FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.22.13

సత్త్వం జ్ఞానం రజ: కర్మ తమోఽజ్ఞానమిహోచ్యతే । గుణవ్యతికర: కాల: స్వభావ: సూత్రమేవ చ ॥ ౧౩ ॥
sattvaṁ jṣānaṁ rajaḥ karma
[sattvam jshaanam rajah karma]
tamo ’jṣānam ihocyate
[tamo ’jshaanam ihochyate]
guṇa-vyatikaraḥ kālaḥ
[guna-vyatikarah kaalah]
svabhāvaḥ sūtram eva ca
[svabhaavah sootram eva cha]
Word-for-word
sattvam — the mode of goodness jṣānam — knowledge rajaḥ — the mode of passion karma — fruitive work tamaḥ — the mode of ignorance ajṣānam — foolishness iha — in this world ucyate — is called guṇa — of the modes vyatikaraḥ — the agitated transformation kālaḥ — time svabhāvaḥ — innate tendency, nature sūtram — the mahat-tattva eva — indeed ca — also.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sattvaṁ jṣānaṁ rajaḥ karma
sattvam
the mode of goodness
jṣānam
knowledge
rajaḥ
the mode of passion
karma
fruitive work
tamo ’jṣānam ihocyate
tamaḥ
the mode of ignorance
ajṣānam
foolishness
iha
in this world
ucyate
is called
guṇa-vyatikaraḥ kālaḥ
guṇa
of the modes
vyatikaraḥ
the agitated transformation
kālaḥ
time
svabhāvaḥ sūtram eva ca
svabhāvaḥ
innate tendency, nature
sūtram
the mahat-tattva
eva
indeed
ca
also.
In this world the mode of goodness is recognized as knowledge, the mode of passion as fruitive work, and the mode of darkness as ignorance. Time is perceived as the agitated interaction of the material modes, and the totality of functional propensity is embodied by the primeval sūtra, or mahat-tattva.
Purport

The impetus for the interaction of the material elements is the forward movement of time. Because time is passing, the embryo grows within the womb, gradually comes out, grows up, produces by-products, dwindles and dies. All of this is due to the pushing of time. In the absence of the time factor, the material elements do not interact but remain inert in the form of pradhāna. Lord Kṛṣṇa is establishing the basic categories of the material world so that human beings can conceive of the Lord’s creation. Were the categories not condensed, analysis and conceptualization would be impossible, since the Lord’s potencies are infinite. Although there are numerous divisions of material elements within the basic divisions, the spirit soul is always to be understood as a distinct transcendental element, meant for residence in the kingdom of God.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
In this world sattva is recognized as knowledge, rajas is action and tamas is ignorance. The Lord is identified with time, the agitator of the guṇas. Svabhāva or change arising from action is the same as mahat-tattva. Where does this lead? Jṣāna is sattva, since it arises from sattva. Action is rajas and ignorance is tamas. These are the qualities of prakṛti. They appear in the jīva as impositions only. Thus they are counted as prakṛti only. “Time and svabhāva have been left out. Where do they belong?” That which produces the agitation of the guṇas, the Supreme Lord, is called time or kāla. Svabhāva, the change caused by action, is called mahat-tattva (sūtram), since mahat-tattva possesses all powers. [Note: Sūtra possesses kriya-śakti, the cause of action.] Thus kāla is included in the Lord and svabhāva is included in mahat-tattva. All authorities agree that the elements should not be increased to include knowledge, action, ignorance, time and svabhāva.
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Source: vedabase.io

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