This unmanifested world is the self-same Personality of Godhead

Srimad Bhagavatam   

Divisions of the Creation   TEXT 12

                                   TEXT

                      visvam vai brahma-tan-matram
                      samsthitam visnu-mayaya
                      isvarena paricchinnam
                      kalenavyakta-murtina

                              SYNONYMS

   visvam--the material phenomenon; vai--certainly; brahma--the Supreme; tat-matram--the same as; samsthitam--situated; visnu-mayaya--by the energy of Visnu; isvarena--by the Personality of Godhead; paricchinnam--separated; kalena--by the eternal time; avyakta--unmanifested; murtina--by such a feature.

                           TRANSLATION

   This cosmic manifestation is separated from the Supreme Lord as material energy by means of kala, which is the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Lord. It is situated as the objective manifestation of the Lord under the influence of the same material energy of Visnu.

     PURPORT

   As stated previously by Narada before Vyasadeva (Bhag. 1.5.20), idam hi visvam bhagavan ivetarah: this unmanifested world is the self-same Personality of Godhead, but it appears to be something else beyond or besides the Lord. It appears so because of its being separated from the Lord by means of kala(time). It is something like the tape-recorded voice of a person who is now separated from the voice. As the tape recording is situated on the tape, so the whole cosmic manifestation is situated on the material energy and appears separate by means of kala. The material manifestation is therefore the objective manifestation of the Supreme Lord and exhibits His impersonal feature so much adored by impersonalist philosophers.