Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Caitanya Caritāmrita Madhya 20.309

dugdha yena amla-yoge dadhi-rūpa dhare

dugdhāntara vastu nahe, dugdha haite nāre

SYNONYMS

dugdha — milk; yena — as; amla-yoge — in association with a sour substance; dadhi-rūpa — the form of yogurt; dhare — takes; dugdha-antara — something other than milk; vastu — substance; nahe — is not; dugdha — milk; haite — to be; nāre — is not able.

TRANSLATION

"Milk is transformed into yogurt when it associates with a yogurt culture. Thus yogurt is nothing but milk, but still it is not milk.

PURPORT

Of the three deities supervising the creation, maintenance and dissolution of the universe, Lord Vishnu is never separate from the original Vishnu. However, Lord Śiva and Brahmā, due to their association with māyā, are different from Vishnu. Vishnu cannot be transformed into any form of material energy. Whenever there is association with māyā, the personality involved must be different from Lord Vishnu. Therefore Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā are called guna-avatāras, for they associate with the material qualities. The conclusion is that Rudra is not exactly Lord Vishnu but rather a transformation of Vishnu. Therefore, he does not come within the category of the vishnu-tattvas. Thus he is inconceivably one with Vishnu and different from Him. The example given in this verse is very clear. Milk is compared to Vishnu. As soon as milk touches a sour substance, it becomes yogurt, or Lord Śiva. Although yogurt is constitutionally milk, it cannot be used in place of milk.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness