निर्गुणोऽपि ह्यजोऽव्यक्तो भगवान्प्रकृते: पर: । स्वमायागुणमाविश्य बाध्यबाधकतां गत: ॥ ६ ॥
nirguno ’pi hy ajo ’vyakto bhagavan prakrteh parah sva-maya-gunam avisya badhya-badhakatam gatah
- nirgunah
- without material qualities
- api
- although
- hi
- certainly
- ajah
- unborn
- avyaktah
- unmanifest
- bhagavan
- the Supreme Lord
- prakrteh
- to material nature
- parah
- transcendental
- sva-maya
- of His own energy
- gunam
- material qualities
- avisya
- entering
- badhya
- obligation
- badhakatam
- the condition of being obliged
- gatah
- accepts.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, is always transcendental to material qualities, and therefore He is called nirguna, or without qualities. Because He is unborn, He does not have a material body to be subjected to attachment and hatred. Although the Lord is always above material existence, through His spiritual potency He appeared and acted like an ordinary human being, accepting duties and obligations, apparently like a conditioned soul.