Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 51
Dakṣa’s Sacrifice Restored: Śiva’s Mercy and Nārāyaṇa’s Appearance
आत्ममायां समाविश्य सोऽहं गुणमयीं द्विज । सृजन् रक्षन् हरन् विश्वं दध्रे संज्ञां क्रियोचिताम् ॥ ५१ ॥
ātma-māyāṁ samāviśya so ’haṁ guṇamayīṁ dvija sṛjan rakṣan haran viśvaṁ dadhre saṁjñāṁ kriyocitām
हे द्विज दक्ष! मी माझ्या आत्ममायेत प्रवेश करून गुणमयी शक्तीद्वारे सृष्टी करतो, पालन करतो व संहार करतो; क्रियेच्या भेदानुसार माझ्या प्रकट रूपांना वेगवेगळी नावे पडतात.
As explained in Bhagavad-gītā (7.5) , jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho: the whole world is energy released from the supreme source, the Personality of Godhead, who, it is further stated in Bhagavad-gītā, acts in superior energies and inferior energies. The superior energy is the living entity, who is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. As parts and parcels, the living entities are not different from the Supreme Lord; the energy emanated from Him is not different from Him. But in the actual activity of this material world, the living entity is under the different qualities of material energy and in different forms. There are 8,400,000 life forms. The same living entity acts under the influence of the different qualities of material nature. The entities have different bodies, but originally, in the beginning of creation, Lord Viṣṇu is alone. For the purpose of creation, Brahmā is manifested, and for annihilation there is Lord Śiva. As far as the spiritual entrance into the material world is concerned, all beings are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, but under the covering of different material qualities they have different names. Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva are qualitative incarnations of Viṣṇu, as guṇa-avatāras, and Viṣṇu with them accepts control of the quality of goodness; therefore He is also a qualitative incarnation like Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā. Actually the different names exist for different directions; otherwise the origin is one only.
FAQs
This verse states that the Lord enters His own guṇa-mayī māyā and, through it, carries out creation, maintenance, and dissolution—without losing His supreme identity.
He is speaking in a sacrificial/ṛṣi assembly context, addressing a brāhmaṇa (twice-born) audience member, indicating the Vedic setting of the discourse.
Just as the Lord accepts roles appropriate to His work, one can perform duties according to one’s role (family, work, service) while remembering the deeper spiritual identity beyond temporary labels.