Creation, Maintenance and Destruction of this Material World

This material world is created, maintained for some time, and again annihilated by the will of the Lord. The ingredients for creation and the subordinate creator, Brahmä, are first created by Lord Visnu in His first and second incarnations. The first purusa incarnation is Mahä-Visnu, and the second purusa incarnation is the Garbhodakasayi Visnu, from whom Brahmä is created. The third purusa avatära is the Ksirodakasayi Visnu, who lives as the Supersoul of everything in the universe and maintains the creation generated by Brahmä. Siva is one of the many sons of Brahmä, and he annihilates the creation. Therefore the original creator of the universe is Visnu, and He is also the maintainer of the created beings by His causeless mercy. As such, it is the duty of all conditioned souls to acknowledge the victory of the Lord and thus become pure devotees and live peacefully in this world, where miseries and dangers are always in existence. The conditioned souls, who take this material creation as the place for satisfaction of the senses and thus are illusioned by the external energy of Visnu, remain again to be subjected to the laws of material nature, creation and destruction. (SB 2.10.4)