SB 8.7.23

SB 8.7.23

Devanagari

गुणमय्या स्वशक्त्यास्य सर्गस्थित्यप्ययान्विभो । धत्से यदा स्वद‍ृग् भूमन्ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवाभिधाम् ॥ २३ ॥

Verse text

guṇa-mayyā sva-śaktyāsya sarga-sthity-apyayān vibho dhatse yadā sva-dṛg bhūman brahma-viṣṇu-śivābhidhām

Synonyms

guṇa mayyā — acting in three modes of activity ; sva śaktyā — by the external energy of Your Lordship ; asya of this material world ; sarga sthiti — apyayān — creation, maintenance and annihilation ; vibho O lord ; dhatse you execute ; yadā when ; sva dṛk — you manifest yourself ; bhūman O great one ; brahma viṣṇu — śiva — abhidhām — as Lord Brahmā, Lord Viṣṇu or Lord Śiva .

Translation

O lord, you are self-effulgent and supreme. You create this material world by your personal energy, and you assume the names Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara when you act in creation, maintenance and annihilation.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

O self-manifesting, powerful lord! When you act in creation, maintenance and annihilation by your energy of māyā, you assume the names Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara. They praise his form as the (third) puruṣa. When you perform creation, you take on the names of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva.

Purport

This prayer is actually offered to Lord Viṣṇu, the puruṣa, who in His incarnations as the guṇa-avatāras assumes the names Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara.