Text 16]
Svāyambhuva Manu Advises Dhruva Mahārāja
465
TEXT 16
एवं प्रवर्तते सर्गः स्थितिः संयम एव च । गुणन्यतिकराद्वाजन् मायया परमात्मनः ॥१६॥
evam pravartate sargaḥ sthitiḥ saṁyama eva ca guṇa-vyatikarād rājan māyayā paramātmanaḥ
evam—thus; pravartate—occurs; sargaḥ—creation; sthitiḥ—maintenance; saṁyamaḥ—annihilation; eva—certainly; ca—and; guṇa—of the modes; vyatikarāt—by interaction; rājan—O King; māyayā—by the illusory energy; paramātmanaḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
Manu continued:  My dear King Dhruva, it is simply by the illusory material energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and by the interaction of the three modes of material nature that creation, maintenance and annihilation take place.
PURPORT
First, creation takes place with the ingredients of the five elements of material nature. Then, by the interaction of the modes of material nature, maintenance also takes place. When a child is born, the parents immediately see to its maintenance. This tendency for maintenance of offspring is present not only in human society, but in animal society as well. Even tigers care for their cubs, although their propensity is to eat other animals. By the interaction of the material modes of nature, creation, maintenance and also annihilation take place inevitably. But at the same time we should know that all is conducted under the superintendence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everything is going on under that process. Creation is the action of the  rajo-guṇa , the mode of passion; maintenance is the action of  sattva-guṇa , the mode of goodness; and annihilation is the action of  tamo-guṇa , the mode of ignorance. We can see that those who are situated in the mode of goodness live longer than those who are situated in the  tamo-guṇa  or  rajo-guṇa . In other words, if one is elevated to the mode of goodness, he is elevated to a higher planetary system where