Shloka 1
An Exposition of the Distinctions of Creation, Inert Matter, and the Lord
सृष्टिजडेशभेदादिनिरूपणं नाम तृतीयो ऽध्यायः श्रीकृष्ण उवाच / यथा ससर्ज भगवांस्त्रीन् गुणान्प्रकृतेस्तदा / लक्ष्मीस्त्रिरूपा संभूता श्रीर्भूर्दुर्गोति संज्ञिता
sṛṣṭijaḍeśabhedādinirūpaṇaṃ nāma tṛtīyo 'dhyāyaḥ śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca / yathā sasarja bhagavāṃstrīn guṇānprakṛtestadā / lakṣmīstrirūpā saṃbhūtā śrīrbhūrdurgoti saṃjñitā
Drittes Kapitel, genannt «Darlegung der Unterschiede von Schöpfung, träger Materie und dem Herrn». Śrī Kṛṣṇa sprach: Als der Bhagavān aus der Prakṛti die drei Guṇas hervorbrachte, da offenbarte sich Lakṣmī in dreifacher Gestalt, bekannt als Śrī, Bhū und Durgā.
Śrī Kṛṣṇa
Concept: Guṇas arise from Prakṛti; Lakṣmī manifests in three functional forms (Śrī–Bhū–Durgā) corresponding to cosmic modalities.
Vedantic Theme: Sāṅkhya-Vedānta interface: prakṛti-guṇa evolution under Bhagavān’s sovereignty; śakti as functional differentiation without ultimate division.
Application: Contemplate guṇa-dynamics in one’s mind and life; cultivate sattva (Śrī) while recognizing rajas/tamas as operative powers to be regulated, not absolutized.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana (cosmology/creation sections): guṇa-prakṛti exposition; triadic śakti motifs recur in later dharma and bhakti passages
FAQs
This verse frames creation as arising through the manifestation of the three guṇas from Prakṛti, establishing the basic forces that condition all embodied existence and experience.
It presents Lakṣmī as a threefold divine power—Śrī, Bhū, and Durgā—emerging alongside the guṇas, indicating that prosperity/auspiciousness, sustaining abundance, and protective शक्ति operate within the created order.
Reflect on which guṇa predominates in your actions (clarity, agitation, or inertia) and cultivate sattva through ethical conduct, disciplined habits, and devotion—honouring Śrī (auspiciousness), Bhū (stability), and Durgā (inner protection).