Shloka 25
Parīkṣit’s Questions and the Prelude to Kṛṣṇa’s Advent
Earth’s Burden, Viṣṇu’s Order, and Kaṁsa’s Fear
विष्णोर्माया भगवती यया सम्मोहितं जगत् । आदिष्टा प्रभुणांशेन कार्यार्थे सम्भविष्यति ॥ २५ ॥
viṣṇor māyā bhagavatī yayā sammohitaṁ jagat ādiṣṭā prabhuṇāṁśena kāryārthe sambhaviṣyati
The Lord’s divine potency, known as Viṣṇu-māyā, by whom the worlds are bewildered, will appear by her Master’s command, with her various energies, to accomplish the Lord’s work.
Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate ( Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8). In the Vedas it is said that the potencies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are called by different names, such as yoga-māyā and mahā-māyā. Ultimately, however, the Lord’s potency is one, exactly as electric potency is one although it can act both to cool and to heat. The Lord’s potency acts in both the spiritual and material worlds. In the spiritual world the Lord’s potency works as yoga-māyā, and in the material world the same potency works as mahā-māyā, exactly as electricity works in both a heater and a cooler. In the material world, this potency, working as mahā-māyā, acts upon the conditioned souls to deprive them more and more of devotional service. It is said, yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam. In the material world the conditioned soul thinks of himself as a product of tri-guṇa, the three modes of material nature. This is the bodily conception of life. Because of associating with the three guṇas of the material potency, everyone identifies himself with his body. Someone is thinking he is a brāhmaṇa, someone a kṣatriya, and someone a vaiśya or śūdra. Actually, however, one is neither a brāhmaṇa, a kṣatriya, a vaiśya nor a śūdra; one is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord ( mamaivāṁśaḥ ), but because of being covered by the material energy, mahā-māyā, one identifies himself in these different ways. When the conditioned soul becomes liberated, however, he thinks himself an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya-kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa . ’ When he comes to that position, the same potency, acting as yoga-māyā, increasingly helps him become purified and devote his energy to the service of the Lord.
FAQs
This verse says that the Lord’s divine Māyā, which bewilders the world, acts under His command and manifests to accomplish His intended mission.
He highlights that Krishna’s advent is not ordinary: the Lord’s own potency orchestrates events for His divine purpose, even while the world remains bewildered by that same power.
Recognize that worldly confusion is natural under Māyā, and respond by aligning life with devotion and discernment—seeking the Lord’s purpose rather than being carried by illusion.