Shloka 20

The Appearance of Lord Viṣṇu (Kṛṣṇa) and the Divine Exchange with Yoga-māyā

Devanagari script

स त्वं त्रिलोकस्थितये स्वमायया बिभर्षि शुक्लं खलु वर्णमात्मन: । सर्गाय रक्तं रजसोपबृंहितं कृष्णं च वणन तमसा जनात्यये ॥ २० ॥

Transliteration

sa tvaṁ tri-loka-sthitaye sva-māyayā bibharṣi śuklaṁ khalu varṇam ātmanaḥ sargāya raktaṁ rajasopabṛṁhitaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ ca varṇaṁ tamasā janātyaye

Translation

My Lord, for maintenance You assume the white color (goodness), for creation the red color (passion), and for annihilation the blackish color (ignorance).

Synonyms

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular

• tri-loka-sthitaye: for the maintenance of the three worlds
• tri-loka-sthitaye: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक) + sthiti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Dative (चतुर्थी/4), Singular; purpose ‘for the maintenance of the three worlds’

• sva-māyayā: by your own māyā
• sva-māyayā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + māyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular

• bibharṣi: you bear/assume
• bibharṣi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhṛ (भृ धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Parasmaipada, 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular

• śuklam: white
• śuklam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śukla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular; qualifying varṇam

• khalu: indeed
• khalu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: khalu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; emphatic particle (निपात)

• varṇam: color/form
• varṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular

• ātmanaḥ: of yourself
• ātmanaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular

• sargāya: for creation
• sargāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (चतुर्थी/4), Singular; purpose

• raktam: red
• raktam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular; qualifying (varṇam understood)

• rajasā: by rajas (passion)
• rajasā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rajas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular

• upabṛṁhitam: strengthened/increased
• upabṛṁhitam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upa + √bṛṁh (बृंह् धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय, कृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular; past participle qualifying (raktam/varṇam)

• kṛṣṇam: black
• kṛṣṇam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular; qualifying varṇam

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• varṇam: color/form
• varṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular

• tamasā: by tamas (darkness)
• tamasā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tamas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular

• jana-atyaye: at the time of dissolution
• jana-atyaye: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jana (प्रातिपदिक) + atyaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular; ‘at the destruction of people’

Purport

Vasudeva prayed to the Lord, “You are called śuklam. Śuklam, or ‘whiteness,’ is the symbolic representation of the Absolute Truth because it is unaffected by the material qualities. Lord Brahmā is called rakta, or red, because Brahmā represents the qualities of passion for creation. Darkness is entrusted to Lord Śiva because he annihilates the cosmos. The creation, annihilation and maintenance of this cosmic manifestation are conducted by Your potencies, yet You are always unaffected by those qualities.” As confirmed in the Vedas, harir hi nirguṇaḥ sākṣāt: the Supreme Personality of Godhead is always free from all material qualities. It is also said that the qualities of passion and ignorance are nonexistent in the person of the Supreme Lord.

Characters & Entities

• Devakī
• Śrī Kṛṣṇa

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam 10.3.20 say about the Lord’s white, red, and black forms?

It states that the Lord, by His own potency, assumes white for maintenance, red for creation (linked with rajas), and black for dissolution (linked with tamas).

Why does Devakī describe the Lord in terms of the three modes of nature (gunas)?

In her prayers at Krishna’s birth, Devakī glorifies how the Supreme Lord governs cosmic creation, maintenance, and destruction by presiding over the gunas, while remaining their master.

How can this teaching about the gunas be applied in modern life?

It helps one recognize how sattva, rajas, and tamas influence the mind and actions—and encourages cultivating sattva and devotion to the Lord, who is beyond all three.