SB 11.24.6

SB 11.24.6

Devanagari

तेभ्यः समभवत् सूत्रं महान् सूत्रेण संयुतः । ततो विकुर्वतो जातो योऽहङ्कारो विमोहनः ॥ ६ ॥

Verse text

tebhyaḥ samabhavat sūtraṁ mahān sūtreṇa saṁyutaḥ tato vikurvato jāto yo ’haṅkāro vimohanaḥ

Synonyms

tebhyaḥ from those modes ; samabhavat arose ; sūtram the first transformation of nature, endowed with the potency of activity ; mahān primeval nature endowed with the potency of knowledge ; sūtreṇa with this sūtra-tattva ; saṁyutaḥ conjoined ; tataḥ from the mahat ; vikurvataḥ transforming ; jātaḥ was generated ; yaḥ which ; ahaṅkāraḥ false ego ; vimohanaḥ the cause of bewilderment .

Translation

From these modes arose the primeval sūtra, along with the mahat-tattva. By the transformation of the mahat-tattva was generated the false ego, the cause of the living entities’ bewilderment.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

From these modes arose the primeval sūtra. Mahat-tattva is endowed with sūtra. By the transformation of the mahat-tattva was generated the ahaṅkāra, the cause of the living entities’ bewilderment. The first transformation of prakṛti by the guṇas is sūtra, filled with kriyā-śakti. “But is not mahat-tattva, with jṣāna-śakti first?” Yes, mahat-tattva is endowed with sūtra. Mahat-tattva is understood to exist with sūtra. Ahaṅkāra is the cause of the jīva’s bewilderment.

Purport

According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, sūtra is the first transformation of material nature that manifests the potency of activity, and it is accompanied by the mahat-tattva, which is endowed with the potency of knowledge. In the material world, one’s real knowledge is covered by fruitive activity and mental speculation. As one’s devotional service to the Lord slackens, these two tendencies grow automatically, just as the diminishing of light automatically brings an increase in darkness.