SB 5.17.22-23 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.17.22-23

यस्याद्य आसीद् गुणविग्रहो महान्विज्ञानधिष्ण्यो भगवानज: किल यत्सम्भवोऽहं त्रिवृता स्वतेजसावैकारिकं तामसमैन्द्रियं सृजे ॥ २२ ॥ एते वयं यस्य वशे महात्मन:स्थिता: शकुन्ता इव सूत्रयन्त्रिता: महानहं वैकृततामसेन्द्रिया:सृजाम सर्वे यदनुग्रहादिदम् ॥ २३ ॥

yasyādya āsīd guṇa-vigraho mahān

[yasyaadya aaseed guna-vigraho mahaan]

vijñāna-dhiṣṇyo bhagavān ajaḥ kila

[vijnaana-dhishnyo bhagavaan ajah kila]

yat-sambhavo ’haṁ tri-vṛtā sva-tejasā

[yat-sambhavo ’ham tri-vritaa sva-tejasaa]

vaikārikaṁ tāmasam aindriyaṁ sṛje

[vaikaarikam taamasam aindriyam srije]

ete vayaṁ yasya vaśe mahātmanaḥ

[ete vayam yasya vashe mahaatmanah]

sthitāḥ śakuntā iva sūtra-yantritāḥ

[sthitaah shakuntaa iva sootra-yantritaah]

mahān ahaṁ vaikṛta-tāmasendriyāḥ

[mahaan aham vaikrita-taamasendriyaah]

sṛjāma sarve yad-anugrahād idam

[srijaama sarve yad-anugrahaad idam]

Word-for-word

yasya — from whom ādyaḥ — the beginning āsīt — there was guṇa-vigrahaḥ — the incarnation of the material qualities mahān — the total material energy vijñāna — of full knowledge dhiṣṇyaḥ — the reservoir bhagavān — the most powerful ajaḥ — Lord Brahmā kila — certainly yat — from whom sambhavaḥ — born aham — I tri-vṛtā — having three varieties according to the three modes of nature sva-tejasā — by my material strength vaikārikam — all the demigods tāmasam — material elements aindriyam — the senses sṛje — I create ete — all of these vayam — we yasya — of whom vaśe — under the control mahā-ātmanaḥ — great personalities sthitāḥ — situated śakuntāḥ — vultures iva — like sūtra-yantritāḥ — bound by rope mahān — the mahat-tattva aham — I vaikṛta — the demigods tāmasa — the five material elements indriyāḥ — senses sṛjāmaḥ — we create sarve — all of us yat — of whom anugrahāt — by the mercy idam — this material world.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

yasyādya āsīd guṇa-vigraho mahān

yasya

from whom

ādyaḥ

the beginning

āsīt

there was

guṇa-vigrahaḥ

the incarnation of the material qualities

mahān

the total material energy

vijñāna-dhiṣṇyo bhagavān ajaḥ kila

vijñāna

of full knowledge

dhiṣṇyaḥ

the reservoir

bhagavān

the most powerful

ajaḥ

Lord Brahmā

kila

certainly

yat-sambhavo ’haṁ tri-vṛtā sva-tejasā

yat

from whom

sambhavaḥ

born

vaikārikaṁ tāmasam aindriyaṁ sṛje

ete vayaṁ yasya vaśe mahātmanaḥ

aham

sthitāḥ śakuntā iva sūtra-yantritāḥ

tri-vṛtā

having three varieties according to the three modes of nature

sva-tejasā

by my material strength

mahān ahaṁ vaikṛta-tāmasendriyāḥ

vaikārikam

all the demigods

tāmasam

material elements

aindriyam

the senses

sṛjāma sarve yad-anugrahād idam

sṛje

I create

ete

all of these

vayam

yasya

of whom

vaśe

under the control

mahā-ātmanaḥ

great personalities

sthitāḥ

situated

śakuntāḥ

vultures

iva

sūtra-yantritāḥ

bound by rope

mahān

the mahat-tattva

aham

vaikṛta

the demigods

tāmasa

the five material elements

indriyāḥ

senses

sṛjāmaḥ

we create

sarve

all of us

yat

of whom

anugrahāt

by the mercy

idam

this material world.

From that Supreme Personality of Godhead appears Lord Brahmā, whose body is made from the total material energy, the reservoir of intelligence predominated by the passionate mode of material nature. From Lord Brahmā, I myself am born as a representation of false ego known as Rudra. By my own power I create all the other demigods, the five elements and the senses. Therefore, I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is greater than any of us and under whose control are situated all the demigods, material elements and senses, and even Lord Brahmā and I myself, like birds bound by a rope. Only by the Lord’s grace can we create, maintain and annihilate the material world. Therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Being.

Purport

A summary of creation is given in this verse. From Saṅkarṣaṇa, Mahā-Viṣṇu expands, and from Mahā-Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu expands. Lord Brahmā, who was born of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, fathers Lord Śiva, from whom all the other demigods gradually evolve. Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and Lord Viṣṇu are incarnations of the different material qualities. Lord Viṣṇu is actually above all material qualities, but He accepts control of sattva-guṇa (the mode of goodness) to maintain the universe. Lord Brahmā is born from the mahat-tattva. Brahmā creates the entire universe, Lord Viṣṇu maintains it, and Lord Śiva annihilates it. The Supreme Personality of Godhead controls all the most important demigods — especially Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva — exactly as the owner of a bird controls it by binding it with a rope. Sometimes vultures are controlled in this way.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

First there was the form of māyā called mahat-tattva. Lord Brahmā is the shelter of sattva-guṇa. From Brahmā I appear. By the Lord’s power and the power of the guṇas, I create the devatās, the elements and the senses. All of us—mahat-tattva, the devatās, the elements and senses---are like birds tied by a thread. Under his control, by his mercy, we create this universe. These verses explain how the Lord is the cause of the universe by explaining the appearance of the different elements. First, there is the form māyā, (guṇa-vigrahaḥ), called mahat-tattva. It should be understood from this that Saṅkarṣaṇa is beyond the guṇas. The shelter of sattva (vijñāna-dhiṣṇyaḥ) is Brahmā. From Brahmā I arise. I am the personification of ahaṅkāra, another form of Rudra. By his śakti and by the three guṇas, I create the devatās (vaikārikam), the elements (tāmasam) and the senses. The next verse describes the Lord’s control of everything. Sūtra-yantrtāḥ means bound by a rope. Śakuntāḥ means birds. They are dependent on their master. Who are we? We are part of the devatās mentioned as vaikārikam.

Related lectures

2022-01-23 SB 05-17-22 - Sukumar Gaur Prabhu
Bhakti Sanga Conference Classes· 2022-01-23· English

Personal Guidance

Even Brahmā and Śiva are bound, like birds on a rope, by the Lord's control. The most powerful demigods are still dependents. The only sane response is worship of the One under whom even creators and destroyers serve.

Reflection Questions

Whom am I admiring or relying on as if they were the ultimate source rather than themselves dependents?
If even the highest beings worship the Lord, what is my excuse for not doing the same?

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io