Verse 17 [The visible form of Ambā as Fire, Water and Earth]

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English commentary of verse 17:

यत् तमोऽन्यदिह तत् क्षितेर्वपुः सत्त्वमन्यदिह तेजसः शिवे ।
मिश्रणोत्थमितरद्रजस्तयोस्त्वत्कसत्त्वजमतो गुणत्रयम् ॥ १७ ॥

yat tamo'nyadiha tat kṣitervapuḥ sattvamanyadiha tejasaḥ śive |
miśraṇotthamitaradrajastayostvatkasattvajamato guṇatrayam || 17 ||

Comparative analysis of commentaries and excerpts in English:

[The visible form of Ambā as Fire, Water and Earth]

Next, Śakti is invoked by the name Sivā. Siddhā says that the three guṇās are her three fold divine body both the Invisible and the Visible. When she is in the state of Tamas or Darkness she represents Pṛthvi-Tattva, (Earth). Her Sāttvic body is Tejas or Agni; The mixture of both is Rajas. All the three guṇās are born of her quiet nature- Śāntā or Śama. So she gradually creates and evolves in her Śāntā form (calm state) as Fire to Water and then to Earth. While destroying she is in her Ugra or (Fierce) form. Thus, the world exists by her Sāttvic nature, but in the physical form of the three guṇās.^[1]

Three guṇas forming the Gross elements viz., fire water and others.

The three guṇas, which emerge from the Pure Sattva, the abode of Kilāsa i.e. kālī form, transform into the Gross elements (Pañca mahābhūtas)^[2]. Due to the change undergone in Tamas—Darkness, the form of Kṣiti (Pṛthvi) is formed with the qualities of being inert and hard. Change undergone in Sattva—Bright results in formation of Tejas (Fire) having the qualities of brightness and lightness. The mixture of these two—Sattva and Tamas, which is Rajas, gets transformed into the rest of the three Mahābhūtas (Vāyu, Ākāsa and Jala). Vāyu has the quality of movement and felt by touch. Ākāsa has the quality of being a medium for sound. Jala has the quality of being the medium for taste.

These guṇas form the three facets of the divine form of kālī the supreme (Para), invisible (Sūkṣma) and visible (Sthūla). All these guṇas emanate from her Śanta form (Śama). A gradual process of manifestation from Fire to Water and then to Earth is from her Śanta form. Destruction on the contrary is from her Ugra—terrible form. Thus the Pure Sāttvic Śanta form undergoes transformation into the physical forms of the three guṇas experienced in the empirical universe.

Notes and Sanskrit references:

[1] Cf. [Divyacakorikā] p 40-[Cidgaganacandrikā] 17.—

vāgarthayoreva guṇatrayasūkṣmarūpatāṃ vivicya bhūtatrayasya guṇatrayasthūlarūpatāmāha.

[2] Cf. [Kramaprakāśikā] p 12-[Cidgaganacandrikā]-17.—

tvadīyaviśuddhasattvasamutthaṃ bhūtānāṃ bhautikānāṃ cāśeṣāṇāṃ kāraṇībhūtaṃ guṇatrayami