhat sva-sattvam
abhistuto visva-srja prasunair
apuryamano vibudhaih pasyato reh
SYNONYMS
sahthe Lord; gamthe earth; udastaton the surface; salilasyaof the water; gocarewithin His sight; vinyasyahaving placed; tasyamto the earth; adadhatHe invested; svaHis own; sattvamexistence; abhistutahpraised; visva-srjaby Brahma (the creator of the universe); prasunaihby flowers; apuryamanahbecoming satisfied; vibudhaihby the demigods; pasyatahwhile looking on; arehthe enemy.
TRANSLATION
The Lord placed the earth within His sight on the surface of the water and transferred to her His own energy in the form of the ability to float on the water. While the enemy stood looking on, Brahma, the creator of the universe, extolled the Lord, and the other demigods rained flowers on Him.
PURPORT
Those who are demons cannot understand how the Supreme Personality of Godhead floated the earth on water, but to devotees of the Lord this is not a very wonderful act. Not only the earth but many, many millions of planets are floating in the air, and this floating power is endowed upon them by the Lord; there is no other possible explanation. The materialists can explain that the planets are floating by the law of gravitation, but the law of gravitation works under the control or direction of the Supreme Lord. That is the version of Bhagavad-gita, which confirms, by the Lords statement, that behind the material laws or natures laws and behind the growth, maintenance, production and evolution of all the planetary systemsbehind everythingis the Lords direction. The Lords activities could be appreciated only by the demigods, headed by Brahma, and therefore when they saw the uncommon prowess of the Lord in keeping the earth on the surface of the water, they showered flowers on Him in appreciation of His transcendental activity.

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