Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 1 - Verse 19

Sanskrit:

अजानतां त्वत्पदवीमनात्म-न्यात्मात्मना भासि वितत्य मायाम् ।सृष्टाविवाहं जगतो विधानइव त्वमेषोऽन्त इव त्रिनेत्र: ॥ १९ ॥

ITRANS:

ajānatāṁ tvat-padavīm anātmanyātmātmanā bhāsi vitatya māyāmsṛṣṭāv ivāhaṁ jagato vidhānaiva tvam eṣo ’nta iva trinetraḥ

Translation:

To persons ignorant of Your actual transcendental position, You appear as part of the material world, manifesting Yourself by the expansion of Your inconceivable energy. Thus for the creation of the universe You appear as me [Brahmā], for its maintenance You appear as Yourself [Viṣṇu], and for its annihilation You appear as Lord Trinetra [Śiva].

Purport:

Although the impersonal Māyāvādī philosophers think that the demigods are illusory, Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and Lord Viṣṇu are stated here to be expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and are thus real. Indeed, they are the extraordinarily powerful controllers of the universe. The ultimate truth is a supreme and beautiful person, and thus throughout the creation of God we will always find the personal touch.