Text 23]
The Descent of the River Ganges
149
एते वयं यस्य वशे महात्मनः 
  स्थिताः शकुन्ता इव सूत्रयन्त्रिताः । 
  महानहं वैकृततामसेन्द्रियाः 
  सृजाम सर्वे यदनुग्रहादिदम् ॥२३॥
yasyādya āsīd guṇa-vigraho mahān 
  vijñāna-dhiṣṇyo bhagavān ajaḥ kila 
  yat-sambhavo 'ham tri-vṛtā sva-tejasā 
  vaikārikaṁ tāmasam aindriyaṁ sṛje
ete vayaṁ yasya vaśe mahātmanaḥ 
  sthitāḥ śakuntā iva sūtra-yantritāḥ 
  mahān ahaṁ vaikṛta-tāmasendriyāḥ 
  sṛjāma sarve yad-anugrahād idam
yasya—from whom; ādyaḥ—the beginning; āsīt—there was; guṇa-vigrahaḥ—the incarnation of the material qualities; mahān—the total material energy; vijñāna—of full knowledge; dhiṣṇyaḥ—the reservoir; bhagavān—the most powerful; ajaḥ—Lord Brahmā; kila—certainly; yat—from whom; sambhavaḥ—born; aham—I; tri-vṛtā—having three varieties according to the three modes of nature; sva-tejasā—by my material strength; vaikārikam—all the demigods; tāmasam—material elements; aindriyam—the senses; sṛje—I create; ete—all of these; vayam—we; yasya—of whom; vaśe—under the control; mahā-āt-manaḥ—great personalities; sthitāḥ—situated; śakuntāḥ—vultures; iva—like; sūtra-yantritāḥ—bound by rope; mahān—the mahat-tattva; aham—I; vaikṛta—the demigods; tāmasa—the five material elements; indriyāḥ—senses; sṛjāmaḥ—we create; sarve—all of us; yat—of whom; anugrahāt—by the mercy; idam—this material world.
TRANSLATION
From that Supreme Personality of Godhead appears Lord Brahmā, whose body is made from the total material energy, the reservoir of intelligence predominated by the passionate mode of material nature. From Lord Brahmā, I myself am born as a