Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.14.19
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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ajānatām
—
of those who do not know
Genitive plural participle of a- + √jñā. The verse begins with epistemic failure — knowledge of Kṛṣṇa is the missing variable. Without it, the trimūrti looks like three; with it, one.
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tvat-padavīm
—
Your position
Compound: tvat (Your) + padavī (position, status). Kṛṣṇa's actual ontological rank as svayaṁ-bhagavān. Brahmā concedes that those who do not know this rank misallocate divinity across the trimūrti.
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vitatya māyām
—
expanding māyā
Phrase: vi-√tan (to spread out) + māyā. Kṛṣṇa Himself spreads His own māyā to perform the three cosmic functions. The trimūrti is staged by Bhagavān's lay; māyā is His skirt, not His master.
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tri-netraḥ
—
the three-eyed one (Śiva)
Compound: tri (three) + netra (eye). Śiva. Brahmā the Vaiṣṇava preserves the hierarchy — Śiva functions as Kṛṣṇa's deputy for dissolution. The Brahma-saṁhitā says kṣīraṁ yathā dadhi vikāra-viśeṣa-yogāt: Śiva is the same milk slightly transformed.
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aham
—
(as) myself (Brahmā)
Brahmā quietly demotes himself: when You create, You APPEAR as me. The 'I' is just a costume Kṛṣṇa wears. The śaraṇāgati-completing dissolution of Brahmā's titular pride.
Although the impersonal Māyāvādī philosophers think that the demigods are illusory, Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and Lord Viṣṇu are stated here to be expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and are thus real. Indeed, they are the extraordinarily powerful controllers of the universe. The ultimate truth is a supreme and beautiful person, and thus throughout the creation of God we will always find the personal touch.
Not understanding anything about your spiritual universe, the materialists think that you are simply material (mayamaya). According to the persons who think themselves learned, but are ignorant of the path of bhakti (tvat padavim), you (atma) spread yourself in matter (anatmani) by your own will (atmana), and though without form, you take a form in matter (bhasi). For creation you become Brahma (aham), for maintenance (vidhane) you become Visnu (tvam) and for destruction you become Siva (trinetrah). Though you are without form, you take a form in matter as Brahma, Visnu and Siva. Thus the form of Narayana situated in the water of maya and all the avatara forms are all composed of maya. The transitory calves and boys and four handed forms of Visnu are all maya. This is the conception of the ignorant.
You are the root for all the guṇāvataras and līlāvataras. This is explained in two verses. The subject of the verb bhāsi is tvam which is understood though not stated. You, yourself (ātmā) appear in this world by expanding māyā. For protection you appear as he—Viṣṇu—as if (iva) limited to the duty of protection. The name of Viṣṇu is not mentioned separately like the names of Brahmā and Śiva because Viṣṇu is non-different from Kṛṣṇa. Brahmā himself says: sṛjāmi tan-niyukto ’haṁ haro harati tad-vaśaḥ | viśvaṁ puruṣa-rūpeṇa paripāti tri-śakti-dhṛk || I create under his order, and Śiva destroys under his order. Holding his three energies, he protects the universe as the Paramātmā. SB 2.6.32
For non-devotees who do not know your glories you manifest in another way. For persons ignorant of the truth about your or about bhakti (tvat-padavīm) you (ātmā) appear as the jīva (ātmanā) in the material body (anātmani). “Do they not know that there is a big difference between the jīva and the Lord, as explained in the śrutis and smrṭis?” You spread māyā. They are bewildered by your māya since they are not devotees. You appear like me, for creating the universe. The manvantarāvatara Viṣṇu is you, Kṛṣṇa. Brahmā accepts Viṣṇu and Kṛṣnā as non-different (eṣa tvam). This statement means that ignorant people think that Brahmā (a jīva) is Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva. They are ignorance concerning the goals of creation, maintenance and destruction. Though there is a great discrepancy for the jīva being the creator, maintainer and destroyer, the sequence of functions and personalities are listed for him because of the jīva’s identification with those posts out of pride. Or just as for the purpose of creation, spreading māyā, you appear as mahat-tattva and other elements and you accept the positions of Brahmā etc. But in truth you are the real creator, maintainer and destroyer as is pointed out in the first verse of Bhāgavatam, janmādy asya yataḥ.
An author writes a play in which he himself appears as three characters — author, hero, and antagonist. The audience, not knowing the playwright, mistakes the three for distinct persons. Kṛṣṇa is the sole agent: as Brahmā He creates, as Viṣṇu He maintains, as Śiva He destroys. The trimūrti is one Kṛṣṇa wearing three uniforms.
My note
Source: vedabase.io