Shloka 18
स्वर्गगमनम्, अदितिस्तुतिः-मायातत्त्वम्, तथा पारिजात-प्रसङ्गे इन्द्रयुद्धम्
आराध्य त्वाम् अभीप्सन्ते कामान् आत्मभवक्षयम् यद् एते पुरुषा माया सैवेयं भगवंस् तव
ārādhya tvām abhīpsante kāmān ātmabhavakṣayam yad ete puruṣā māyā saiveyaṃ bhagavaṃs tava
Having worshipped You, O Blessed Lord, these persons seek objects of desire—and even the ending of their own becoming. Yet whatever they pursue is only māyā; indeed, this very māyā, Bhagavān, is Yours.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya in the standard Vishnu Purana dialogue frame; this verse reads as an address to Bhagavān/Vishnu)
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: To receive the devotees’ worship and, through his grace, turn their desire-bound aims toward true knowledge and liberation.
Leela: Moksha-dana
Dharma Restored: Right discernment that all sought objects are dependent on the Lord and not independently real.
Concept: Even desired ends (kāma and even self-extinction) are encompassed by the Lord’s māyā, which is not independent but belongs to Him.
Vedantic Theme: Maya
Application: Treat goals and outcomes as contingent and subordinate to God; cultivate viveka and offer results back to the Lord.
Vishishtadvaita: Māyā is a real dependence-mode (prakāra) under the Lord’s sovereignty, not an autonomous principle; all pursuits rest on His will.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
Bhakti Type: Shanta
Jagat Karana: Yes
FAQs
The verse frames māyā not as an independent principle but as the Lord’s own power—what people chase as “real” objects or even as “liberation” is still under Bhagavān’s sovereignty.
He indicates that worshippers may seek worldly boons (kāmān) or even the ending of becoming (bhava-kṣaya), yet the entire field of seeking operates within māyā, which belongs to and is governed by Vishnu.
Vishnu is presented as the Supreme Lord (Bhagavān) whose mastery extends over māyā itself—supporting a theistic Vedanta where liberation is ultimately dependent on His reality and grace, not on an autonomous cosmic principle.