FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.25.12

सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणा जीवस्य नैव मे । चित्तजा यैस्तु भूतानां सज्जमानो निबध्यते ॥ १२ ॥
sattvaṁ rajas tama iti
[sattvam rajas tama iti]
guṇā jīvasya naiva me
[gunaa jeevasya naiva me]
citta-jā yais tu bhūtānāṁ
[chitta-jaa yais tu bhootaanaam]
sajjamāno nibadhyate
[sajjamaano nibadhyate]
Word-for-word
sattvam — the mode of goodness rajaḥ — the mode of passion tamaḥ — the mode of ignorance iti — thus guṇāḥ — the modes jīvasya — pertaining to the spirit soul na — not eva — indeed me — to Me citta-jāḥ — manifest within the mind yaiḥ — by which modes tu — and bhūtānām — to material creations sajjamānaḥ — becoming attached nibadhyate — one is bound up.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sattvaṁ rajas tama iti
sattvam
the mode of goodness
rajaḥ
the mode of passion
tamaḥ
the mode of ignorance
iti
thus
guṇā jīvasya naiva me
guṇāḥ
the modes
jīvasya
pertaining to the spirit soul
na
not
eva
indeed
me
to Me
citta-jā yais tu bhūtānāṁ
citta-jāḥ
manifest within the mind
yaiḥ
by which modes
tu
and
bhūtānām
to material creations
sajjamāno nibadhyate
sajjamānaḥ
becoming attached
nibadhyate
one is bound up.
The three modes of material nature — goodness, passion and ignorance — influence the living entity but not Me. Manifesting within his mind, they induce the living entity to become attached to material bodies and other created objects. In this way the living entity is bound up.
Purport

The living entity is the marginal potency of the Supreme Lord, having the tendency to be overwhelmed by the Lord’s illusory material energy. The Personality of Godhead, however, is the absolute controller of illusion. Illusion can never control the Lord. Thus the Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is the eternal object of service for all living beings, who are eternally servants of the Lord.

The three modes of nature manifest within the material energy. When a conditioned soul adopts a material mentality, the modes exert their influence within the jurisdiction of that mentality. But if one purifies one’s mind in the devotional service of the Lord, the modes of nature can no longer act upon him, since they have no influence on the spiritual platform.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The three modes of material nature—goodness, passion and ignorance—influence the living entity but not me. Manifesting within the minds of all beings, they induce the living entity to become attached to material bodies and to become bound up. “Since you take up the guṇas without discrimination in your actions of creation, maintenance and destruction, why should you be served by the jīva?” The guṇas bind the jīva and not me. Why? The guṇa appear in the mind, which is a covering in all beings (bhūtānām). The genitive case has a locative meaning in the word bhūtānām. The jīva, attached to the body and related things, becomes bound. However I am not attached. Though I carry out creation and destruction by regulating the guṇas, I am eternally free of them. This is the big difference between us.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The three modes influence the living entity but not the Lord; manifesting in the mind, they cause attachment to bodies and objects, binding the soul. The Lord stays outside the trap He oversees.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I treat the Lord as Himself caught in the modes?
  • What does His freedom from them invite in me?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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