सर्गादौ प्रकृतिर्ह्यस्य कार्यकारणरूपिणी । सत्त्वादिभिर्गुणैर्धत्ते पुरुषोऽव्यक्त ईक्षते ॥ १७ ॥
sargādau prakṛtir hy asya kārya-kāraṇa-rūpiṇī sattvādibhir guṇair dhatte puruṣo ’vyakta īkṣate
- sarga
- of creation
- ādau
- in the beginning
- prakṛtiḥ
- the material nature
- hi
- indeed
- asya
- of this universe
- kārya
- the manifest products
- kāraṇa
- and subtle causes
- rūpiṇī
- embodying
- sattva-ādibhiḥ
- by means of goodness, passion and ignorance
- guṇaiḥ
- the modes
- dhatte
- assumes its position
- puruṣaḥ
- the Supreme Lord
- avyaktaḥ
- not involved in material manifestation
- īkṣate
- witnesses
In the beginning of creation nature assumes, by the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance, its form as the embodiment of all subtle causes and gross manifestations within the universe. The Supreme Personality of Godhead does not enter the interaction of material manifestation but merely glances upon nature.