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.


Text

“ ‘In the spiritual world, there is neither the mode of passion, the mode of ignorance nor a mixture of both, nor is there adulterated goodness, the influence of time or mÄyÄ herself. Only the pure devotees of the Lord, who are worshiped both by demigods and by demons, reside in the spiritual world as the Lord’s associates.’

Purport

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.