SB 10.24.22 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति स्थित्युत्पत्त्यन्तहेतव: रजसोत्पद्यते विश्वमन्योन्यं विविधं जगत् ॥ २२ ॥

Verse text

sattvaṁ rajas tama iti sthity-utpatty-anta-hetavaḥ rajasotpadyate viśvam anyonyaṁ vividhaṁ jagat

Synonyms

sattvam — goodness ; rajaḥ — passion ; tamaḥ — and ignorance ; iti — thus ; sthiti — of maintenance ; utpatti — creation ; anta — and destruction ; hetavaḥ — the causes ; rajasā — by the mode of passion ; utpadyate — is generated ; viśvam — this universe ; anyonyam — by combination of male and female ; vividham — becomes variegated ; jagat — the world .

Translation

The causes of creation, maintenance and destruction are the three modes of nature — namely goodness, passion and ignorance. In particular, the mode of passion creates this universe and through sexual combination causes it to become full of variety.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The causes of creation, maintenance and destruction are the three modes of nature—namely goodness, passion and ignorance. In particular, the mode of passion creates this universe and through sexual combination causes it to become full of variety. KB 10.24.22 Kṛṣṇa further explained to His father: “This cosmic manifestation is going on under the influence of three modes of material nature—goodness, passion and ignorance. These three modes are the causes of creation, maintenance and destruction.

Purport

Anticipating the possible objection that a livelihood based on cows certainly depends on Lord Indra, who supplies rain, Lord Kṛṣṇa here introduces a mechanistic theory of existence known as atheistic Sāṅkhya. The tendency to attribute exclusive causality to the apparently mechanistic functions of nature is an old tendency indeed. Five thousand years ago Lord Kṛṣṇa referred to a doctrine already well known in human society.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Someone may object that even raising cows is dependent on Indra. In two verses, this is defeated using atheistic sankhya arguments. By the mode of passion the universe is created, and men and women unite to produce offspring.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

The variety in the universe arising through the union of man and women is produced by rajas. Creation, maintenance and destruction are the natures of rajas, sattva and tamas.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

He rejects the scenario of worship of Indra, rain etc. in two verses. All variety in the universe, such as devatās, asuras, mammals etc. arise from rajas. Because rain causes maintenance it arises from sattva. But because rain gives birth to grass on which the cows live it is often said to be in rajas.