Now, in each brahmāṇḍa . . . this universe what we are seeing, it is only half. The half is full with water. And where is that water, we cannot see. But there is water. Just like a ball, and half the ball, inside, is filled with water. So . . . and wherefrom this water came? The Mahā- . . . this Viṣṇu, the . . . the Viṣṇu which entered each universe, from His perspiration He created this water. And He laid down on the water. This is called Śeṣaśāyī Viṣṇu or Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Tāṅra nābhi-padma haite uṭhila eka padma (CC Madhya 20.287): "And then He created one lotus flower from His navel." You have seen that picture in the title page, title cover. Nābhi-padma. Sei padme ha-ila brahmāra janma-sadma: "And from that lotus flower, on that lotus flower, the Brahmā, the first created being, was manifested."
- sei padma-nāle ha-ila caudda bhuvana
- teṅho 'brahmā' hañā sṛṣṭi karila sṛjana
- (CC Madhya 20.288)
And this Brahmā is a living being, jīva-tattva. He is not viṣṇu-tattva. Just see how much a living being can be powerful. "Now, Brahmā was created by this Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, and Brahmā in his turn, he created all these planetary systems." There are fourteen status of planetary systems, caudda bhuvana: Bhūrloka, Bhuvarloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka and Brahmaloka, and down, Tala, Atala, Vitala, Pātāla, Talātala, and similarly, there are fourteen planetary systems all over this universe.
- 'viṣṇu'-rūpa hañā kare jagat pālane
- guṇātīta viṣṇu—sparśa nāhi māyā-sane
- (CC Madhya 20.289)
"Now, this Viṣṇu has nothing to do. He is not affected by this material contamination." That is the power of Viṣṇu. Just like we are living entities. When we come into this material world, we become contaminated, we become affected by this, by the influence of this material nature. But Viṣṇu, although He is looking after the management of creation of this brahmāṇḍa, He is not affected. He is not affected.
- 'viṣṇu'-rūpa hañā kare jagat pālane
- guṇātīta viṣṇu—sparśa nāhi māyā-sane
- (CC Madhya 20.289)
- 'rudra'-rūpa dhari kare jagat saṁhāra
- (CC Madhya 20.290)
And when these material worlds or universes are to be annihilated, the same Viṣṇu in His form of Lord Śiva, rudra-rūpa, He annihilates. So Viṣṇu's, Viṣṇu creates, and Lord Śiva annihilates, and Brahmā is in charge of this universe.
- brahmā, viṣṇu, śiva—tāṅra guṇa-avatāra
- sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralayera tinera adhikāra
- (CC Madhya 20.291)
Now, this material world is created, it is . . . it stays for some time, and it is again annihilated. Just we have seen in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate. (BG 8.19)
This is the nature. This material nature is like that. Just like you have seen one lamp. It is . . . once it is extinguished, once it is light. Similarly, there is creation, there is maintenance and there is annihilation of this material world.
Now, these three functions are controlled by three guṇāvatāra, qualitative incarnation of the Supreme Lord. What are they? Now, Viṣṇu . . . Viṣṇu is the incarnation of the modes of goodness, and Śiva is the incarnation of the modes of annihilation, and Brahmā is the in-charge. Brahmā the . . . is secondary. Brahmā is the secondary creator. First of all, the everything is, the principal, the material principal ingredients, and the guṇas and the everything is created by Viṣṇu. Then, the secondary creation, with those ingredients, all these planetary system, everything, is created by Brahmā. So Brahmā is also a secondary creator. And then Viṣṇu maintains.
Just like to a carpenter you give wood and planks and materials and screw and other things, and the carpenter makes a very good cabinet, and you . . . you maintain that, similarly, this brahmāṇḍa, the secondary creation, is Brahmā, and Viṣṇu is the maintainer, and when it is to be destroyed, it is destroyed by Lord Śiva. These three guṇāvatāra. Brahmā, viṣṇu, siva-tāṅra guṇa-avatāra. They are incarnations of Kṛṣṇa's guṇa. So in other words, it is to be understood that these three guṇas, they are also coming from Kṛṣṇa, three guṇas. So therefore, for Kṛṣṇa, there is no such distinction.