# SB 3.11.1 > मैत्रेय उवाच > चरमः सद्विशेषाणामनेकोऽसंयुतः सदा । > परमाणुः स विज्ञेयो नृणामैक्यभ्रमो यतः ॥१॥ ## Text > maitreya uvāca > caramaḥ sad-viśeṣāṇām > aneko 'saṁyutaḥ sadā > paramāṇuḥ sa vijñeyo > nṛṇām aikya-bhramo yataḥ ## Synonyms *maitreyaḥ* *uvāca*—Maitreya said; *caramaḥ*—ultimate; *sat*—effect; *viśeṣāṇām*—symptoms; *anekaḥ*—innumerable; *asaṁyutaḥ*—unmixed; *sadā*—always; *parama*-*aṇuḥ*—atoms; *saḥ*—that; *vijñeyaḥ*—should be understood; *nṛṇām*—of men; *aikya*—oneness; *bhramaḥ*—mistaken; *yataḥ*—from which. ## Translation **The material manifestation's ultimate particle, which is indivisible and not formed into a body, is called the atom. It exists always as an invisible identity, even after the dissolution of all forms. The material body is but a combination of such atoms, but it is misunderstood by the common man.** ## Purport The atomic description of the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* is almost the same as the modern science of atomism, and this is further described in the Paramāṇu-vāda of Kaṇāda. In modern science also, the atom is accepted as the ultimate indivisible particle of which the universe is composed. *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* is the full text of all descriptions of knowledge, including the theory of atomism. The atom is the minute subtle form of eternal time.