FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.5.18

सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति निर्गुणस्य गुणास्त्रय: । स्थितिसर्गनिरोधेषु गृहीता मायया विभो: ॥ १८ ॥
sattvaṁ rajas tama iti
[sattvam rajas tama iti]
nirguṇasya guṇās trayaḥ
[nirgunasya gunaas trayah]
sthiti-sarga-nirodheṣu
[sthiti-sarga-nirodheshu]
gṛhītā māyayā vibhoḥ
[griheetaa maayayaa vibhoh]
sattvam — the mode of goodness rajaḥ — the mode of passion tamaḥ — the mode of ignorance iti — all these nirguṇasya — of the Transcendence guṇāḥ trayaḥ — are three qualities sthiti — maintenance sarga — creation nirodheṣu — in destruction gṛhītāḥ — accepted māyayā — by the external energy vibhoḥ — of the Supreme.
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
all these
nirguṇasya guṇās trayaḥ
nirguṇasya
of the Transcendence
guṇāḥ trayaḥ
are three qualities
sthiti
maintenance
sthiti-sarga-nirodheṣu
sarga
creation
nirodheṣu
in destruction
gṛhītā māyayā vibhoḥ
gṛhītāḥ
accepted
māyayā
by the external energy
vibhoḥ
of the Supreme.
The Supreme Lord is pure, spiritual form, transcendental to all material qualities, yet for the sake of the creation of the material world and its maintenance and annihilation, He accepts through His external energy the material modes of nature called goodness, passion and ignorance.

The Supreme Lord is the master of the external energy manifested by the three material modes, namely goodness, passion and ignorance, and as master of this energy He is ever unaffected by the influence of such bewildering energy. The living entities, the jīvas, however, are affected by or susceptible to being influenced by such modes of material nature — that is the difference between the Lord and the living entities. The living entities are subjected by those qualities, although originally the living entities are qualitatively one with the Lord. In other words, the material modes of nature, being products of the energy of the Lord, are certainly connected with the Lord, but the connection is just like that between the master and the servants. The Supreme Lord is the controller of the material energy, whereas the living entities, who are entangled in the material world, are neither masters nor controllers. Rather, they become subordinate to or controlled by such energy. Factually the Lord is eternally manifested by His internal potency or spiritual energy just like the sun and its rays in the clear sky, but at times He creates the material energy, as the sun creates a cloud in the clear sky. As the sun is ever increasingly unaffected by a spot of cloud, so also the unlimited Lord is unaffected by the spot of material energy manifested at times in the unlimited span of the Lord’s rays of brahmajyoti.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The three guṇas of sattva, rajas and tamas, belonging to the Lord without guṇas, are accepted by the māyā of the Lord for creation, maintenance and destruction.
Commentary

How does this distinction between the jīva and īśvara come about? Is it because you are inspired and he inspires? Three verses explain the cause of distinction. The three guṇas belong to the Lord who has no material guṇas. How is this? They are accepted by māyā of the Lord for creation, maintenance and destruction. They are his guṇas since they are the guṇas of his śakti, māyā. Though māyā eternally possesses this form as the guṇas, the word “accepts” is used, as if it has a beginning. The usage is the same as tasyecchayātta-vapuṣaḥ: Kṛṣṇa accepts a body by his will. (SB 10.33.34) Actually Kṛṣṇa eternally has the form of a human. This simply follows common expression.

Related verses
The Lord uses goodness, passion, and ignorance to run the world without being touched by them — like the sun creating clouds it isn't dimmed by. We get tangled in the modes because we identify with them; He doesn't.
Reflection Questions
  • Which of the three modes is currently running my day, and do I know I am not it?
  • How does it help to remember that the One operating the modes is untouched by them?
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