20.251
visnos tu trini rupani
purusakhyany atho viduh
ekam tu mahatah srastr
dvitiyam tv anda-samsthitam
trtiyam sarva-bhuta-stham
tani jnatva vimucyate
SYNONYMS
visnoh—of Lord Visnu; tu—certainly; trini—three; rupani—forms; purusa-akhyani—celebrated as the purusa; atho—how; viduh—they know; ekam—one of them; tu—but; mahatah srastr—the creator of the total material energy; dvitiyam—the second; tu—but; anda-samsthitam—situated within the universe; trtiyam—the third; sarva-bhuta-stham—within the hearts of all living entities; tani—these three; jnatva—knowing; vimucyate—one becomes liberated " ’Visnu has three forms called purusas.
The first, Maha-Visnu, is the creator of the total material energy (mahat), the second is Garbhodakasayi, who is situated within each universe, and the third is Ksirodakasayi, who lives in the heart of every living being.
He who knows these three becomes liberated from the clutches of maya.’
PURPORT
This verse appears in the Laghu-bhagavatamrta (Purva-khanda 33), where it has been quoted from the Satvata-tantra.