Shloka 5
An Exposition of the Distinctions of Creation, Inert Matter, and the Lord
सत्त्वेन लोकान्वर्धयितुं विष्णुः साक्षाद्धरिः स्वयम् / सृष्टिं कर्तुं च रजसा ब्रह्मणि प्राविशद्धरिः
sattvena lokānvardhayituṃ viṣṇuḥ sākṣāddhariḥ svayam / sṛṣṭiṃ kartuṃ ca rajasā brahmaṇi prāviśaddhariḥ
Upang palaguin at ingatan ang mga daigdig sa pamamagitan ng sattva, si Viṣṇu—si Hari mismo—ang tuwirang kumikilos. At upang isagawa ang paglikha sa pamamagitan ng rajas, pumasok si Hari kay Brahmā.
Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Hari is the direct sustainer through sattva (as Viṣṇu) and the inner power enabling creation through rajas by entering Brahmā.
Vedantic Theme: Antaryāmin doctrine: the Lord as indwelling controller empowering secondary agents; unity of efficient cause with delegated cosmic roles.
Application: See sustaining intelligence in daily order and nourishment; practice devotion to Hari as the inner guide; reduce ego by recognizing all capacity as ‘entered’ grace.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana bhakti passages praising Hari as sustainer; cosmology sections on guṇa-based functions of trimūrti
FAQs
This verse frames cosmic functions through guṇas: sattva supports and nourishes the worlds, while rajas drives the act of creation—showing how divine activity operates through nature’s qualities.
Indirectly, it sets the metaphysical basis: the soul’s experiences unfold within a cosmos governed by guṇas, where preservation (sattva) and activity/creation (rajas) shape embodied existence and its cycles.
Cultivate sattva—clarity, restraint, and devotion—to support inner stability; recognize rajas as necessary for action, but regulate it with discipline so activity serves dharma rather than restlessness.