FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.5.43

ద్రవ్యం వయ: కర్మ గుణాన్విశేషం యద్యోగమాయావిహితాన్వదన్తి । యద్ దుర్విభావ్యం ప్రబుధాపబాధం ప్రసీదతాం న: స మహావిభూతి: ॥ ౪౩ ॥
dravyaṁ vayaḥ karma guṇān viśeṣaṁ
[dravyam vayah karma gunaan vishesham]
yad-yoga-māyā-vihitān vadanti
[yad-yoga-maayaa-vihitaan vadanti]
yad durvibhāvyaṁ prabudhāpabādhaṁ
[yad durvibhaavyam prabudhaapabaadham]
prasīdatāṁ naḥ sa mahā-vibhūtiḥ
[praseedataam nah sa mahaa-vibhootih]
dravyam — the five elements of the material world vayaḥ — time karma — fruitive activities guṇān — the three modes of material nature viśeṣam — the varieties caused by combinations of the twenty-three elements yat — that which yoga-māyā — by the Lord’s creative potency vihitān — all done vadanti — all learned men say yat durvibhāvyam — which is actually extremely difficult to understand prabudha-apabādham — rejected by the learned, by those who are fully aware prasīdatām — may be pleased naḥ — upon us saḥ — He mahā-vibhūtiḥ — the controller of everything.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
dravyaṁ vayaḥ karma guṇān viśeṣaṁ
dravyam
the five elements of the material world
vayaḥ
time
karma
fruitive activities
guṇān
the three modes of material nature
viśeṣam
the varieties caused by combinations of the twenty-three elements
yad-yoga-māyā-vihitān vadanti
yat
that which
yoga-māyā
by the Lord’s creative potency
vihitān
all done
vadanti
all learned men say
yad durvibhāvyaṁ prabudhāpabādhaṁ
yat durvibhāvyam
which is actually extremely difficult to understand
prabudha-apabādham
rejected by the learned, by those who are fully aware
prasīdatāṁ naḥ sa mahā-vibhūtiḥ
prasīdatām
may be pleased
naḥ
upon us
saḥ
He
mahā-vibhūtiḥ
the controller of everything.
All learned men say that the five elements, eternal time, fruitive activity, the three modes of material nature, and the varieties produced by these modes are all creations of yoga-māyā. This material world is therefore extremely difficult to understand, but those who are highly learned have rejected it. May the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the controller of everything, be pleased with us.

The word durvibhāvyam is very important in this verse. No one can understand how everything is happening in this material world by the arrangement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead through His material energies. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (9.10) , mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sacarācaram: everything is actually happening under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This much we can learn, but how it is happening is extremely difficult to understand. We cannot even understand how the affairs within our body are systematically taking place. The body is a small universe, and since we cannot understand how things are happening in this small universe, how can we understand the affairs of the bigger universe? Actually this universe is very difficult to understand, yet learned sages have advised, as Kṛṣṇa has also advised, that this material world is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam; in other words, it is a place of misery and temporality. One must give up this world and go back home, back to the Personality of Godhead. Materialists may argue, “If this material world and its affairs are impossible to understand, how can we reject it?” The answer is provided by the word prabudhāpabādham. We have to reject this material world because it is rejected by those who are learned in Vedic wisdom. Even though we cannot understand what this material world is, we should be ready to reject it in accordance with the advice of learned persons, especially the advice of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says:

mām upetya punar janma duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ

“After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogīs in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.” ( Bg. 8.15 ) One has to return home, back to Godhead, for this is the highest perfection of life. To go back to Godhead means to reject this material world. Although we cannot understand the functions of this material world and whether it is good for us or bad for us, in accordance with the advice of the supreme authority we must reject it and go back home, back to Godhead.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
May the Lord who possesses great vibhūtis, whose yoga-māyā, they say, creates this inconceivable universe made of twenty-three elements, time, karma and the three guṇas, whose reality is negated by the very intelligent, be pleased with us! The wise say that the twenty-three material elements (dravyam), time (vayaḥ), karma, and the three guṇas are created by the Lord’s yoga-māyā, and that the particular creation from these elements is inconceivable. This creation is rejected as real by the very intelligent. Another version has prabudhāvabodham. Though the material world is difficult to understand, it is understood by the very intelligent. We understand that this material universe, is the vibhūti of the twenty-three elements, time, and karma, which are vibhūtis of māyā-śakti with its guṇas, which is a vibhūti of the Lord’s svarūpa-śakti, yoga-māyā. This is the meaning implied.
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