B.G 7.05

अपरेयमितस्त्वन्यां प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम्। जीवभूतां महाबाहो ययेदं धार्यते जगत् ॥५॥

apareyamitastvanyāṁ prakr̥tiṁ viddhi me parām। jīvabhūtāṁ mahābāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat ॥5॥

[अपरा इयम् इतः तु अन्यां प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम्। जीव भूतां महाबाहो यय इदं धार्यते जगत्॥
अपरा (aparā) - Inferior; इयम् (iyam) - This; इतः (itaḥ) - From this; तु (tu) - But; अन्याम् (anyām) - Another; प्रकृतिं (prakṛtim) - 'Prakrti'; विद्धि (viddhi) - Know; मे (me) - My; पराम् (parām) - Superior; जीवभूताम् (jīvabhūtām) - Constituting the life force; महाबाहो (mahābāho) - O mighty-armed one; या (yā) - Which; इदम् (idam) - This; धार्यते (dhāryate) - Is sustained; जगत् (jagat) - The universe;]

This (material nature) is inferior; but know that there is another, higher 'Prakrti' of Mine, O mighty-armed one, which constitutes the life force and by which this universe is sustained.

Gīta Bhāshya 7.05

The differentiation between Chit-Prakrti (conscious principle) and Achit-Prakrti (inert principle), the two different aspects of 'mahat' principle is brought out by substantiating the point made through a quote from Naradiya Purana.

अपरा अनुत्तमा, वक्ष्यमाणाम् अपेक्ष्य। जीवभूता श्रीः जीवानां प्राणधारिणी, चिद्रूपभूता सर्वदा सती।

aparā anuttamā, vakṣyamāṇām apekṣya। jīvabhūtā śrīḥ jīvānāṁ prāṇadhāriṇī, cidrūpabhūtā sarvadā satī।

[अपरा (aparā) - the word 'aparā', i.e. inferior; अनुत्तमा (anuttamā) - means, not the highest; वक्ष्यमाणाम् (vakṣyamāṇām) - to be described; अपेक्ष्य (apekṣya) - in comparison to; जीवभूता (jīvabhūtā) - Constituting the life force; श्रीः (śrīḥ) - Prosperity, auspiciousness (Lakshmi); जीवानाम् (jīvānām) - Of living beings; प्राणधारिणी (prāṇadhāriṇī) - The sustainer of life; चिद्रूपभूता (cidrūpabhūtā) - Having the nature of consciousness; सर्वदा (sarvadā) - Always; सती (satī) - Existing, real;]

The word 'aparā', i.e. inferior, means not the highest compared to what is going to be described further. The Goddess Shri is the sustainer of living beings, constituting the life force of all beings, is of the nature of consciousness, always existing and real.

"एतन्महद्भूतम्"

"etanmahadbhūtam"

[एतत् (etat) - This; महत् (mahat) - is the Greatest of all; भूतम् (bhūtam) - concious Being;]

"This, (i.e. Mahat or Prakrti) is the greatest (mahat) of all conscious beings."

इति श्रुतेः।

- iti śruteḥ।

[इति (iti) - thus states; श्रुतेः (śruteḥ) - Vedic testimonial;]

-stated thus in the Vedic testimonial.

जगाद च -

jagāda ca -

[जगाद (jagāda) - regarding her, it is said; च (ca) - And;]

And, regarding Her, it is said:

"प्रकृती द्वे तु देवस्य जडा चैवाजडा तथा। अव्यक्ताख्या जडा सा च सृष्ट्या भिन्नाष्टधा पुनः॥ महान् बुद्धिर्मनश्चैव पञ्च भूतानि चेति हि। अवरा सा जडा श्रीश्च परेयं धार्यते तया॥ चिद्रूपा सा त्वनन्ता च अनादिनिधना परा। यत्समं तु प्रियं किञ्चिन्नास्ति विष्णोर्महात्मनः॥ नारायणस्य महिषी माता सा ब्रह्मणोऽपि हि। आभ्यामिदं जगत् सर्वं हरिः सृजति भूतराट्॥"

"prakr̥tī dve tu devasya jaḍā caivājaḍā tathā। avyaktākhyā jaḍā sā ca sr̥ṣṭyā bhinnāṣṭadhā punaḥ॥ mahān buddhirmanaścaiva pañca bhūtāni ceti hi। avarā sā jaḍā śrīśca pareyaṁ dhāryate tayā॥ cidrūpā sā tvanantā ca anādinidhanā parā। yatsamaṁ tu priyaṁ kiñcinnāsti viṣṇormahātmanaḥ॥ nārāyaṇasya mahiṣī mātā sā brahmaṇo'pi hi। ābhyāmidaṁ jagat sarvaṁ hariḥ sr̥jati bhūtarāṭ॥"

[प्रकृती (prakṛtī) - Natures, primal forces; द्वे (dve) - Two; तु (tu) - But, however; देवस्य (devasya) - Of the divine (or the Lord); जडा (jaḍā) - Inert, non-conscious; च (ca) - And; एव (eva) - Indeed; अजडा (ajaḍā) - Non-inert, conscious; तथा (tathā) - Also, likewise; अव्यक्ताख्या (avyaktākhyā) - Known as the unmanifested; जडा (jaḍā) - Inert; सा (sā) - She (referring to the nature); च (ca) - And; सृष्ट्या (sṛṣṭyā) - By creation, through creation; भिन्नाष्टधा (bhinnāṣṭadhā) - Divided into eightfold; पुनः (punaḥ) - Again; महान् (mahān) - Great, mahat; बुद्धिः (buddhiḥ) - Intellect; मनः (manaḥ) - Mind; च (ca) - And; एव (eva) - Indeed; पञ्च (pañca) - Five; भूतानि (bhūtāni) - Elements; च (ca) - And; इति (iti) - Thus; हि (hi) - Indeed; अवरा (avarā) - Inferior; सा (sā) - She (referring to the nature); जडा (jaḍā) - Inert; श्रीः (śrīḥ) - Shri, Lakshmi, prosperity, auspiciousness; च (ca) - And; परा (parā) - Superior; इयम् (iyam) - This; धार्यते (dhāryate) - Is sustained; तया (tayā) - By her; चिद्रूपा (cidrūpā) - Having the nature of consciousness; सा (sā) - She; तु (tu) - However, but; अनन्ता (anantā) - Infinite; च (ca) - And; अनादिनिधना (anādinidhanā) - Without beginning and end; परा (parā) - Superior; यत् (yat) - Which; समम् (samam) - Equal, comparable; तु (tu) - But; प्रियं (priyaṁ) - Dear, beloved; किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - Anything; नास्ति (nāsti) - There is not; विष्णोः (viṣṇoḥ) - Of Vishnu; महात्मनः (mahātmanaḥ) - The great soul, the great one; नारायणस्य (nārāyaṇasya) - Of Narayana; महिषी (mahiṣī) - Consort, queen; माता (mātā) - Mother; सा (sā) - She; ब्रह्मणः (brahmaṇaḥ) - Of Brahma; अपि (api) - Even; हि (hi) - Indeed;आभ्याम् (ābhyām) - By these two; इदं (idam) - This; जगत् (jagat) - Universe, world; सर्वं (sarvaṁ) - All, entire; हरिः (hariḥ) - Hari (Vishnu); सृजति (sṛjati) - Creates; भूतराट् (bhūtarāṭ) - The Lord of beings, ruler of the elements;]

"The nature of 'Prakrti' i.e. goddess Shri that belongs to the Lord, is indeed of two types, inert and non-inert (conscious). The unmanifest upon manifestation of the inert nature is again divided into eightfold through creation. They are indeed the great mahat, the intellect, mind, and the five elements. This inert nature is inferior ('aparā') in comparison to the superior goddess Shri and is sustained by her. She, however, is of the nature of consciousness, infinite, without beginning or end, and far superior. Nothing is as dear to the great soul lord Vishnu in comparison to her. She is the consort of Narayana and even the mother of Brahma. By these two (inert and non-inert prakrti, i.e. Shri), Lord Hari (Vishnu), the ruler of beings, creates the entire universe."

-इति नारदीये॥५॥

iti nāradīye॥5॥

[इति (iti) - Thus, in this way; नारदीये (nāradiye) - In the Naradiya (referring to the Naradiya Purana);]

- stated thus in the Naradiya (Purana).