116 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 2

HAA TA AY AATANAM eT: 1231

sattvam rajas tama iti prakrter gunas tair
yuktah purah purusa eka ihasya dhatte

sthity-ddaye hari-virifici-hareti samjiiah
sreyamsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nrnam syuh

sattvam—goodness; rajah—passion; tamah—darkness of ignorance; iti—
thus; prakrteh—of the material nature; gunah—qualities; taih—by them;
yuktah—associated with; parah—transcendental; purusah—the personality;
ekah—one; ihdsya—of this material world; dhatte—accepts; sthiti-adaye—
for the matter of creation, maintenance and destruction, etc.; hari— Visnu,
the Personality of Godhead; virifici— Brahma; hara—Lord Siva; iti—thus;
samjnah—different features; §sreyamsi—ultimate benefit; tatra—therein;
khalu—of course; sattva—goodness; tanoh—form; nrnam—of the human
being; syuh—derived.

TRANSLATION

The transcendental Lord is indirectly associated with the three modes
of material nature, namely passion, goodness and ignorance, and just for
the material world’s creation, maintenance and destruction He accepts the
three qualitative forms of Brahma, Visnu and Siva. Of these three, all living
beings can derive ultimate benefit from Visnu, the form of the quality of
goodness.

PURPORT

That Lord Sri Krsna, by His plenary parts, should be rendered devotional
service as explained above, is confirmed by this statement. Lord Sri Krsna
and all His plenary parts are Visnu-tattva, or the Lordship of Godhead.
From Sri Krsna, the next manifestation is Baladeva. From Baladeva is
Sankarsana, from Sankarsana is Narayana, from Narayana there is the
second Sankarsana, and from this Sankarsana the Visnu purusa-avataras.
The Visnu or the Deity of the quality of goodness in the material world
is the purusa-avatara known as Ksirodakasayi Visnu or Paramatma. Brahma
is the deity of rajas (passion), and Siva of ignorance. They are the three
departmental heads of the three qualities of this material world. Creation
is made possible by the goodness of Visnu, and when it is required to be
