Copyright © r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
| Canto 6: Prescribed Duties for Mankind | Chapter 1: The History of the Life of Ajāmila |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.1.41
SYNONYMS
yena — by whom (Nārāyana); sva-dhāmni — although in His own place, the spiritual world; amī — all these; bhāvāh — manifestations; rajah-sattva-tamah-mayāh — created by the three modes of material nature (passion, goodness and ignorance); guna — qualities; nāma — names; kriyā — activities; rūpaih — and with forms; vibhāvyante — are variously manifested; yathā-tatham — exactly to the right point.
TRANSLATION
The supreme cause of all causes, Nārāyana, is situated in His own abode in the spiritual world, but nevertheless He controls the entire cosmic manifestation according to the three modes of material nature — sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna. In this way all living entities are awarded different qualities, different names [such as brāhmana, kshatriya and vaiśya], different duties according to the varnāśrama institution, and different forms. Thus Nārāyana is the cause of the entire cosmic manifestation.
PURPORT
The Vedas inform us:
na tasya kāryam karanam ca vidyate
na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca driśyate
parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate
svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca
Nārāyana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is almighty, omnipotent. He has multifarious energies, and therefore He is able to remain in His own abode and without endeavor supervise and manipulate the entire cosmic manifestation through the interaction of the three modes of material nature — sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna. These interactions create different forms, bodies, activities and changes, which all occur perfectly. Because the Lord is perfect, everything works as if He were directly supervising and taking part in it. Atheistic men, however, being covered by the three modes of material nature, cannot see Nārāyana to be the supreme cause behind all activities. As Krishna says in Bhagavad-gītā (7.13):
tribhir gunamayair bhāvair
mohitam nābhijānāti
"Deluded by the three modes, the whole world does not know Me, who am above the modes and inexhaustible." Because unintelligent agnostics are mohita, illusioned by the three modes of material nature, they cannot understand that Nārāyana, Krishna, is the supreme cause of all activities. As stated in Brahma-samhitā (5.1):
anādir ādir govindah
"Krishna, who is known as Govinda, is the supreme controller. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, for He is the prime cause of all causes."
Copyright © r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness