Devanagari
अविद्यमानोऽप्यवभासते यो
वैकारिको राजससर्ग एष: ।
ब्रह्म स्वयंज्योतिरतो विभाति
ब्रह्मेन्द्रियार्थात्मविकारचित्रम् ॥ २२ ॥
Verse text
avidyamāno ’py avabhāsate yo
vaikāriko rājasa-sarga eṣaḥ
brahma svayaṁ jyotir ato vibhāti
brahmendriyārthātma-vikāra-citram
Synonyms
avidyamānaḥ
—
actually not existing
;
api
—
although
;
avabhāsate
—
appears
;
yaḥ
—
which
;
vaikārikaḥ
—
manifestation of transformations
;
rājasa
—
of the mode of passion
;
sargaḥ
—
the creation
;
eṣaḥ
—
this
;
brahma
—
the Absolute Truth (on the other hand)
;
svayam
—
established in Himself
;
jyotiḥ
—
luminous
;
ataḥ
—
therefore
;
vibhāti
—
becomes manifest
;
brahma
—
the Absolute Truth
;
indriya
—
of the senses
;
artha
—
their objects
;
ātma
—
the mind
;
vikāra
—
and of the transformations of the five gross elements
;
citram
—
as the variety .
Translation
Although thus not existing in reality, this manifestation of transformations created from the mode of passion appears real because the self-manifested, self-luminous Absolute Truth exhibits Himself in the form of the material variety of the senses, the sense objects, the mind and the elements of physical nature.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Although not existing previously, what appears to exist now, created by transformation, by rajoguṇa, is the effect of Brahman, which is independent, and the revealer of all else. Thus the universe whose variety is created by the senses, the sense objects, the mind and the elements of physical nature is only Brahman.
Having concluded that there is no difference between the effect and cause, revealed and revealer, based on those two conclusions the Lord now explains that Brahman is nondifferent from the universe. What did not exist previously, and appears to exist now, arises from transformations (vaikārikaḥ) such as mahat-tattva and other elements. It is an effect of Brahman through operation of rajoguṇa (rajasa-sargaḥ). Brahman however is independently perfect. It is not an effect. It is the revealer (jyotiḥ). Because of Brahman, there exist senses, tan-mātras, mind (ātmā), and the five gross elements (vikāra). By these arises the universe with variety. But it is only Brahman.
Purport
The total material nature,
pradhāna,
is originally undifferentiated and inert, but later it undergoes transformation when the Supreme Lord, through His time agent, glances upon it and activates the mode of passion. Material transformation thus takes place and is exhibited as the Lord’s inferior energy. In contrast, the Supreme Lord’s personal abode possesses eternal variety, which is the self-luminous, internal opulence of the Absolute Truth and is not subject to material creation, transformation or annihilation. The material world is in this way simultaneously one with and different from the Absolute Truth.