Svarūpa Dāmodara: They ask, "What is the force that combined matter and the ātmā, matter and life, matter and the jīva or ātmā? What is the force behind it?"
Prabhupāda: Force because ātmā is independent. He can live in the spiritual world or in the material world as he likes.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: But is not correct, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that Paramātmā is the...
Prabhupāda: Paramātmā is...
Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...is behind.
Prabhupāda: Yes, behind, yes. He's the origin of ātmā. Mamaivāṁśa. Kṛṣṇa said, "This ātmā is my small particle part." He says that. So Paramātmā is the origin, and these are fragmental parts of Paramātmā.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: That makes our statement very valid.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Ātmā... Super-ātmā is the source of ātmā.