Shloka 16
Kurukṣetra Pilgrimage: Sages Praise Kṛṣṇa; Vasudeva Inquires on Karma; Viṣṇu-yajña Performed
श्रीमुनय ऊचु: यन्मायया तत्त्वविदुत्तमा वयं विमोहिता विश्वसृजामधीश्वरा: । यदीशितव्यायति गूढ ईहया अहो विचित्रं भगवद्विचेष्टितम् ॥ १६ ॥
śrī-munaya ūcuḥ yan-māyayā tattva-vid-uttamā vayaṁ vimohitā viśva-sṛjām adhīśvarāḥ yad īśitavyāyati gūḍha īhayā aho vicitram bhagavad-viceṣṭitam
The great sages said: O Lord, by Your māyā even we—the foremost knowers of truth and leaders among the creators of the universe—have been utterly bewildered. Ah, how wondrous are the deeds of Bhagavān: You veil Yourself with humanlike acts and pretend to be subject to a higher control.
The sages have characterized the Lord’s statements as inscrutable ( duranvayam ). How this is so is stated here: His words and activities bewilder even the most learned when He plays at subordinating Himself to His own servants.
FAQs
This verse states that the Lord’s māyā can bewilder even the foremost truth-knowers and powerful cosmic controllers, highlighting that His divine potency is inconceivable and beyond ordinary intellect.
They marvel that the Supreme, who is never actually subject to anyone, willingly enacts pastimes in which He appears bound by roles and relationships—especially through His hidden līlā and devotion-centered dealings.
Recognize the limits of pride in knowledge or power, cultivate humility, and approach the Divine with devotion—accepting that God’s ways can be beyond calculation, yet meaningful for spiritual growth.