sri-sukah uvaca -- Sri Suka said; sivah -- Lord Siva; sakti -- with his energy, material nature; yatah -- united; sasvat -- always; tri -- three; lingah -- whose manifest features; guna -- by the modes; samvritah -- prayed to; vaikarikah -- false ego in the mode of goodness; taijasah -- false ego in the mode of passion; ca -- and; tamasah -- false ego in mode of ignorance; ca -- and; iti -- thus; aham -- the principle of material ego; tridha -- threefold.

Sri Sukadeva said: Lord Siva is always united with his personal energy, the material nature. Manifesting himself in three features in response to the entreaties of nature's three modes, he thus embodies the threefold principle of material ego in goodness, passion and ignorance.