In plain words
Now, when the marks of this ākāśa were taken into account, the saying arose that God is beyond sound. On just this ground they came to speak of God as beyond the guṇas. Sound, touch, form, taste and smell: in these five there are certain guṇas. Now, the one who is beyond such guṇas, He alone, has been spoken of as Parabrahman. Here is a small example of this. These five guṇas, sound, touch, form, taste and smell, are in the earth. That is just why it is so very heavy, and you do not see it in any state where it could be lifted from one place and set down in another. In this earth there are five guṇas.
In fire, the second element, there are only sound, touch, form and taste, but no smell. One guṇa has dropped away. That is just why fire tries to rise upward to some extent. Next, the third is water. In this there are only sound, touch and form. Because taste and smell have dropped away, this water has gained still more movement. Next, air. In this air there are only two, sound and touch. Because form, taste and smell have dropped away, the air spreads out to some extent. In ākāśa, the fifth, only sound has remained. Because four guṇas have dropped away, ākāśa has spread everywhere. When ākāśa itself, holding sound alone, has spread everywhere, how could God, who is beyond that sound, stay within bounds and not pervade everywhere? That is just why they call Him guṇātītāya. These five are heavy because of certain guṇas. Where the guṇas are not, the weight lessens. The principle that is everywhere, beyond the guṇas, becomes manifest to us. When this ideal, that God, beyond the guṇas, is everywhere, is demonstrated, no scientist whatever can say ‘no’. So, when we say God is beyond the guṇas, it is because such heavy guṇas are not in Him that He pervades everywhere. But a doubt may arise for you here: while it is said that God is everywhere, if He is not even where the guṇas are, then surely the meaning is that He is not in that place.