Verse 9.10

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 9.10:

मयाध्यक्षेण प्रकृतिः सूयते स-चराचरम् ।
हेतुनानेन कौन्तेय जगद् विपरिवर्तते ॥ १० ॥

mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram |
hetunānena kaunteya jagad viparivartate || 10 ||

mayā–by My; adhyakṣeṇa–superintendence; prakṛtiḥ–nature; sūyate–gives birth; sa-cara-acaram–to the universe with moving and non-moving beings; hetunā–cause; anena–because of this; kaunteya–O son of Kuntī; jagat–the universe; viparivartate–revolves in its cycles.

O son of Kuntī, under My direction, My external potency gives birth to the cosmic manifestation with its moving and non-moving living beings. For this reason, the material world is created again and again.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

Arjuna may raise the doubt, “I cannot believe that You, as the creator of this cosmic manifestation, are so indifferent.”

Śrī Bhagavān thus speaks this verse beginning with mayādhyakṣeṇa to remove that doubt. Adhyakṣeṇa mayā means, “I am just the instrumental cause. It is the material nature that creates the entire moving and non-moving material world. My function is only to preside over it, just as the prakṛti (administrative advisors) of kings like Ambarīṣa perform the royal duties. The king is indifferent and simply represents the kingdom. The citizens cannot function without a king occupying the throne. Similarly, the material nature will not be able to perform any function without My supervision and authority.”

Hetunānena means ‘This material world is repeatedly created only because I preside over it.’

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

Bhagavān is the master of the material modes and the superintendent of māyā. He is the instrumental cause of material nature and He also presides over it in acts such as creation. It is only by the inspiration of His glance that material nature can repeatedly create this world of moving and non-moving beings. Material nature receives the power to create from Him alone, because it is under His control. Inert matter cannot perform the function of creation by itself. Similarly, iron can only burn in contact with fire; it is not independently capable of burning without the potency of fire. Kṛṣṇa is therefore the root cause of the material world. Inert nature can be compared to the nipple-like bags hanging from the neck of a goat; they are for external show only, there is no milk to be had from them.