Garbha Stotra

VERSE 3

tvam eka evāsya sataḥ prasūtis
tvaṁ sannidhānaṁ tvam anugrahaś ca
tvan-māyayā saṁvṛta-cetasas tvāṁ
paśyanti nānā na vipaścito ye

Indeed, You are the sole cause of this material existence. You are also its destroyer and You are its maintainer. Those who are wise, whose consciousness is not covered over, do not perceive You as manifold. (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.2.28)

Sambandha Tattva Candrikā Commentary

Explaining the primeval tree of saṁsāra in the previous śloka, Brahmā, along with the other Devas, said, “O Cause of all causes! You alone are the ingredient cause of this tree of saṁsāra. This universe of repeated birth and death originates from You – in other words, from Your māyā potency. It resides within You and, in due course, it will be annihilated by You. You create it while residing in rajo-guṇa, You maintain it while established in sattva-guṇa, and appearing within tamo-guṇa, You destroy it. *(1) However, due to Your māyā, those persons with a covered consciousness perceive You to be the many forms of the Devas. But those who are wise establish You as the advaya-vastu (the non-dual Absolute).” *(2)

Through this profound statement, it is evident that the Supreme Lord is indeed the Singular Principle. He is that Personality who is situated in viśuddha-sattva (transcendental goodness) and the creator, maintainer and destroyer. Those who imagine that there are various Devas do not understand bheda-jñāna in regards to Jagadīśvara.*(3) They do not know anything about īśvara-tattva (theological principles related to the Supreme). However, the reason that diverse systems of worship are seen in this world is disclosed in the fourth śloka. The exclusive system of worship imbued with the mode of viśuddha-sattva has been going on since time immemorial.

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TRANSLATOR’S NOTES:

(1) The Lord never comes in direct contact with the modes of material nature. When it is said that He is the upadāna-kāraṇa (ingredient cause) of the universe, this refers to His māyā potency since the energy and the energetic are non-different. Thus, thru His māyā-śakti, He resides in the modes of nature for the purpose of creation, maintenance and annihilation.

(2) Smārtas consider that the Supreme Brahman accepts the forms of various Devas in order to perform various activities in the universe such as creation, maintenance and destruction.

(3) Bheda-jñāna means the knowledge of differentiation. It is improper to consider differentiation in regards to viṣṇu-tattva. If one thinks that Śiva and the other Devatās are independent of Viṣṇu, then this consideration of difference arises. Everything is connected to the Supreme Lord.