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Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 20

Avadhūta’s Further Teachers: Detachment, Solitude, One-Pointed Meditation, and the Lord as Āśraya

तामाहुस्त्रिगुणव्यक्तिं सृजन्तीं विश्वतोमुखम् । यस्मिन् प्रोतमिदं विश्वं येन संसरते पुमान् ॥ २० ॥

tām āhus tri-guṇa-vyaktiṁ sṛjantīṁ viśvato-mukham yasmin protam idaṁ viśvaṁ yena saṁsarate pumān

Les grands sages enseignent que ce qui est la base manifeste des trois guṇa et qui déploie l’univers aux formes innombrables s’appelle le sūtra ou le mahat-tattva. En ce mahat-tattva l’univers est tissé, et par sa puissance le jīva traverse l’existence matérielle.

tāmher/that
tām:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; refers to māyā/prakṛti; कर्म
āhuḥthey say
āhuḥ:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√ah (अह्/ब्रू-अर्थे)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद
tri-guṇa-vyaktimthe manifestation of the three guṇas
tri-guṇa-vyaktim:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottri (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + vyakti (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म; apposition to tām
sṛjantīmcreating
sṛjantīm:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeVerb
Rootsṛjantī (कृदन्त; √sṛj सृज्, शतृ स्त्री)
Formवर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle, शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; qualifies tām
viśvataḥ-mukhamhaving faces everywhere; all-faced
viśvataḥ-mukham:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootviśvatas (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावसमास; qualifies tām/vyaktim
yasminin which
yasmin:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; relative pronoun; अधिकरण
protamwoven, threaded
protam:
Kriyā-pūraka (क्रियापूरक/विधेय)
TypeAdjective
Rootprota (कृदन्त; √vī/√ve? ‘to weave’ in sense ‘threaded’; lexical PPP)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि भूतकृदन्त; predicate with viśvam
idamthis
idam:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootidam (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; demonstrative; with viśvam
viśvamuniverse
viśvam:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootviśva (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; subject of implied ‘is’ with protam
yenaby which
yena:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; relative pronoun; करण
saṁsaratetransmigrates, wanders
saṁsarate:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√sṛ (सृ) with उपसर्ग sam-; आत्मनेपद
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद
pumānthe person (jīva)
pumān:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootpumān/puman (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; subject of saṁsarate

The cosmic manifestation is a reality because it emanates from the supreme reality, the Personality of Godhead. The material world, however, is temporary and full of problems. The conditioned soul foolishly tries to become the lord of this inferior creation and becomes separated from his real friend, the Supreme Lord. In this state, his only business is material sense gratification, and his real knowledge is lost.

FAQs

This verse says the manifest energy of sattva, rajas, and tamas produces the cosmos in all directions, and the universe is ‘woven’ within that energy.

To show that the cosmos depends on prakṛti’s modes like cloth depends on threads, and that the jīva’s experience of the world occurs within this network of guṇas.

Notice how moods and choices are shaped by sattva, rajas, and tamas, and consciously cultivate sāttvika habits and devotion so you are less driven by the modes and their repeated cycles.