FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.7.23

गुणमय्या स्वशक्त्यास्य सर्गस्थित्यप्ययान्विभो । धत्से यदा स्वद‍ृग् भूमन्ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवाभिधाम् ॥ २३ ॥
guṇa-mayyā sva-śaktyāsya
[guna-mayyaa sva-shaktyaasya]
sarga-sthity-apyayān vibho
[sarga-sthity-apyayaan vibho]
dhatse yadā sva-dṛg bhūman
[dhatse yadaa sva-drig bhooman]
brahma-viṣṇu-śivābhidhām
[brahma-vishnu-shivaabhidhaam]
Word-for-word
guṇa-mayyā — acting in three modes of activity sva-śaktyā — by the external energy of Your Lordship asya — of this material world sarga-sthiti-apyayān — creation, maintenance and annihilation vibho — O lord dhatse — you execute yadā — when sva-dṛk — you manifest yourself bhūman — O great one brahma-viṣṇu-śiva-abhidhām — as Lord Brahmā, Lord Viṣṇu or Lord Śiva.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
guṇa-mayyā sva-śaktyāsya
guṇa-mayyā
acting in three modes of activity
sva-śaktyā
by the external energy of Your Lordship
asya
of this material world
sarga-sthiti-apyayān
creation, maintenance and annihilation
sarga-sthity-apyayān vibho
vibho
O lord
dhatse yadā sva-dṛg bhūman
dhatse
you execute
yadā
when
sva-dṛk
you manifest yourself
bhūman
O great one
brahma-viṣṇu-śivābhidhām
brahma-viṣṇu-śiva-abhidhām
as Lord Brahmā, Lord Viṣṇu or Lord Śiva.
O lord, you are self-effulgent and supreme. You create this material world by your personal energy, and you assume the names Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara when you act in creation, maintenance and annihilation.
Purport

This prayer is actually offered to Lord Viṣṇu, the puruṣa, who in His incarnations as the guṇa-avatāras assumes the names Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O self-manifesting, powerful lord! When you act in creation, maintenance and annihilation by your energy of māyā, you assume the names Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara. They praise his form as the (third) puruṣa. When you perform creation, you take on the names of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The same self-effulgent Supreme assumes the names Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara for creation, maintenance, and annihilation. One Lord, three functions — not three competing gods. We worship the unified reality through whichever face is needed.
Reflection Questions
  • Do I see the destroyer-aspect of life as opposing the creator, or as the same Lord at work?
  • Which of His three faces am I avoiding because it asks me to release something?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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