Shloka 20
Adhyāya 290: Kuntī’s Mantra-Parīkṣā and the Appearance of Sūrya (कुन्ती–सूर्यसंवादः)
अन्तर्हितं विदित्वा तं बहुमायं च राक्षसम्
antarhitaṃ viditvā taṃ bahumāyaṃ ca rākṣasam
Having realized that he had vanished from sight, and recognizing him as a rākṣasa skilled in many deceptive arts, Mārkaṇḍeya frames the moment as one requiring alert discernment: when evil hides itself through illusion, one must first see through the concealment before acting rightly.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights viveka (discernment): when confronted with concealed wrongdoing and illusion, ethical action begins with correctly recognizing the nature of the threat—seeing through māyā rather than reacting blindly.
Mārkaṇḍeya notes that the figure has become hidden and identifies him as a rākṣasa endowed with many deceptive powers, setting up the next response to an unseen, illusion-using adversary.