Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 5.12.9

evaḿ niruktaḿ kṣiti-śabda-vṛttam

asan nidhānāt paramāṇavo ye

avidyayā manasā kalpitās te

yeṣāḿ samūhena kṛto viśeṣaḥ

SYNONYMS

evam — thus; niruktam — falsely described; kṣiti-śabda — of the word "earth"; vṛttam — the existence; asat — not real; nidhānāt — from the dissolution; parama-aṇavaḥ — atomic particles; ye — all of which; avidyayā — because of less intelligence; manasā — in the mind; kalpitāḥ — imagined; te — they; yeṣām — of which; samūhena — by the aggregate; kṛtaḥ — made; viśeṣaḥ — the particulars.

TRANSLATION

One may say that varieties arise from the planet earth itself. However, although the universe may temporarily appear to be the truth, it ultimately has no real existence. The earth was originally created by a combination of atomic particles, but these particles are impermanent. Actually the atom is not the cause of the universe, although some philosophers think so. It is not a fact that the varieties found in this material world simply result from atomic juxtaposition or combination.

PURPORT

Those who follow the atomic theory think that the protons and electrons of atoms combine in such a way as to bring all material existence into being. However, the scientists fail to discover the cause of atomic existence itself. Under these circumstances, we cannot accept that the atom is the cause of the universe. Such theories are advanced by unintelligent people. According to real intelligence, the real cause of the cosmic manifestation is the Supreme Lord. Janmādy asya yataḥ: [SB 1.1.1] He is the original cause of all creation. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (10.8): ahaḿ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaḿ pravartate. Kṛṣṇa is the original cause. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam: [Bs. 5.1] He is the cause of all causes. Kṛṣṇa is the cause of atoms, the material energy.

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaḿ mano buddhir eva ca

ahańkāra itīyaḿ me

bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

(Bg. 7.4)

The ultimate cause is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and only those in ignorance try to find out other causes by posing different theories.

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