गुणनामक्रियारूपैर्विभाव्यन्ते यथातथम् ॥४१॥
yena sva-dhÄmny amÄ« bhÄvÄ
rajaḥ-sattva-tamomayÄḥ
guṇa-nÄma-kriyÄ-rÅ«pair
vibhÄvyante yathÄ-tatham
2 times this text was mentioned in purports to other texts: LSB(2)
yena - by whom (NÄrÄyaṇa); sva-dhÄmni - although in His own place, the spiritual world; amÄ« - all these; bhÄvÄḥ - manifestations; rajaḥ-sattva-tamaḥ-mayÄḥ - created by the three modes of material nature (passion, goodness and ignorance); guṇa - qualities; nÄma - names; kriyÄ - activities; rÅ«paiḥ - and with forms; vibhÄvyante - are variously manifested; yathÄ-tatham - exactly to the right point.
The supreme cause of all causes, NÄrÄyaṇa, is situated in His own abode in the spiritual world, but nevertheless He controls the entire cosmic manifestation according to the three modes of material nature — sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. In this way all living entities are awarded different qualities, different names [such as brÄhmaṇa, ká¹£atriya and vaiÅ›ya], different duties according to the varṇÄÅ›rama institution, and different forms. Thus NÄrÄyaṇa is the cause of the entire cosmic manifestation.
The Vedas inform us:
na tasya kÄryaá¹ karaṇaá¹ ca vidyate
na tat-samaÅ› cÄbhyadhikaÅ› ca dṛśyate
parÄsya Å›aktir vividhaiva Å›rÅ«yate
svÄbhÄvikÄ« jñÄna-bala-kriyÄ ca
(ÅšvetÄÅ›vatara Upaniá¹£ad 6.8)
NÄrÄyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is almighty, omnipotent. He has multifarious energies, and therefore He is able to remain in His own abode and without endeavor supervise and manipulate the entire cosmic manifestation through the interaction of the three modes of material nature — sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. These interactions create different forms, bodies, activities and changes, which all occur perfectly. Because the Lord is perfect, everything works as if He were directly supervising and taking part in it. Atheistic men, however, being covered by the three modes of material nature, cannot see NÄrÄyaṇa to be the supreme cause behind all activities. As Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (7.13):
tribhir guṇamayair bhÄvair
ebhiḥ sarvam idaṠjagat
mohitaá¹ nÄbhijÄnÄti
mÄm ebhyaḥ param avyayam
“Deluded by the three modes, the whole world does not know Me, who am above the modes and inexhaustible.†Because unintelligent agnostics are mohita, illusioned by the three modes of material nature, they cannot understand that NÄrÄyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, is the supreme cause of all activities. As stated in Brahma-saá¹hitÄ (5.1):
īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
sac-cid-Änanda-vigrahaḥ
anÄdir Ädir govindaḥ
sarva-kÄraṇa-kÄraṇam
“Kṛṣṇa, who is known as Govinda, is the supreme controller. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, for He is the prime cause of all causes.â€
