398 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 3, Ch. 10

vaikariko deva-sargah

paficamo yan-mayam manah
sasthas tu tamasah sargo

yas tvabuddhikrtah prabhoh

vaikarikah—interaction of the mode of goodness; deva—the demigods or
controlling deities; sargah—creation; paficamah—fifth; yat—that which;
mayam—sum total; manah—mind; sasthah—sixth; tu—but; tamasah—of
darkness; sargah—creation; yah—that which; tu—expletive; abuddhikrtah—
made to be foolish; prabhoh—of the master.

TRANSLATION

The fifth creation is that of the controlling deities by the interaction of
the mode of goodness, of which the mind is the sum total. The sixth crea-
tion is the ignorant darkness of the living entity by which the master acts
as a fool.

PURPORT

The demigods in the higher planets are called devas because they are all
devotees of Lord Visnu. Visnu-bhaktah bhavet devah asuras tad viparya-
yah: All the devotees of Lord Visnu are devas or demigods, whereas all
others are asuras. That is the division of the devas and the asuras. Devas are
situated in the mode of goodness of material nature, whereas the asuras
are situated in the modes of passion or ignorance. The demigods or
controlling deities are entrusted with departmental management of all the
different functions of the matcrial world. For example, one of our sense
organs, the eye, is controlled by light, light is distributed by the sun rays,
and their controlling deity is the sun. Similarly, mind is controlled by the
moon. All other senses, both for working or for acquiring knowledge, are
controlled by the different demigods. The demigods are assistants of the
Lord in the management of material affairs.

After the creation of the demigods, all entities are covered by the dark-
ness of ignorance. Each and every living being in the material world is
conditioned by his mentality of lording over the resources of material
nature. Although a living entity is the master of the material world, he is
conditioned by ignorance, by the false impression of being the proprietor
of material things.

The energy of the Lord called avidya is the bewildering factor of the
conditioned souls. The material nature is called avidya or ignorance,
but to the devotees of the Lord engaged in pure devotional service, this
energy becomes vidya or pure knowledge. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-
