आदावभूच्छतधृती रजसास्य सर्गे विष्णु: स्थितौ क्रतुपतिर्द्विजधर्मसेतु: । रुद्रोऽप्ययाय तमसा पुरुष: स आद्य इत्युद्भवस्थितिलया: सततं प्रजासु ॥ ५ ॥
ādāv abhūc chata-dhṛtī rajasāsya sarge viṣṇuḥ sthitau kratu-patir dvija-dharma-setuḥ rudro ’pyayāya tamasā puruṣaḥ sa ādya ity udbhava-sthiti-layāḥ satataṁ prajāsu
- ādau
- in the beginning
- abhūt
- He became
- śata-dhṛtiḥ
- Lord Brahmā
- rajasā
- by the material mode of passion
- asya
- of this universe
- sarge
- in the creation
- viṣṇuḥ
- Lord Viṣṇu
- sthitau
- in maintenance
- kratu-patiḥ
- the Lord of sacrifice
- dvija
- of the twice-born brāhmaṇas
- dharma
- of the religious duties
- setuḥ
- the protector
- rudraḥ
- Lord Śiva
- apyayāya
- for annihilation
- tamasā
- by the mode of ignorance
- puruṣaḥ
- the Supreme Person
- saḥ
- He
- ādyaḥ
- original
- iti
- thus
- udbhava-sthiti-layāḥ
- creation, maintenance and destruction
- satatam
- always
- prajāsu
- among created beings
In the beginning, the original Supreme Personality manifested the form of Brahmā through the material mode of passion in order to create this universe. The Lord manifested His form as Viṣṇu, the Lord of sacrifice and protector of the twice-born brāhmaṇas and their religious duties, to maintain the universe. And when the universe is to be annihilated the same Supreme Lord employs the material mode of ignorance and manifests the form of Rudra. The created living beings are thus always subject to the forces of creation, maintenance and destruction.