Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 20
Brahmā’s Day, the Four Pralayas, and the Supreme Shelter Beyond Cause–Effect
न यत्र वाचो न मनो न सत्त्वं तमो रजो वा महदादयोऽमी । न प्राणबुद्धीन्द्रियदेवता वा न सन्निवेश: खलु लोककल्प: ॥ २० ॥ न स्वप्नजाग्रन्न च तत् सुषुप्तं न खं जलं भूरनिलोऽग्निरर्क: । संसुप्तवच्छून्यवदप्रतर्क्यं तन्मूलभूतं पदमामनन्ति ॥ २१ ॥
na yatra vāco na mano na sattvaṁ tamo rajo vā mahad-ādayo ’mī na prāṇa-buddhīndriya-devatā vā na sanniveśaḥ khalu loka-kalpaḥ
Dalam tahap tidak termanifestasi alam kebendaan yang disebut pradhāna, tiada ungkapan kata, tiada minda, dan tiada penzahiran unsur halus bermula dari mahat; juga tiada tiga guṇa: sattva, rajas dan tamas. Di sana tiada prāṇa, tiada buddhi, tiada pancaindera, dan tiada para dewa; tiada susunan dunia yang pasti. Tiada keadaan mimpi, jaga atau tidur lena; tiada ākāśa, air, bumi, angin, api atau matahari. Keadaannya seperti tidur sepenuhnya atau kekosongan, tidak terungkapkan; namun para arif śāstra menjelaskan bahawa kerana pradhāna ialah bahan asal, maka dialah asas penciptaan kebendaan.
FAQs
This verse states that the Supreme reality is beyond sattva, rajas, and tamas, and even beyond the subtle and gross categories of material creation—mind, speech, senses, and cosmic elements.
To show Parīkṣit Mahārāja that the ultimate goal is transcendental—distinct from the temporary cosmic manifestation—and thus worthy of exclusive remembrance and devotion at life’s end.
It encourages detachment from purely material identities and anxieties, and motivates steady sādhana—hearing, chanting, and remembering the Lord—aimed at the transcendental goal beyond the mind’s fluctuations.