The Domain of Play
Leelā-vibhūti ('the vibhūti [domain/glory] of play/sport') refers to the material universe — the prakṛtic realm of the fourteen worlds where souls in various conditions (bound, liberated, elevated) exist. The word leelā ('play' or 'sport') indicates that for Bhagavān, the creation and governance of this vast cosmos is effortless play, not labor.
Contrast with Nitya-vibhūti
Bhagavān's two domains are:
- Nitya-vibhūti — the eternal, transcendental Vaikuṇṭha, constituted of śuddha-sattva, where liberated and eternally-free souls dwell in perpetual service
- Leelā-vibhūti — the material universe, constituted of prakṛti (the three guṇas), where bound souls (baddha-jīvas) undergo saṃsāra
Leelā-vibhūti is many times smaller than nitya-vibhūti — a common teaching states it is like one-eighth of Bhagavān's total domain.
Not Rejected
Although called the 'lesser' domain, leelā-vibhūti is not rejected or evil in itself — it is Bhagavān's own body. The problem is not the world but the soul's bondage and misidentification within it. Liberation (mokṣa) is transition from leelā-vibhūti to nitya-vibhūti.