Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.37.12
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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māyayā
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by His creative energy
Māyā here is Kṛṣṇa's own creative śakti, not illusion to be escaped. Gauḍīyas distinguish yoga-māyā (the Lord's internal energy that arranges Vraja-līlā) from mahā-māyā (the external energy that arranges the material world). Nārada is naming the latter, but the same Lord wields both.
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guṇān
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the modes of nature (sattva, rajas, tamas)
Guṇa — strand, mode. The three ropes of prakṛti. Gauḍīyas read the Lord as guṇātīta — beyond all three — even as He produces them; this is one half of acintya-bhedābheda.
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satya-saṅkalpaḥ
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whose will is always realized
Satya (true) + saṅkalpa (resolve). Whatever Kṛṣṇa wills happens. Gauḍīyas read this as the asymmetry of bhakti: the devotee adjusts to the Lord's will, never the reverse — and the relief of saraṇāgati comes from knowing His saṅkalpa is satya.
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sṛjasi-atsi-avasi
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You create, withdraw, and maintain
The three cosmic functions in one breath. Brahmā, Śiva, Viṣṇu are merely Kṛṣṇa's delegated officers; Nārada compresses all three into one verb-chain spoken to one Person.
"If you had not created myself, my intelligence and the rest of the universe, then I would not be able to make any request from you." With this intention he speaks. You are independent (atma asrayah) and by your energies who are not different from you (atmana), you create the elements starting from mahat tattva. As you create this world using mahat tattva, you also inspire all people of the world to try to fulfill their desires. In this way, today I am trying to make requests to you.
Nārada shows the activity of Mahā-viṣṇu, since he is the chief puruṣa and suitable for the job of creation. You create the guṇas by your māyā. Since this implies dependence on some other entity (māyā), Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that māyā is a śakti of the Lord. You are not invested with power by another being like others are. You give shelter to yourself by yourself, since you are not dependent on others. You create the guṇas by your śakti. You create the universe by those guṇas which you have created, and maintain and destroy the universe also. You do not depend on others (satya-saṅkalpaḥ) and are thus the Lord (īśvaraḥ).
Even though by the guṇas you create, maintain and destroy all universes at the appropriate time, at this time you have appeared to protect the devotees particularly. This is explained in two verses. Since you are independent, by yourself you shelter yourself. You are devoid of any relationship with māyā. By your will alone you create and destroy (satya-sankalpaḥ). For creation you create the guṇas, by māyā. This is his amazing pastime. You create, maintain and then destroy. Or all jīvas are naturally related to you as relatives (ātmanātmāśrayaḥ). (SB 10.74.21) Just by your will you destroy the demons (satya-sankalpaḥ). The next verse explains that you appear in the world to destroy the demons. That pastime, though inconceivable, is possible because of your power: you are the supreme controller (īśvaraḥ). Maintenance or protection is mentioned last. This means that now, you protect by spreading bhakti, or that protection is your natural quality.
- Where do you blame circumstances rather than acknowledging Kṛṣṇa's overall direction?
- How does taking shelter feel different from taking control?
Bhagavān is the playwright who is also His own stage and His own audience. He produces the three guṇas first — like a painter mixing only three pigments — and the entire universe is painted, kept, and wiped clean with the same hand. Will alone moves the brush; no second cause is required.
My note
Source: vedabase.io