अनीह एतद् बहुधैक आत्मना सृजत्यवत्यत्ति न बध्यते यथा । भौमैर्हि भूमिर्बहुनामरूपिणी अहो विभूम्नश्चरितं विडम्बनम् ॥ १७ ॥
anīha etad bahudhaika ātmanā sṛjaty avaty atti na badhyate yathā bhaumair hi bhūmir bahu-nāma-rūpiṇī aho vibhūmnaś caritaṁ viḍambanam
- anīhaḥ
- exerting no endeavor
- etat
- this (universe)
- bahudhā
- manifold
- ekaḥ
- alone
- ātmanā
- by Himself
- sṛjati
- He creates
- avati
- maintains
- atti
- annihilates
- na badhyate
- is not bound up
- yathā
- as
- bhaumaiḥ
- by the transformations of earth
- hi
- indeed
- bhūmiḥ
- earth
- bahu
- many
- nāma-rūpiṇī
- having names and forms
- aho
- ah
- vibhūmnaḥ
- of the almighty Lord
- caritam
- the activities
- viḍambanam
- a pretense
Indeed, the humanlike pastimes of the Almighty are simply a pretense! Effortlessly, He alone sends forth from His Self this variegated creation, maintains it and then swallows it up again, all without becoming entangled, just as the element earth takes on many names and forms in its various transformations.