# SB 8.12.4 ## Text > śrī-mahādeva uvāca > deva-deva jagad-vyāpiñ > jagad-īśa jagan-maya > sarveṣām api bhāvānāṁ > tvam ātmā hetur īśvaraḥ ## Synonyms *śrī*-*mahādevaḥ* *uvāca*—Lord Śiva (Mahādeva) said; *deva*-*deva*—O best demigod among the demigods; *jagat*-*vyāpin*—O all-pervading Lord; *jagat*-*īśa*—O master of the universe; *jagat*-*maya*—O my Lord, who are transformed by Your energy into this creation; *sarveṣām* *api*—all kinds of; *bhāvānām*—situations; *tvam*—You; *ātmā*—the moving force; *hetuḥ*—because of this; *īśvaraḥ*—the Supreme Lord, Parameśvara. ## Translation **Lord Mahādeva said: O chief demigod among the demigods, O all-pervading Lord, master of the universe, by Your energy You are transformed into the creation. You are the root and efficient cause of everything. You are not material. Indeed, You are the Supersoul or supreme living force of everything. Therefore, You are Parameśvara, the supreme controller of all controllers.** ## Purport The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, resides within the material world as the *sattva-guṇa-avatāra.* Lord Śiva is the *tamo-guṇa-avatāra,* and Lord Brahmā is the *rajo-guṇa-avatāra,* but although Lord Viṣṇu is among them, He is not in the same category. Lord Viṣṇu is *deva-deva,* the chief of all the demigods. Since Lord Śiva is in this material world, the energy of the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, includes Lord Śiva. Lord Viṣṇu is therefore called *jagad-vyāpī,* "the all-pervading Lord." Lord Śiva is sometimes called Maheśvara, and so people think that Lord Śiva is everything. But here Lord Śiva addresses Lord Viṣṇu as Jagad-īśa, "the master of the universe." Lord Śiva is sometimes called Viśveśvara, but here he addresses Lord Viṣṇu as Jagan-maya, indicating that even Viśveśvara is under Lord Viṣṇu's control. Lord Viṣṇu is the master of the spiritual world, yet He controls the material world also, as stated in *Bhagavad-gītā* (*mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sacarācaram [[bg/9/10|[Bg. 9.10] ]]*). Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva are also sometimes called *īśvara,* but the supreme *īśvara* is Lord Viṣṇu, Lord Kṛṣṇa. As stated in *Brahma-saṁhitā, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ:* [Bs. 5.1] the Supreme Lord is Kṛṣṇa, Lord Viṣṇu. Everything in existence works in proper order because of Lord Viṣṇu. *Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham* [Bs. 5.35]. Even *paramāṇu,* the small atoms, work because of Lord Viṣṇu's presence within them.