भूमिरापोऽनलो वायुः खं मनो बुद्धिरेव च ।
अहङ्कार इतीयं मे भिन्ना प्रकृतिरष्टधा ॥
अपरेयमितस्त्वन्यां प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम् ।
जीवभूतां महाबाहो ययेदं धार्यते धार्यते जगत् ॥
एतद्योनीनि भूतानि सर्वाणीत्युपधारय ।
Transliteration
bhūmir-āpo’nalo vāyuḥ khaṃ mano buddhir-eva ca |
ahaṅkāra itīyaṃ me bhinnā prakṛtir-aṣṭadhā || 4 ||
apareyamitastvanyāṃ prakṛtiṃ viddhi me parām |
jīvabhūtāṃ mahābāho yayedaṃ dhāryate jagat || 5 ||
etad-yonīni bhūtāni sarvāṇītyupadhāraya |
Translation
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect and the principle of ego; thus My material nature [Prakṛti] is divided eightfold. Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine. It is the life-principle [Jīva-bhuta], by which this universe is sustained. Therefore, Know that all beings originate from these two.
Purport
What defined in above two Shlokas is one of the most complex principles of Sanatan Dharma.
These Shlokas define the two Primeval potencies of Bhagvan Shri Krishna, the Maya, and the Bramhan. These are the two energies from which this whole universe has been manifested.
Maya is the source of the Material world and consists of eight constituents, Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect and the principle of ego. Among these 8 are the five major elements. One should notice that the mind, intellect, and ego too are part of Maya itself. These elements further manifest to form everything in this material world.
The second potency of Bhagvan Shri Krishna is the Bramhan, which is the source of Jiva and life. In above Shloka the word "jīvabhūtāṃ" which literally means the principles of life or the energy of life. In other terminology, the same is called as Bramhan as described in Ch14.3.
The two topics, Maya and Bramhan in themselves are big topics and central points of discussion in many other scriptures. Bramha Sutra is one of the main sources to know the nature of Bramhan and Jiva(Atma), Upnishads too defined these two subjects in great details.
The whole universe living or non-living consists of these two types of elements. The same fact is stated in this Shloka. Bhagvan Shri Krishna also makes very clear in this Shloka that He himself is the origin and dissolution of the material universe.
