SB 1.3.30 (1962)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 30
Etad rupam bhagawato hi arupasya chidatmanah Maya gunair virachitam mahddadivir atmani.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Edad—all these, Rupam—forms, Hi—certainly, Arupasyu—of one who has no material form, Chidatmanah—of the transcendence, Maya—material energy, Gunai—by the qualities, Virachitam—manufactured, Mahadadivir—with the ingredients of matter, Atmani—in the self.
TRANSLATION
The conception of the Virata Universal Form of the Lord in the material world is an imagination of the less intelligent persons to make an adjustment of material body of the Lord, (for the neophytes), but factually the Lord has no material form.
PURPORT
The conception of the Lord covering the complete material universes known as the Viswa Rupa or the Virata Rupa is particularly not mentioned in this context along with the various incarnations of the Lord as above mentioned. It is not mentioned for the reason that all the incarnations of the Lord as before mentioned are all transcendental and there is not a tinge of material touch in the bodies of such incarnations. There is no difference in the self and body of the Lord as there is difference of body and self in the conditioned soul. The Virata Rupa is conceived for those who are just grossly neophyte in the matter of worshiping the Lord. For them only the material Virata Rupa is presented as it will be explained in the 2nd canto of the book. In the Virata Rupa the material manifestations of different planets have been conceived as His legs, hands etc. Actually all such descriptions are for the facility of the neophytes. The neophytes cannot conceive anything beyond matter and as such the material conception of the Lord is not counted in the list of His factual forms. As Parmatma or the Super soul the Lord is within each and every material form even within the atoms but the outward material form is but imagination both for the Lord and the living being. The present form of the conditioned souls are also not factual. The conclusion is that material conception of the body of the Lord as Virata as well as for the conditioned souls are all imaginations. Both the Lord and the living beings are living spirits and have original spiritual bodies respectively.