Lord Viṣṇu Impregnates Material Nature With His Powerful Glance
The creation of the material world is not a blind mechanical process but begins with the supreme consciousness of the Lord. As clearly explained by Śrīla Prabhupāda, the inert material nature is awakened and impregnated simply by the powerful glance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This transcendental vision sets the entire cosmic manifestation into motion while simultaneously protecting and blessing the pure devotees.
The Agitation of Material Nature
Before the cosmic creation, the total material energy lies dormant within the Causal Ocean. To initiate the creative process, we learn from Śrīla Prabhupāda that Lord Mahā-Viṣṇu casts His divine glance over this inert nature, agitating the modes of material energy. This single glance acts as the supreme catalyst, transforming the unmanifested state into the active mahat-tattva.
- He (Maha-Visnu) lies on the ocean of karana, from where He glances over His material nature, and the mahat-tattva is at once created.
- The total material energy is agitated by the glance of Maha-Visnu, and only then does the interaction of the three material qualities begin.
- Similarly, the chunk is also, we can accept, the total material energy. You can take it as chunk. But this material energy in the form of chunk is agitated by the glance of Maha-Visnu.
- Simply by the glance of the Maha-Visnu, consciousness is created, and this consciousness is known as mahat-tattva, The predominating Deity of the mahat-tattva is Vasudeva.
Impregnating Matter with Living Entities
The material energy alone cannot produce life; it must be infused with spiritual particles by the supreme father. It is beautifully illustrated by Śrīla Prabhupāda that just as a husband impregnates his wife, the Supreme Lord impregnates the womb of material nature through His transcendental glance. The molecules of this divine vision are actually the countless living entities that populate the universe.
- Just as a woman can deliver a child after being impregnated by the semen of a man, so material nature can supply the material elements after being glanced upon by Maha-Visnu.
- In His form as Karanodakasayi Visnu the Lord impregnates material nature by His glance. The transcendental molecules of that glance are particles of spirit, or spiritual atoms.
- When the first purusa-avatara, Maha-Visnu, glances over the material nature, material nature becomes agitated, and the purusa-avatara thus impregnates matter with living entities.
- All these universes are collectively produced by the Karanodakasayi Visnu, called also the Maha-visnu, who simply throws His glance to impregnate the material sky.
Electrifying the Cosmic Manifestation
The inert material substance is completely powerless without the activating touch of the supreme consciousness. To help us understand this profound reality, Śrīla Prabhupāda compares material nature to an iron rod that becomes red-hot and acts like fire only when placed within a blazing flame. Similarly, the entire cosmic manifestation becomes active and dynamic only when it is electrified by the glance of Lord Viṣṇu.
- Lord Visnu activates material nature by the power of His glance, and then the ironlike material nature becomes a material-supplying agent just as iron made red-hot becomes a burning agent.
- Matter is compared to the piece of iron, and it is electrified or made red-hot by the glance or manipulation of the supreme consciousness of Visnu. Only by such electrification is the energy of matter displayed in various actions and reactions.
- Visnu is the cause of creation. From Bhagavad-gita also we learn that prakrti begins to work and is still working under Krsna's, or Visnu's, glance of superintendence, but the Supreme Personality of Godhead is unchangeable.
The Merciful Glance Upon the Devotees
While the Lord's vision initiates the vast cosmic creation, it simultaneously offers sweet and intimate blessings to His pure devotees. When He manifests His majestic four-armed form, we read from Śrīla Prabhupāda that the smiling and sidelong glances of Lord Viṣṇu completely satisfy the transcendental desires of the surrendered souls. This loving look bestows absolute protection, removes all distress, and floods the devotees' hearts with spiritual bliss.
- Another significant feature of the Visnu forms was that all of Them were looking transcendentally beautiful. Their smiling resembled the moonshine, and Their glancing resembled the early rising of the sun.
- They (the Visnu forms) glanced upon Their devotees, embracing them and protecting them by smiling. Their smiles resembled the mode of goodness, protecting all the desires of the devotees, and the glancing of Their eyes resembled the mode of passion.
- The word svakarthanam refers to great desires. As mentioned in this verse (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.13.50), the glance of Lord Visnu creates the desires of the devotees. A pure devotee, however, has no desires.
- Those Visnu forms blessed the devotees with Their clear glances and smiles, which resembled the increasingly full light of the moon - sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam.
Conclusion
The incredible power of the Lord's vision perfectly demonstrates His absolute supremacy over both the material and spiritual worlds. By understanding how the inert material nature is awakened and impregnated by this divine gaze, the student learns from Śrīla Prabhupāda that God is never a distant, inactive force. Rather, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is continuously engaging His energies, utilizing His transcendental glance to sustain the cosmos and shower boundless mercy upon His devotees.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Visnu's Glance. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.