Shloka 20
तेन मायासहस्रं तच् शम्बरस्याशुगामिना बालस्य रक्षता देहम् एकैकश्येन सूदितम्
tena māyāsahasraṃ tac śambarasyāśugāminā bālasya rakṣatā deham ekaikaśyena sūditam
Swift in action, Sudarśana—protecting the child—shattered, one after another, the thousand conjurations of Śambara, preserving the boy’s body from harm.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Concept: Divine protection is not vague sentiment: it actively dismantles layers of deception that threaten the devotee.
Vedantic Theme: Maya
Application: When overwhelmed by ‘māyā-like’ anxieties, break them down one-by-one with disciplined practice—prayer, discernment, and right action.
Vishishtadvaita: Māyā as subordinate power: deceptive forces are real as experiences yet are decisively governed and nullified by the Lord’s higher śakti.
Phase: Divine-protection
Bhakti Quality: Unprotected outwardly yet protected by the Lord’s śakti
Persecution: Weapons
Vishnu Form: Narayana
Bhakti Type: Dasya
FAQs
They represent the peak of hostile illusion and sorcery, shown as powerless before divinely aligned protection—affirming that dharma and Vishnu’s order ultimately override deception.
Parāśara narrates that the protector acts with speed and discernment, dismantling each illusion in sequence—teaching that true power is not mere magic, but righteous, divinely supported agency.
Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the narrative frames the protection of Krishna’s lineage as an expression of Vishnu’s supreme governance—where māyā is subordinated to the preservation of cosmic and dynastic order.