FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.4.9

यथा गुणांस्तु प्रकृतेर्युगपत् क्रमशोऽपि वा । बिभर्ति भूरिशस्त्वेक: कुर्वन् कर्माणि जन्मभि: ॥ ९ ॥
yathā guṇāṁs tu prakṛter
[yathaa gunaams tu prakriter]
yugapat kramaśo ’pi vā
[yugapat kramasho ’pi vaa]
bibharti bhūriśas tv ekaḥ
[bibharti bhoorishas tv ekah]
kurvan karmāṇi janmabhiḥ
[kurvan karmaani janmabhih]
Word-for-word
yathā — as they are guṇān — the modes of tu — but prakṛteḥ — of the material energy yugapat — simultaneously kramaśaḥ — gradually api — also vā — either bibharti — maintains bhūriśaḥ — many forms tu — but ekaḥ — the supreme one kurvan — acting karmāṇi — activities janmabhiḥ — by incarnations.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yathā guṇāṁs tu prakṛter
yathā
as they are
guṇān
the modes of
tu
but
prakṛteḥ
of the material energy
yugapat kramaśo ’pi vā
yugapat
simultaneously
kramaśaḥ
gradually
api
also
vā
either
bibharti bhūriśas tv ekaḥ
bibharti
maintains
bhūriśaḥ
many forms
tu
but
ekaḥ
the supreme one
kurvan karmāṇi janmabhiḥ
kurvan
acting
karmāṇi
activities
janmabhiḥ
by incarnations.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is one, whether He alone acts with the modes of material nature, or simultaneously expands in many forms, or expands consecutively to direct the modes of nature.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Just as the Lord, while performing activities of creation and destruction, supports the guṇas of prakṛti all at once as one puruṣa, he also supports the guṇas through many forms of devatās. Does he do this gradually in sequence?
Commentary

Just as the Lord, as one, as the puruṣa, supports the guṇas of prākṛti at one time, or, without being contaminated, as one puruṣa, activates the guṇas with his glance and maintain them, he also maintains the guṇas as many (bhūriśaḥ), by the appearance (janmabhiḥ) of Brahmā, Marīci and others. Does he do this gradually in sequence? How does he support the gūnas? He performs activities of creation.

Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The one Lord acts with the modes, expands into many forms, and directs nature — all simultaneously. Plurality and unity are not in tension for Him; that they seem so to us is a feature of our limitation, not His.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I forcing 'either/or' on a question that the Lord holds as 'both/and'?
  • What in my spiritual understanding could relax if I stopped demanding everything fit into one neat form?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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