pravṛtti-lakṣaṇe niṣṭhā
pumān yarhi gṛhāśrame
sva-dharme cānu tiṣṭheta
guṇānāḿ samitir hi sā
pravritti -- of the path of material enjoyment; lakshane -- in that which is the symptom; nishtha -- dedication; puman -- a person; yarhi -- when; griha-asrame -- in family life; sva-dharme -- in prescribed duties; ca -- and; anu -- later; tishtheta -- he stands; gunanam -- of the modes of nature; samitih -- the combination; hi -- indeed; sa -- this.
When a man desires sense gratification, being attached to family life, and when he consequently becomes established in religious and occupational duties, the combination of the modes of nature is manifest.
According to Srila Sridhara Svami, religious duties performed for promotion to heaven are understood to be in the mode of passion, those performed to enjoy ordinary family life are in the mode of ignorance, and those performed selflessly to fulfill one's occupational duty in the varnasrama system are in the mode of goodness. The Lord has thus explained how mundane religiosity is manifest within the modes of nature.
