gunabhimanino devah

 sargadisv asya yad-bhayat

vartante ’nuyugam yesam

 vasa etac caracaram

 

Translation by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada: 

 

Out of fear of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the directing demigods in charge of the modes of material nature carry out the functions of creation, maintenance and destruction; everything animate and inanimate within this material world is under their control.

 

Purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada: 

 

The three modes of material nature, namely goodness, passion and ignorance, are under the control of three deities — Brahma, Visnu and Lord Siva. Lord Visnu is in charge of the mode of goodness, Lord Brahma is in charge of the mode of passion, and Lord Siva is in charge of the mode of ignorance. Similarly, there are many other demigods in charge of the air department, the water department, the cloud department, etc. Just as the government has many different departments, so, within this material world, the government of the Supreme Lord has many departments, and all these departments function in proper order out of fear of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Demigods are undoubtedly controlling all matter, animate and inanimate, within the universe, but above them the supreme controller is the Personality of Godhead. Therefore in the Brahma-samhita it is said, isvarah paramah krsnah. Undoubtedly there are many controllers in the departmental management of this universe, but the supreme controller is Krsna.

 

There are two kinds of dissolutions. One kind of dissolution takes place when Brahma goes to sleep during his night, and the final dissolution takes place when Brahma dies. As long as Brahma does not die, creation, maintenance and destruction are actuated by different demigods under the superintendence of the Supreme Lord.