Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 45
Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi Tested by Indra and Blessed by Nara-Nārāyaṇa
सत्त्वं रजस्तम इतीश तवात्मबन्धो मायामया: स्थितिलयोदयहेतवोऽस्य । लीला धृता यदपि सत्त्वमयी प्रशान्त्यै नान्ये नृणां व्यसनमोहभियश्च याभ्याम् ॥ ४५ ॥
sattvaṁ rajas tama itīśa tavātma-bandho māyā-mayāḥ sthiti-layodaya-hetavo ’sya līlā dhṛtā yad api sattva-mayī praśāntyai nānye nṛṇāṁ vyasana-moha-bhiyaś ca yābhyām
Lạy Chúa, người bạn tối thượng của linh hồn bị ràng buộc, để tạo dựng, duy trì và hủy diệt thế gian này, Ngài tiếp nhận ba guna—sattva, rajas và tamas—thuộc năng lực huyễn hóa của Ngài. Nhưng để giải thoát và đem an tịnh cho chúng sinh, Ngài đặc biệt dùng sattva; hai guna kia chỉ gây khổ đau, mê lầm và sợ hãi.
The words līlā dhṛtāḥ indicate that the creative activities of Lord Brahmā, the destructive activities of Lord Śiva and the sustaining functions of Lord Viṣṇu are all pastimes of the Absolute Truth, Lord Kṛṣṇa. But ultimately only Lord Viṣṇu can award liberation from the clutches of material illusion, as indicated by the words sattva-mayī praśāntyai.
FAQs
This verse states that the Lord’s māyā manifests as the three guṇas, and through them the cosmos undergoes creation, maintenance, and dissolution; sattva brings peace, while rajas and tamas lead to misery, delusion, and fear.
In the concluding teachings of the Bhāgavatam, Śukadeva clarifies how material nature binds the jīva through the guṇas and why cultivating sattva (and ultimately transcending all guṇas through bhakti) is essential for liberation.
Choose sattvic habits—truthfulness, simplicity, regulated living, and devotional practices like hearing and chanting—because this verse teaches that rajas and tamas intensify anxiety and confusion, whereas sattva supports inner peace and spiritual clarity.