SB 12.4.15-19 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 12.4.15-19

अपां रसमथो तेजस्ता लीयन्तेऽथ नीरसा: । ग्रसते तेजसो रूपं वायुस्तद्रहितं तदा ॥ १५ ॥ लीयते चानिले तेजो वायो: खं ग्रसते गुणम् । स वै विशति खं राजंस्ततश्च नभसो गुणम् ॥ १६ ॥ शब्दं ग्रसति भूतादिर्नभस्तमनुलीयते । तैजसश्चेन्द्रियाण्यङ्ग देवान् वैकारिको गुणै: ॥ १७ ॥ महान् ग्रसत्यहङ्कारं गुणा: सत्त्वादयश्च तम् । ग्रसतेऽव्याकृतं राजन् गुणान् कालेन चोदितम् ॥ १८ ॥ न तस्य कालावयवै: परिणामादयो गुणा: । अनाद्यनन्तमव्यक्तं नित्यं कारणमव्ययम् ॥ १९ ॥

apāṁ rasam atho tejas

[apaam rasam atho tejas]

tā līyante ’tha nīrasāḥ

[taa leeyante ’tha neerasaah]

grasate tejaso rūpaṁ

[grasate tejaso roopam]

vāyus tad-rahitaṁ tadā

[vaayus tad-rahitam tadaa]

līyate cānile tejo

[leeyate chaanile tejo]

vāyoḥ khaṁ grasate guṇam

[vaayoh kham grasate gunam]

sa vai viśati khaṁ rājaṁs

[sa vai vishati kham raajams]

tataś ca nabhaso guṇam

[tatash cha nabhaso gunam]

śabdaṁ grasati bhūtādir

[shabdam grasati bhootaadir]

nabhas tam anu līyate

[nabhas tam anu leeyate]

taijasaś cendriyāṇy aṅga

[taijasash chendriyaany anga]

devān vaikāriko guṇaiḥ

[devaan vaikaariko gunaih]

mahān grasaty ahaṅkāraṁ

[mahaan grasaty ahankaaram]

guṇāḥ sattvādayaś ca tam

[gunaah sattvaadayash cha tam]

grasate ’vyākṛtaṁ rājan

[grasate ’vyaakritam raajan]

guṇān kālena coditam

[gunaan kaalena choditam]

na tasya kālāvayavaiḥ

[na tasya kaalaavayavaih]

pariṇāmādayo guṇāḥ

[parinaamaadayo gunaah]

anādy anantam avyaktaṁ

[anaady anantam avyaktam]

nityaṁ kāraṇam avyayam

[nityam kaaranam avyayam]

Word-for-word

apām — of water rasam — the taste atha — then tejaḥ — fire tāḥ — that water līyante — dissolves atha — after this nīrasāḥ — deprived of its quality of taste grasate — takes away tejasaḥ — of fire rūpam — the form vāyuḥ — the air tat-rahitam — deprived of that form tadā — then līyate — merges ca — and anile — in wind tejaḥ — fire vāyoḥ — of the air kham — the ether grasate — takes away guṇam — the perceptible quality (touch) saḥ — that air vai — indeed viśati — enters kham — the ether rājan — O King Parīkṣit tataḥ — thereupon ca — and nabhasaḥ — of the ether guṇam — the quality śabdam — sound grasati — takes away bhūta-ādiḥ — the element of false ego in the mode of ignorance nabhaḥ — the ether tam — into that false ego anu — subsequently līyate — merges taijasaḥ — false ego in the mode of passion ca — and indriyāṇi — the senses aṅga — my dear King devān — the demigods vaikārikaḥ — false ego in the mode of goodness guṇaiḥ — along with the manifest functions (of false ego) mahān — the mahat-tattva grasati — seizes ahaṅkāram — false ego guṇāḥ — the basic modes of nature sattva-ādayaḥ — goodness, passion and ignorance ca — and tam — that mahat grasate — seizes avyākṛtam — the unmanifest original form of nature rājan — O King guṇān — the three modes kālena — by time coditam — impelled na — there are not tasya — of that unmanifest nature kāla — of time avayavaiḥ — by the segments pariṇāma-ādayaḥ — transformation and the other changes of visible matter (creation, growth and so on) guṇāḥ — such qualities anādi — without beginning anantam — without end avyaktam — unmanifest nityam — eternal kāraṇam — the cause avyayam — infallible.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

apāṁ rasam atho tejas

apām

of water

rasam

the taste

atha

then

tejaḥ

fire

tā līyante ’tha nīrasāḥ

tāḥ

that water

līyante

dissolves

grasate tejaso rūpaṁ

atha

after this

vāyus tad-rahitaṁ tadā

līyate cānile tejo

nīrasāḥ

deprived of its quality of taste

vāyoḥ khaṁ grasate guṇam

grasate

takes away

sa vai viśati khaṁ rājaṁs

tataś ca nabhaso guṇam

śabdaṁ grasati bhūtādir

nabhas tam anu līyate

tejasaḥ

of fire

rūpam

the form

taijasaś cendriyāṇy aṅga

devān vaikāriko guṇaiḥ

vāyuḥ

the air

mahān grasaty ahaṅkāraṁ

guṇāḥ sattvādayaś ca tam

tat-rahitam

deprived of that form

grasate ’vyākṛtaṁ rājan

tadā

then

līyate

merges

and

anile

in wind

tejaḥ

fire

guṇān kālena coditam

na tasya kālāvayavaiḥ

vāyoḥ

of the air

kham

the ether

grasate

takes away

pariṇāmādayo guṇāḥ

guṇam

the perceptible quality (touch)

saḥ

that air

vai

indeed

viśati

enters

kham

the ether

anādy anantam avyaktaṁ

nityaṁ kāraṇam avyayam

rājan

O King Parīkṣit

tataḥ

thereupon

and

nabhasaḥ

of the ether

guṇam

the quality

śabdam

sound

grasati

takes away

bhūta-ādiḥ

the element of false ego in the mode of ignorance

nabhaḥ

the ether

tam

into that false ego

anu

subsequently

līyate

merges

taijasaḥ

false ego in the mode of passion

and

indriyāṇi

the senses

aṅga

my dear King

devān

the demigods

vaikārikaḥ

false ego in the mode of goodness

guṇaiḥ

along with the manifest functions (of false ego)

mahān

the mahat-tattva

grasati

seizes

ahaṅkāram

false ego

guṇāḥ

the basic modes of nature

sattva-ādayaḥ

goodness, passion and ignorance

and

tam

that mahat

grasate

seizes

avyākṛtam

the unmanifest original form of nature

rājan

O King

guṇān

the three modes

kālena

by time

coditam

impelled

there are not

tasya

of that unmanifest nature

kāla

of time

avayavaiḥ

by the segments

pariṇāma-ādayaḥ

transformation and the other changes of visible matter (creation, growth and so on)

guṇāḥ

such qualities

anādi

without beginning

anantam

without end

avyaktam

unmanifest

nityam

eternal

kāraṇam

the cause

avyayam

infallible.

The element fire then seizes the taste from the element water, which, deprived of its unique quality, taste, merges into fire. Air seizes the form inherent in fire, and then fire, deprived of form, merges into air. The element ether seizes the quality of air, namely touch, and that air enters into ether. Then, O King, false ego in ignorance seizes sound, the quality of ether, after which ether merges into false ego. False ego in the mode of passion takes hold of the senses, and false ego in the mode of goodness absorbs the demigods. Then the total mahat-tattva seizes false ego along with its various functions, and that mahat is seized by the three basic modes of nature — goodness, passion and ignorance. My dear King Parīkṣit, these modes are further overtaken by the original unmanifest form of nature, impelled by time. That unmanifest nature is not subject to the six kinds of transformation caused by the influence of time. Rather, it has no beginning and no end. It is the unmanifest, eternal and infallible cause of creation.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

The element fire then swallows up the taste from the element water, which, deprived of its unique quality, taste, merges into fire. Air swallows up the form inherent in fire, and then fire, deprived of form, merges into air. The element ether swallows up the quality of air, namely touch, and that air enters into ether. Then, O King, false ego in ignorance swallows up sound, the quality of ether, after which ether also merges into false ego in ignorance. False ego in passion consumes of the senses, and false ego in goodness absorbs the devatās. Then the total mahat-tattva consumes false ego along with its various functions, and that mahat-tattva is consumed by the three basic modes of nature—goodness, passion and ignorance. My dear King Parīkṣit, these modes are further swallowed up by prakṛti, impelled by time. That prakṛti is not subject to the six kinds of transformation caused by the influence of time. Rather, it has no birth, no death, no existence, no increase, no change, and no decrease. It is the cause of the universe. The verb grasati should be added to the first line of verse 15. Bhūtādiḥ means ahaṅkāra in tamas. Ahaṅkāra in rajas swallows up the senses. Mahat-tattva swallows up ahaṅkāra along with its transformation of guṇas (ahaṅkāra in the modes of tamas, rajas and sattva). The guṇas swallow up mahat-tattva (tam). Avyākṛtam means pradhāna or prakṛti. Prakṛti is not subject to the transformation and other factors produced by the limbs of time, by days and nights. Pariṇāma or development is the fourth change (vikāra) among six which are not present in prakṛti. The first is birth. But prakrṭi has no beginning (anādi). It has no end (anantam). Avyaktam means that it does not show itself as existing for some time. Nityam means that prakṛti is always in one form. It does not increase or grow. It does not decline (avyayam). Thus the six transformations are absent in prakṛti. [Note: The six transformations are janma, astitva, vṛrdhi, pariṇāma, apakṣaya, and mṛtyu. jāyate asti vardhate vipariṇamate apakṣīyate naśyaty]

Related lectures

Tamohara Pr SB 12-04-15-23 - 2019-04-18 ISKCON Alachua
His Grace Tamohara Prabhu· 2019-04-18· English

Personal Guidance

Element by element, all of creation folds back into pradhana — taste into fire, form into air, touch into ether, sound into false ego, and finally the modes into unmanifest nature impelled by time. The whole universe is a temporary unfolding inside the eternal cause.

Reflection Questions

When I observe my emotions and thoughts, can I sense them as patterns inside something quieter?
How does watching things fold back into source change my grip on them?

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io