FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.41

येन स्वधाम्न्यमी भावा रज:सत्त्वतमोमया: । गुणनामक्रियारूपैर्विभाव्यन्ते यथातथम् ॥ ४१ ॥
yena sva-dhāmny amī bhāvā
[yena sva-dhaamny amee bhaavaa]
rajaḥ-sattva-tamomayāḥ
[rajah-sattva-tamomayaah]
guṇa-nāma-kriyā-rūpair
[guna-naama-kriyaa-roopair]
vibhāvyante yathā-tatham
[vibhaavyante yathaa-tatham]
yena — by whom (Nārāyaṇa) sva-dhāmni — although in His own place, the spiritual world amī — all these bhāvāḥ — manifestations rajaḥ-sattva-tamaḥ-mayāḥ — created by the three modes of material nature (passion, goodness and ignorance) guṇa — qualities nāma — names kriyā — activities rūpaiḥ — and with forms vibhāvyante — are variously manifested yathā-tatham — exactly to the right point.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yena sva-dhāmny amī bhāvā
yena
by whom (Nārāyaṇa)
sva-dhāmni
although in His own place, the spiritual world
amī
all these
bhāvāḥ
manifestations
rajaḥ-sattva-tamomayāḥ
rajaḥ-sattva-tamaḥ-mayāḥ
created by the three modes of material nature (passion, goodness and ignorance)
guṇa-nāma-kriyā-rūpair
guṇa
qualities
nāma
names
kriyā
activities
rūpaiḥ
and with forms
vibhāvyante yathā-tatham
vibhāvyante
are variously manifested
yathā-tatham
exactly to the right point.
The supreme cause of all causes, Nārāyaṇa, is situated in His own abode in the spiritual world, but nevertheless He controls the entire cosmic manifestation according to the three modes of material nature — sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. In this way all living entities are awarded different qualities, different names [such as brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya and vaiśya], different duties according to the varṇāśrama institution, and different forms. Thus Nārāyaṇa is the cause of the entire cosmic manifestation.

The Vedas inform us:

na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca

( Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8)

Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is almighty, omnipotent. He has multifarious energies, and therefore He is able to remain in His own abode and without endeavor supervise and manipulate the entire cosmic manifestation through the interaction of the three modes of material nature — sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. These interactions create different forms, bodies, activities and changes, which all occur perfectly. Because the Lord is perfect, everything works as if He were directly supervising and taking part in it. Atheistic men, however, being covered by the three modes of material nature, cannot see Nārāyaṇa to be the supreme cause behind all activities. As Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (7.13) :

tribhir guṇamayair bhāvair ebhiḥ sarvam idaṁ jagat mohitaṁ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam

“Deluded by the three modes, the whole world does not know Me, who am above the modes and inexhaustible.” Because unintelligent agnostics are mohita, illusioned by the three modes of material nature, they cannot understand that Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, is the supreme cause of all activities. As stated in Brahma-saṁhitā (5.1) :

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

“Kṛṣṇa, who is known as Govinda, is the supreme controller. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, for He is the prime cause of all causes.”

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
By Nārāyaṇa who is situated in his own abode, these living entities composed of rajas, sattva and tamas appear precisely with qualities, names and actions. Who is Nārāyaṇa? Situated in Vaikuṇṭha, the living entities (bhāvāḥ) are created exactly by his will alone, with qualities like peacefulness, names like brāhmaṇa, actions like studying the Vedas and forms like varṇāśrama. Yathā-tatham means properly.
From His own abode, the all-powerful Nārāyaṇa effortlessly governs the cosmos through the three modes of nature, assigning each soul its qualities, duties and forms. He does not need to act directly; His potencies do everything perfectly.
Reflection Questions
  • Am I living as if I am the doer, or as if a vast cosmic intelligence is arranging my situation?
  • Where can I cooperate with the role and duties I have been given rather than fighting them?
📝 My note

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