Shloka 29

Devanagari script

त्वं वै सिसृक्षुरज उत्कटं प्रभो तमो निरोधाय बिभर्ष्यसंवृत: । स्थानाय सत्त्वं जगतो जगत्पते काल: प्रधानं पुरुषो भवान् पर: ॥ २९ ॥

Transliteration

tvaṁ vai sisṛkṣur aja utkaṭaṁ prabho tamo nirodhāya bibharṣy asaṁvṛtaḥ sthānāya sattvaṁ jagato jagat-pate kālaḥ pradhānaṁ puruṣo bhavān paraḥ

Translation

O unborn Lord, desiring creation You make passion (rajas) surge; for dissolution You manifest ignorance (tamas); for maintenance You manifest goodness (sattva). Yet You remain untouched by the modes. O Master of the universe, You are time, the pradhāna, and the puruṣa, and still You stand distinct and transcendent.

Synonyms

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

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphasis/indeed

• sisṛkṣuḥ: wishing to create
• sisṛkṣuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sṛj (सृज्, धातु) + kṣu (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Desiderative participle (सन्नन्त/इच्छार्थक कृदन्त), Present active participle-like; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• aja: O Unborn
• aja: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• utkaṭam: intense; mighty
• utkaṭam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: utkaṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative 2nd (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); used adverbially/intensively with following noun

• prabho: O Lord
• prabho: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• tamaḥ: darkness; tamas
• tamaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tamas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative 2nd (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• nirodhāya: for restraint/suppression
• nirodhāya: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nirodha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative 4th (चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन); purpose dative (प्रयोजनचतुर्थी)

• bibharṣi: you bear/maintain
• bibharṣi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhṛ (भृ, धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्, present), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• asaṁvṛtaḥ: uncovered; unobstructed
• asaṁvṛtaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + saṁvṛta (संवृत, कृदन्त from √vṛ ‘to cover’)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त, PPP) with privative prefix; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• sthānāya: for stability/abiding
• sthānāya: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dative 4th (चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन); purpose dative (प्रयोजनचतुर्थी)

• sattvam: sattva (purity); goodness
• sattvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative 2nd (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• jagataḥ: of the world
• jagataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Genitive 6th (षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• jagat-pate: O Lord of the world
• jagat-pate: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन); Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘jagataḥ patiḥ’

• kālaḥ: Time
• kālaḥ: Pratijna/Predicate (विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative 1st (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• pradhānam: Pradhāna (primordial matter)
• pradhānam: Pratijna/Predicate (विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pradhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); here predicate nominative

• puruṣaḥ: Puruṣa (cosmic person)
• puruṣaḥ: Pratijna/Predicate (विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative 1st (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhavān: you (honored)
• bhavān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक/भवत्)
• Form: Honorific pronoun (भवत्), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative 1st (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• paraḥ: supreme; beyond
• paraḥ: Pratijna/Predicate (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative 1st (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); predicate adjective

Purport

The word jagataḥ in the third line of this verse indicates that the functions of creation, maintenance and annihilation are here mentioned in a cosmic context.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Krishna and the three gunas (sattva, rajas, tamas)?

This verse says Kṛṣṇa can manifest rajas for creation and sattva for maintenance while restraining tamas, yet He remains the Supreme beyond all guṇas.

Why do the rescued princesses describe Krishna as Time (Kāla), Pradhāna, and Puruṣa?

After being freed by Kṛṣṇa, they glorify Him as the ultimate source and controller of cosmic functions—Time, material nature, and the indwelling Lord—showing His supremacy beyond mere historical events.

Practical application of Krishna being beyond the gunas in modern life?

It encourages devotees to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa through bhakti to rise above mood-swings and material conditioning, aiming for steadiness and spiritual clarity.