SB 1.2.23

सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति प्रकृतेर्गुणास्तैर्युक्तः परमपुरुष एक इहास्य धत्ते ।
स्थित्यादये हरिविरिञ्चिहरेति संज्ञाः श्रेयांसि तत्र खलु सत्त्वतनोर्नृणां स्युः ॥२३॥

sattvaṁ rajas tama iti prakṛter guṇās tair
yuktaḥ paraḥ puruṣa eka ihāsya dhatte
sthity-ādaye hari-viriñci-hareti saṁjñāḥ
śreyāṁsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nṛṇāṁ syuḥ

sattvamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsattvam

śuddha-sattva, transcendental; any living being; consciousness; entity; existence; goodness; His internal potency; in goodness; living being; mode of goodness; mundane goodness; patience; pure transcendental goodness; regulation; strength; the heart; the mode of goodness; with no tinge of the material modes of nature.—goodness; rajaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigrajah

by passion; by the pollen; dust; in passion; in the dust; in the mode of passion; influenced by the mode of passion; mode of passion; mundane passion; of passion; of passion or material desires; of the mode of passion; of the saffron dust; on account of a passionate mood; passion; saffron; sex desire; the dust; the material mode of passion; the mode of passion; the passion energy; the passionate mode of nature; the sinful activity.—passion; tamaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtamah

tamas; and of the mode of ignorance; and the mode of ignorance; by ignorance; dark; darkness; darkness in self-knowledge; from the darkness of hellish life; great darkness; hell; ignorance; ignorance in the material world; in ignorance; in the darkest region of hellish life; in the mode of ignorance; material nature; mode of ignorance; mundane ignorance; nescience; nothing but darkness; of darkness; of illusory existence; of the darkness; the dark planet; the darkness; the darkness of ignorance; the darkness within the material creation; the greatest; the material condition of sleeping; the mode of darkness; the mode of ignorance; the mode of ignorance, by which one performs pious and impious activities; the mode of ignorance, or the darkness of night; the ocean of nescience; to darkness; to ignorance.—the darkness of ignorance; itiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigiti

thus; all these; also; and so on; as; as such; considering all these things; considering in that way; here; in this way (after giving everything to the brāhmaṇas); in this way; it is thus; known by these names; like that; like this; so it is; such; taking it as; that; therefore; they; this; thus (Hariścandra said); thus (saying out of contempt); thus (thinking in the above-mentioned way); thus (thinking); thus; thus accepted; thus accepting the words of Lord Brahmā; thus deciding; thus stated; thus thinking; thus vituperating.—thus; prakṛteḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigprakṛteḥ

by the force of nature; for expanding Himself; impelled by the material modes; material nature; modes; of His energies; of material nature; of matter (woman); of matter; of the material cosmos; of the material energy; of the material nature; to material nature; to the material world; whose nature.—of the material nature; guṇāḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_biggunah

a great quality; good quality; material quality; modes of nature; objects of sense perception; perfections; possessing qualities; qualities; quality; quality or intelligence; the object of sense perception; the three qualities; transcendental qualities; who has transcendental qualities; whose property of the intelligence.—qualities; taiḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtaiḥ

by all those; by all those above-mentioned qualities; by other living beings; by such appearances; by such incarnations; by such pure devotees; by the brāhmaṇas; by the same activities; by them (the brāhmaṇas); by them (the cheaters and pretenders, the so-called yogīs, svāmīs, incarnations and gurus); by them (the demons); by them (the modes); by them; by those (fiery arrows); by those (stones); by those; by those activities; by those bones; by those forms; those; with the demons; with the monkeys; with them; with those; with those sons.—by them; yuktaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigyuktah

accompanied; actual yogī; all engaged; associated with; being absorbed; being engaged; being united; bestowed; combined; competent for self-realization; devoutly attached; dovetailed; endowed; endowed with; engaged; engaged in the divine consciousness; fixed; in touch with the Supreme; in trance; is in the transcendental position; one who is engaged in devotional service; such engagement; surrounded; through such agency; together; well situated in yoga; with; with great attention.—associated with; paraḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigparah

a supreme or superior; an enemy; another (friend or enemy); beyond; beyond this material creation; comes as an enemy; different; differentiated parts; great; more; next life; not belonging to the same group or family; of the demigods; other; others; sublime; superior; superior quality; supreme; the best; the chief; the supermost; the supreme; the Supreme Personality of Godhead; the Supreme, than whom no one is greater; transcendence; transcendental; transcendental or different; transcendental to material conditions; transcendental to material contamination; transcendental, beyond everything material; ultimate goal; unconnected; who is transcendental.—transcendental; puruṣaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigpurusah

man.—the personality; ekaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigekaḥ

alone; being one without a second, You are everything; by the name Eka; He, one alone; individual; one; one alone; one and the same; one only; one son; one without a second; only; only one; originally one; that one Supreme Personality of Godhead; the one; the one Śrī Kṛṣṇa; the only one; the single person; the supreme one; without any duplicate.—one; ihaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigiha

as a matter of fact; at the present moment; at this place; by this; during this span of life; here (in this body); here (in this life); here (in this universe); here (on this water); here; here in Jagannātha Purī; here in the spiritual world; here in this world; here in Vṛndāvana; here, in this arena of sacrifice; herein; herewith; in material sense gratification; in the foolish species of life; in the material world; in the matter of this offense; in the sacrifice; in the universe; in this (material world); in this (the holy name); in this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; in this; in this battle; in this body; in this case; in this connection; in this existence; in this human society; in this land of Bhārata-varṣa; in this life; in this material world (especially in this pious land of Bhārata-varṣa, India); in this material world; in this matter of creation; in this millennium; in this narration; in this place; in this place, in this spot; in this situation; in this universe; in this very life; in this water; in this world; in this world of mortality; in this world or in this life; in Vaikuṇṭha; in which house; it; now; on this planet; on this subject; this; within the universe; within this life; within this material world; within this world. asyaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigasya

(the taking away) of this Ajāmila; about Him; by Him; for all these acts; for him; for such a person; his; his son; its; King Pṛthu; of a living entity; of a person; of Caṇḍavega; of Dakṣa; of Dhruva; of Dhruva Mahārāja; of her son; of him (Bali Mahārāja); of him (Bharata); of him (Brahmā); of Him (the Lord); of Him (the Supreme Personality of Godhead); of him (Tribhānu); of him; of His (Lord Kṛṣṇa's); of His; of Indra; of it; of Kṛti; of Kṛśāśva; of Kṛṣṇa; of Lord Brahmā; of Lord Kṛṣṇa; of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa; of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva; of Mahārāja Hariścandra; of Marutta; of Pṛthu; of Rambha; of such offenders; of that; of the virāṭ-puruṣa; of the advancing devotee; of the body of my husband; of the conditioned soul; of the cosmic manifestation; of the creation; of the devotee; of the entire cosmic manifestation; of the gigantic form; of the human beings; of the King; of the living being; of the living entities who have accepted material bodies; of the living entity; of the Lord; of the Lord, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; of the lust; of the manifested universes; of the material world; of the people in general; of the person; of the Personality of Godhead; of the possessor; of the serpent (Kāliya); of the Supreme Lord; of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; of the universal form; of the universal form of the Lord; of the universe; of the world; of this (Ajāmila); of this (material world); of this (Rādhā-kuṇḍa); of this (the universe); of this brahmacārī Vāmana; of this; of this body; of this child; of this cosmic manifestation; of this creation; of this earth; of this King; of this man; of this manifested cosmos or of anything material or visible; of this material world; of this one; of this person; of this tree; of this universe; of this Vāmanadeva; of this world; of your son; of your son Kṛṣṇa; one's; this; to him (the dead boy); to the living entity; unto Prahlāda; upon him.—of this material world; dhatteplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigdhatte

accept; accepts; eternally accepts; executes; gives; has taken; He accepts; He assumes; He performs; is manifested; one possesses; possesses; she inflicts; take place.—accepts; sthitiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsthiti

and maintenance; composition; duration of life; established; existence; existing; living; maintenance; of maintenance; of the created world; of the maintenance; peace; position; residence; resident; rest; situated; situation; stay; staying; the establishment; the existence; the maintenance; the situation.-ādayeplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigādaye

for the matter of creation, maintenance and destruction, etc.—for the matter of creation, maintenance and destruction, etc.; hariplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bighari

chant the holy name of the Lord.—Viṣṇu, the Personality of Godhead; viriñciplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigviriñci

Brahmā.—Brahmā; haraplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bighara

and Lord Śiva; just dissipate; kindly take away; Lord Śiva; please diminish; please take away; the attractor; vanquishing; You take away.—Lord Śiva; itiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigiti

thus; all these; also; and so on; as; as such; considering all these things; considering in that way; here; in this way (after giving everything to the brāhmaṇas); in this way; it is thus; known by these names; like that; like this; so it is; such; taking it as; that; therefore; they; this; thus (Hariścandra said); thus (saying out of contempt); thus (thinking in the above-mentioned way); thus (thinking); thus; thus accepted; thus accepting the words of Lord Brahmā; thus deciding; thus stated; thus thinking; thus vituperating.—thus; saṁjñāḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsamjnah

named.—different features; śreyāṁsiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigśreyāṁsi

benedictions; good fortune; ultimate benefit.—ultimate benefit; tatraplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtatra

about the well of nectar; all those; among the sons; among them; and there; as well as; at that time; at that very spot; because of; here; in Him; in such; in such a condition; in such a position; in such a subject matter; in such activities; in that; in that case; in that connection (getting out of the entanglement of material conditioning); in that connection; in that direction; in that dynasty; in that forest; in that function; in that heavenly planet; in that meeting; in that ninth period of Manu; in that period (the eleventh manvantara); in that period; in that period of Manu; in that place; in that sacrifice; in that sixth manvantara; in that way; in the assembly; in the battlefield; in the eighth manvantara; in the forest; in this manvantara; in this; in those manvantara periods; in those hellish planets; in victory or defeat; in whom; inside the house of Narakāsura; on that hill; on the bank of the river; on the spot; on this fact; standing there; than them; that; then; then and there; thereafter; therefore; therein; thereof; thereon; thereupon; to that household life; upon doing this; within the wide-open mouth of Kṛṣṇa.—therein; khaluplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigkhalu

as a matter of fact; as it were; as well as; certainly; even; famous as; however; indeed; naturally; nevertheless; of course; undoubtedly.—of course; sattvaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsattva

because of the conception of goodness; discretion; existence; goodness; of existence; of goodness; power; steadiness; the mode of goodness; to spiritual existence; transcendental.—goodness; tanoḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtanoḥ

body; by My body; form; of the body; whose form.—form; nṛṇāmplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bignrnam

by human beings; by the human being; by the human beings; for human beings; for human society; for the human race; in human society; men; of all human beings; of all living entities; of all men; of human beings; of human calculation; of human society; of humanity at large; of humankind; of men; of ordinary men; of persons; of the human being; of the human beings; of the people; of the people in general; persons; the bodies of human beings; to human society.—of the human being; syuḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsyuḥ

are; become; becomes; can be available; can exist; derived; it so happens; let there be; may be; may exist; must be; must be done; must have been; should be; there are; will take place.—derived. ¶

The transcendental Personality of Godhead is indirectly associated with the three modes of material nature, namely passion, goodness and ignorance, and just for the material world’s creation, maintenance and destruction He accepts the three qualitative forms of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva. Of these three, all human beings can derive ultimate benefit from Viṣṇu, the form of the quality of goodness. ¶

That Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, by His plenary parts, should be rendered devotional service, as explained above, is confirmed by this statement. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and all His plenary parts are viṣṇu-tattva, or the Lordship of Godhead. From Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the next manifestation is Baladeva. From Baladeva is Saṅkarṣaṇa, from Saṅkarṣaṇa is Nārāyaṇa, from Nārāyaṇa there is the second Saṅkarṣaṇa, and from this Saṅkarṣaṇa the Viṣṇu puruṣa-avatāras. The Viṣṇu or the Deity of the quality of goodness in the material world is the puruṣa-avatāra known as Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu or Paramātmā. Brahmā is the deity of rajas (passion), and Śiva of ignorance. They are the three departmental heads of the three qualities of this material world. Creation is made possible by the goodness of Viṣṇu, and when it requires to be destroyed, Lord Śiva does it by the tāṇḍavanṛtya. The materialists and the foolish human beings worship Brahmā and Śiva respectively. But the pure transcendentalists worship the form of goodness, Viṣṇu, in His various forms. Viṣṇu is manifested by His millions and billions of integrated forms and separated forms. The integrated forms are called Godhead, and the separated forms are called the living entities or the jīvas. Both the jīvas and Godhead have their original spiritual forms. Jīvas are sometimes subjected to the control of material energy, but the Viṣṇu forms are always controllers of this energy. When Viṣṇu, the Personality of Godhead, appears in the material world, He comes to deliver the conditioned living beings who are under the material energy. Such living beings appear in the material world with intentions of being lords, and thus they become entrapped by the three modes of nature. As such, the living entities have to change their material coverings for undergoing different terms of imprisonment. The prison house of the material world is created by Brahmā under instruction of the Personality of Godhead, and at the conclusion of a kalpa the whole thing is destroyed by Śiva. But as far as maintenance of the prison house is concerned, it is done by Viṣṇu, as much as the state prison house is maintained by the state. Anyone, therefore, who wishes to get out of this prison house of material existence, which is full of miseries like repetition of birth, death, disease and old age, must please Lord Viṣṇu for such liberation. Lord Viṣṇu is worshiped by devotional service only, and if anyone has to continue prison life in the material world, he may ask for relative facilities for temporary relief from the different demigods like Śiva, Brahmā, Indra and Varuṇa. No demigod, however, can release the imprisoned living being from the conditioned life of material existence. This can be done only by Viṣṇu. Therefore, the ultimate benefit may be derived from Viṣṇu, the Personality of Godhead. ¶