Verse 9.7

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 9.7:

सर्व-भूतानि कौन्तेय प्रकृतिं यान्ति मामिकाम् ।
कल्प-क्षये पुनस् तानि कल्पादौ विसृजाम्य् अहम् ॥ ७ ॥

sarva-bhūtāni kaunteya prakṛtiṃ yānti māmikām |
kalpa-kṣaye punas tāni kalpādau visṛjāmy aham || 7 ||

sarva-bhūtāni–the five gigantic elements, i.e. earth, water, etc.; kaunteya–O son of Kuntī; prakṛtim–material nature; yānti–enter; māmikām–My; kalpa-kṣaye–when devastation occurs at the end of a kalpa (the life span of Lord Brahmā); punaḥ–again; tāni–those (elements); kalpa-ādau–at the beginning of a kalpa (the time of creation); visṛjāmi–create; aham–I.

O son of Kuntī, when the universal devastation occurs, all of the universal elements merge into My material nature (prakṛti), and at the beginning of the next day of Lord Brahmā, by My potency, I again create them all with their distinct characteristics.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

The following doubt may be raised: “At present it is known that all elements are situated in You, but where do they go during the great annihilation (mahā-pralaya)?” Anticipating this question from Arjuna, Śrī Bhagavān speaks this verse beginning with sarva. “They enter My māyā-śakti, which consists of the three modes of nature. Then, after the annihilation, or in other words, at the beginning of creation, I again create all of them with their distinct characteristics.”

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

The creation, maintenance and annihilation of this material world are carried out entirely by the will of Śrī Bhagavān. Here the word kalpa-kṣaya means ‘the end of Lord Brahmā’s life span’. This subject was explained earlier. There is a great annihilation (mahā-pralaya) at the end of Brahmā’s life span. At that time, all of the elements enter Śrī Bhagavān’s external potency, and by His will, they are again created by His material nature at the beginning of the next kalpa, or day of Lord Brahmā. One can refer to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (12.4.5–6) for further information.