FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.17.22-23

యస్యాద్య ఆసీద్ గుణవిగ్రహో మహాన్విజ్ఞానధిష్ణ్యో భగవానజ: కిల యత్సమ్భవోఽహం త్రివృతా స్వతేజసావైకారికం తామసమైన్ద్రియం సృజే ॥ ౨౨ ॥ ఏతే వయం యస్య వశే మహాత్మన:స్థితా: శకున్తా ఇవ సూత్రయన్త్రితా: మహానహం వైకృతతామసేన్ద్రియా:సృజామ సర్వే యదనుగ్రహాదిదమ్ ॥ ౨౩ ॥
yasyādya āsīd guṇa-vigraho mahān
[yasyaadya aaseed guna-vigraho mahaan]
vijṣāna-dhiṣṇyo bhagavān ajaḥ kila
[vijshaana-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 vijṣāna — 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
vijṣāna-dhiṣṇyo bhagavān ajaḥ kila
vijṣāna
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
I
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
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.
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 (vijṣāna-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.
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