Shloka 23
Parīkṣit Confronts Kali: Dharma (Bull) and Bhūmi (Cow) at the Dawn of Kali-yuga
अथवा देवमायाया नूनं गतिरगोचरा । चेतसो वचसश्चापि भूतानामिति निश्चय: ॥ २३ ॥
athavā deva-māyāyā nūnaṁ gatir agocarā cetaso vacasaś cāpi bhūtānām iti niścayaḥ
নিশ্চয় এই যে ভগৱানৰ দেৱমায়াৰ গতি অগোচৰ; মনৰ কল্পনা বা বাক্চাতুৰ্যৰে তাক মাপিব নোৱাৰি।
A question may be raised as to why a devotee should refrain from identifying an actor, although he knows definitely that the Lord is the ultimate doer of everything. Knowing the ultimate doer, one should not pose himself as ignorant of the actual performer. To answer this doubt, the reply is that the Lord is also not directly responsible, for everything is done by His deputed māyā-śakti, or material energy. The material energy is always provoking doubts about the supreme authority of the Lord. The personality of religion knew perfectly well that nothing can take place without the sanction of the Supreme Lord, and still he was put into doubts by the deluding energy, and thus he refrained from mentioning the supreme cause. This doubtfulness was due to the contamination of both Kali and the material energy. The whole atmosphere of the Age of Kali is magnified by the deluding energy, and the proportion of measurement is inexplicable.
FAQs
This verse states that the Lord’s divine energy (deva-māyā) operates in ways that living beings cannot fully comprehend or describe—its course is beyond both thought and language.
In the narrative of Canto 1 Chapter 17, events around dharma’s decline and the appearance of Kali unfold under divine arrangement; Śukadeva highlights that the Lord’s plan and potency can surpass ordinary human reasoning.
Practice humility and faith when outcomes are hard to understand—do your dharma sincerely, avoid cynicism, and remember that not everything is explainable by limited intellect; align actions with devotion and integrity.