Shloka 50
Raivata and Cākṣuṣa Manvantaras; Brahmā’s Prayers at Śvetadvīpa
Prelude to Samudra-manthana
नमस्तुभ्यमनन्ताय दुर्वितर्क्यात्मकर्मणे । निर्गुणाय गुणेशाय सत्त्वस्थाय च साम्प्रतम् ॥ ५० ॥
namas tubhyam anantāya durvitarkyātma-karmaṇe nirguṇāya guṇeśāya sattva-sthāya ca sāmpratam
O Ananta Lord, I offer my obeisances unto You. Your deeds are beyond all reasoning. Though nirguṇa, You are the master of the three guṇas, and now You favor sattva. I bow to You again and again.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead controls the material activities manifested by the three modes of material nature. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, nirguṇaṁ guṇa-bhoktṛ ca: the Supreme Personality of Godhead is always transcendental to the material qualities ( sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa ), but nonetheless He is their controller. The Lord manifests Himself in three features — as Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara — to control these three qualities. He personally takes charge of sattva-guṇa as Lord Viṣṇu, and He entrusts the charge of rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa to Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva. Ultimately, however, He is the controller of all three guṇas. Lord Brahmā, expressing his appreciation, said that because Lord Viṣṇu had now taken charge of the activities of goodness, there was every hope that the demigods would be successful in fulfilling their desires. The demigods were harassed by the demons, who were infested with tamo-guṇa. However, as Lord Brahmā has previously described, since the time of sattva-guṇa had now arrived, the demigods could naturally expect to fulfill their desires. The demigods are supposedly well advanced in knowledge, yet they could not understand the knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore the Lord is addressed here as anantāya. Although Lord Brahmā knows past, present and future, he is unable to understand the unlimited knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
FAQs
This verse says the Supreme Lord is nirguṇa—untouched by material qualities—yet guṇeśa, the master who governs and directs the three modes of nature.
Facing crisis and seeking protection, the devas approach the Supreme Lord, praising His unlimited nature and inconceivable acts, acknowledging that only He can resolve what is beyond their power.
It encourages humility: instead of relying only on argument and conjecture, one should approach spiritual truth through devotion, prayer, and guidance from śāstra and realized teachers.