Shloka 43
Brahmā Counsels the Demigods; Journey to Kailāsa; Śiva’s Tranquility and Brahmā’s Praise
त्वमेव भगवन्नेतच्छिवशक्त्यो: स्वरूपयो: । विश्वं सृजसि पास्यत्सि क्रीडन्नूर्णपटो यथा ॥ ४३ ॥
tvam eva bhagavann etac chiva-śaktyoḥ svarūpayoḥ viśvaṁ sṛjasi pāsy atsi krīḍann ūrṇa-paṭo yathā
Ó Bhagavān, Tu mesmo, ao expandir-Te como as formas de Śiva e Śakti, crias, sustentas e recolhes este universo, assim como a aranha tece sua teia, a mantém e depois a enrola.
In this verse the word śiva-śakti is significant. Śiva means “auspicious,” and śakti means “energy.” There are many types of energies of the Supreme Lord, and all of them are auspicious. Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara are called guṇa-avatāras, or incarnations of material qualities. In the material world we compare these different incarnations from different angles of vision, but since all of them are expansions of the supreme auspicious, all of them are auspicious, although sometimes we consider one quality of nature to be higher or lower than another. The mode of ignorance, or tamo-guṇa, is considered very much lower than the others, but in the higher sense it is also auspicious. The example may be given herein that the government has both an educational department and criminal department. An outsider may consider the criminal department inauspicious, but from the government’s point of view it is as important as the education department, and therefore the government finances both departments equally, without discrimination.
FAQs
This verse states that the Supreme Lord alone performs creation, maintenance, and withdrawal of the universe, compared to a spider producing and retracting its web.
Prasūti praises the Supreme as the ultimate source, indicating that Śiva and Śakti are divine manifestations/potencies under the Lord’s supreme reality.
It encourages detachment and trust: worldly structures arise and pass under divine control, so one should act responsibly while remembering the temporary nature of material outcomes.