tvaḿ vai sisṛkṣur aja utkaṭaḿ prabho
tamo nirodhāya bibharṣy asaḿvṛtaḥ
sthānāya sattvaḿ jagato jagat-pate
kālaḥ pradhānaḿ puruṣo bhavān paraḥ
tvam -- You; vai -- indeed; sisrikshuh -- desiring to create; ajah -- unborn; utkatam -- prominent; prabho -- O master; tamah -- the mode of ignorance; nirodhaya -- for annihilation; bibharshi -- You assume; asamvritah -- uncovered; sthanaya -- for maintenance; sattvam -- the mode of goodness; jagatah -- of the universe; jagat-pate -- O Lord of the universe; kalah -- time; pradhanam -- material nature (in its original, undifferentiated state); purushah -- the creator (who interacts with material nature); bhavan -- You; parah -- distinct.
Desiring to create, O unborn master, You increase and then assume the mode of passion. You do likewise with the mode of ignorance when You wish to annihilate the universe and with goodness when You wish to maintain it. Nonetheless, You remain uncovered by these modes. You are time, the pradhana, and the purusha, O Lord of the universe, yet still You are separate and distinct.
The word jagatah in the third line of this verse indicates that the functions of creation, maintenance and annihilation are here mentioned in a cosmic context.
The word utkatam indicates that when a particular function is being carried out, whether universal creation, maintenance or annihilation, the particular material quality associated with that function becomes predominant.
