Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14, Verse 4
सर्वयोनिषु कौन्तेय मूर्तयः सम्भवन्ति याः | तासां ब्रह्म महद्योनिरहं बीजप्रदः पिता ||
sarvayoniṣu kaunteya mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir ahaṁ bījapradaḥ pitā
O son of Kunti, whatever forms are born in all species of life, know that material nature is their great womb, and I am the seed-giving father.
Krishna continues explaining the process of creation: 'Sarvayoniṣu'—in all species of life. 'Mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ'—whatever forms are born. 'Tāsāṁ brahma mahad yoniḥ'—material nature (Brahman) is their great womb. 'Ahaṁ bījapradaḥ pitā'—I am the seed-giving father. This verse reinforces the relationship: material nature is the womb that creates all forms, and Krishna is the father who provides the seed (souls). This sets up the next verses, which will explain how the three gunas—sattva, rajas, and tamas—manifest in all these forms. Understanding this relationship helps you see that you're not just a product of material nature—you're the soul placed by the Supreme into material nature. The gunas are qualities of the material nature, and they influence all forms, but you're separate from them.