SB 12.10.31 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

सृष्ट्वेदं मनसा विश्वमात्मनानुप्रविश्य य: । गुणै: कुर्वद्भ‍िराभाति कर्तेव स्वप्नद‍ृग् यथा ॥ ३१ ॥ तस्मै नमो भगवते त्रिगुणाय गुणात्मने । केवलायाद्वितीयाय गुरवे ब्रह्ममूर्तये ॥ ३२ ॥

Verse text

sṛṣṭvedaṁ manasā viśvam ātmanānupraviśya yaḥ guṇaiḥ kurvadbhir ābhāti karteva svapna-dṛg yathā tasmai namo bhagavate tri-guṇāya guṇātmane kevalāyādvitīyāya gurave brahma-mūrtaye

Synonyms

sṛṣṭvā — creating ; idam — this ; manasā — by His mind, simply by His desire ; viśvam — the universe ; ātmanā — as the Supersoul ; anupraviśya — subsequently entering ; yaḥ — who ; guṇaiḥ — by the modes of nature ; kurvadbhiḥ — which are acting ; ābhāti — appears ; kartā iva — as if the doer ; svapna — dṛk — a person who is seeing a dream ; yathā — as ; tasmai — unto Him ; namaḥ — obeisances ; bhagavate — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead ; tri — guṇāya — who possesses the three modes of nature ; guṇa — ātmane — who is the ultimate controller of the modes of nature ; kevalāya — to the pure ; advitīyāya — who has no equal ; gurave — the supreme spiritual master ; brahma — mūrtaye — the personal form of the Absolute Truth .

Translation

I offer my obeisances to that Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has created this entire universe simply by His desire and then entered into it as the Supersoul. By making the modes of nature act, He seems to be the direct creator of this world, just as a dreamer seems to be acting within his dream. He is the owner and ultimate controller of the three modes of nature, yet He remains alone and pure, without any equal. He is the supreme spiritual master of all, the original personal form of the Absolute Truth.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

I offer my obeisances to that Supreme Lord, who has created this entire universe simply by his desire and has then entered into it as antaryāmī. By making the modes of nature act, he seems to be the direct creator of this world, just as a dreamer seems to be acting within his dream. I offer respects to the Lord, who manifests the three guṇas, who controls the guṇas, who is pure, without equal, who is the guru, the Brahman. The Lord creates the universe by his desire (manasā). Though his not the doer, since he acts through the guṇas, he appears to be the doer. This means he is not affected by the guṇas. Though the jīva creates dreams by ignorance he has no actually relationship with them. What then to speak of the Lord in relation to māyā. Guṇatmane means “unto the controller of the guṇas.”

Purport

The Supreme Lord releases His material potencies, and by their interaction creation takes place. The Lord remains aloof, as the supreme transcendental entity. Still, because the entire creation unfolds according to His design and will, His controlling hand is perceived within all things. People thus imagine that God is the direct builder of this world, although He remains aloof, creating through the manipulation of His multifarious potencies.