Devanagari
महतस्तु विकुर्वाणाद्रज:सत्त्वोपबृंहितात् ।
तम:प्रधानस्त्वभवद् द्रव्यज्ञानक्रियात्मक: ॥ २३ ॥
Verse text
mahatas tu vikurvāṇād
rajaḥ-sattvopabṛṁhitāt
tamaḥ-pradhānas tv abhavad
dravya-jṣāna-kriyātmakaḥ
Synonyms
mahataḥ
—
of the mahat-tattva
;
tu
—
but
;
vikurvāṇāt
—
being transformed
;
rajaḥ
—
the material mode of passion
;
sattva
—
the mode of goodness
;
upabṛṁhitāt
—
because of being increased
;
tamaḥ
—
the mode of darkness
;
pradhānaḥ
—
being prominent
;
tu
—
but
;
abhavat
—
took place
;
dravya
—
matter
;
jṣāna
—
material knowledge
;
kriyā
—
ātmakaḥ — predominantly material activities .
Translation
Material activities are caused by the mahat-tattva’s being agitated. At first there is transformation of the modes of goodness and passion, and later — due to the mode of ignorance — matter, its knowledge, and different activities of material knowledge come into play.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
From the transformation called mahat-tattva predominated by rajas and sattva, a substance predominated by tamas, ahaṅkāra, arose, composed of adhibhūta, adhyātma and. adhidaiva.
Purport
Material creations of every description are more or less due to the development of the mode of passion (
rajas
). The
mahat-tattva
is the principle of material creation, and when it is agitated by the will of the Supreme at first the modes of passion and goodness are prominent, and afterwards the mode of passion, being generated in due course by material activities of different varieties, becomes prominent, and the living entities are thus involved more and more in ignorance. Brahmā is the representation of the mode of passion, and Viṣṇu is the representation of the mode of goodness, while the mode of ignorance is represented by Lord Śiva, the father of material activities. Material nature is called the mother, and the initiator for materialistic life is the father, Lord Śiva. All material creation by the living entities is therefore initiated by the mode of passion. With the advancement of the duration of life in a particular millennium, the different modes act by gradual development. In the , as such Age of Kali (when the mode of passion is most prominent) material activities of different varieties, in the name of advancement of human civilization, take place, and the living entities become more and more involved in forgetting their real identity — the spiritual nature. By a slight cultivation of the mode of goodness, a glimpse of spiritual nature is perceived, but due to the prominence of the mode of passion, the mode of goodness becomes adulterated. Therefore one cannot transcend the limits of the material modes, and therefore realization of the Lord, who is always transcendental to the modes of material nature, becomes very difficult for the living entities, even though prominently situated in the mode of goodness through cultivation of the various methods. In other words, the gross matters are
adhibhūtam,
their maintenance is
adhidaivam,
and the initiator of material activities is called
adhyātmam.
In the material world these three principles act as prominent features, namely as raw material, its regular supplies, and its use in different varieties of material creations for sense enjoyment by the bewildered entities.
Commentary (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Mahat-tattva has all the three guṇas but there is a predominance of rajas and sattva, because of kriyā and jṣāna śaktis. From this state of transformation, namely, mahat-tattva which has a predominance of rajas and sattva and which is produced by time, svabhāva and karma, a substance predominated by tamas (ahaṅkāra) arises. The word yaḥ can be added to connect this verse with saḥ in the next verse. Drayva refers to adhibhūtam, jṣānam to adhidaivam and kriyā to adhyātman. These are three causes of illusion for the living entities.