Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 28
Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi Tested by Indra and Blessed by Nara-Nārāyaṇa
विससर्ज तदा बाणं मत्वा तं स्वजितं स्मर: । सर्वं तत्राभवन्मोघमनीशस्य यथोद्यम: ॥ २८ ॥
visasarja tadā bāṇaṁ matvā taṁ sva-jitaṁ smaraḥ sarvaṁ tatrābhavan mogham anīśasya yathodyamaḥ
Cupid, thinking he had conquered the sage, then shot his arrow. But all these attempts to seduce Mārkaṇḍeya proved futile, just like the useless endeavors of an atheist.
FAQs
This verse shows that Cupid’s power becomes ineffective before the Supreme; thus lust is ultimately conquered by taking shelter of the Lord rather than relying on one’s limited strength.
Śukadeva describes how even the deity of desire misjudges the Supreme as conquerable—yet his attempt becomes fruitless, emphasizing the Lord’s transcendence over material passion.
When desire overwhelms the mind, redirect attention to bhakti—hearing, chanting, and remembrance of the Lord—because mere willpower without higher shelter often becomes “mogha,” ineffective.