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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.8.12
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A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 12
- catur-yugānāṁ ca sahasram apsu
- svapan svayodīritayā sva-śaktyā
- kālākhyayāsādita-karma-tantro
- lokān apītān dadṛśe sva-dehe
catuḥfour — four; yugānāmof the millenniums — of the millenniums; caalso — also; sahasramone thousand — one thousand; apsuin the water — in the water; svapandreaming in sleep — dreaming in sleep; svayāwith His internal potency — with His internal potency; udīritayāfor further development — for further development; svaby His own energy-śaktyāby His own energy — by His own energy; kālaby the name kāla-ākhyayāby the name kāla — by the name kāla; āsāditabeing so engaged — being so engaged; karmain the matter of fruitive activities-tantraḥin the matter of fruitive activities — in the matter of fruitive activities; lokānthe total living entities — the total living entities; apītānbluish — bluish; dadṛśesaw it so — saw it so; svain His own body-dehein His own body — in His own body.
The Lord lay down for four thousand yuga cycles in His internal potency, and by His external energy He appeared to be sleeping within the water. When the living entities were coming out for further development of their fruitive activities, actuated by the energy called kāla-śakti, He saw His transcendental body as bluish.
In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa, kāla-śakti is mentioned as avidyā. The symptom of the influence of the kāla-śakti is that one has to work in the material world for fruitive results. The fruitive workers are described in Bhagavad-gītā as mūḍhas, or foolish. Such foolish living entities are very enthusiastic to work for some temporary benefit within perpetual bondage. One thinks himself very clever throughout his life if he is able to leave behind him a great asset of wealth for his children, and to achieve this temporary benefit he takes the risk of all sinful activities, without knowledge that such activities will keep him perpetually bound by the shackles of material bondage. Due to this polluted mentality and due to material sins, the aggregate combination of living entities appeared to be bluish. Such an impetus of activity for fruitive result is made possible by the dictation of the external energy of the Lord, kāla.