pravartate yatra rajas tamas tayoḥ
sattvaá¹ ca miÅ›raá¹ na ca kÄla-vikramaḥ
na yatra mÄyÄ kim utÄpare harer
anuvratÄ yatra surÄsurÄrcitÄḥ
pravartate - exists; yatra - where; rajaḥ - the mode of passion; tamaḥ - the mode of ignorance; tayoḥ - of both of them; sattvam ca - and the mode of goodness; miÅ›ram - mixture; na - not; ca - also; kÄla-vikramaḥ - the influence of time or annihilation; na - not; yatra - where; mÄyÄ - external energy; kim - what; uta - to speak; apare - others; hareḥ - of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; anuvratÄḥ - strict followers; yatra - where; sura - by demigods; asura - and by demons; arcitÄḥ - being worshiped.
This verse from ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam (2.9.10) was spoken by ÅšrÄ«la Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ«. He was answering the questions of ParÄ«ká¹£it MahÄrÄja, who asked how the living entity falls down into the material world. Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« explained the cream of ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam in four verses, which had been explained to Lord BrahmÄ at the end of the severe austerities he performed for one thousand celestial years. At that time, BrahmÄ was shown the spiritual world and its transcendental nature.