Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 33
Mārkaṇḍeya’s Request to See Māyā and the Vision of the Cosmic Deluge
तावत् स भगवान् साक्षाद् योगाधीशो गुहाशय: । अन्तर्दध ऋषे: सद्यो यथेहानीशनिर्मिता ॥ ३३ ॥
tāvat sa bhagavān sākṣād yogādhīśo guhā-śayaḥ antardadha ṛṣeḥ sadyo yathehānīśa-nirmitā
At that very moment the Supreme Lord Himself—the original master of all yoga, hidden within the cave of everyone’s heart—became invisible to the sage, just as the attainments of an incompetent person can suddenly vanish.
FAQs
This verse says the Supreme Lord, the master of yoga, can withdraw from a sage’s perception instantly—like an illusory display—showing His complete independence over appearance and disappearance.
In this narrative, the Lord reveals and withdraws His presence to demonstrate His yogamāyā and to deepen the sage’s realization that even exalted perception depends on the Lord’s grace.
It encourages humility: experiences and perceptions can change suddenly, so one should anchor the mind in devotion and remembrance of the indwelling Lord rather than relying only on external appearances.