Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 42
Lord Śiva Bewildered by Mohinī
Viṣṇu’s Yoga-māyā and the Limits of Ascetic Power
आत्मांशभूतां तां मायां भवानीं भगवान्भव: । सम्मतामृषिमुख्यानां प्रीत्याचष्टाथ भारत ॥ ४२ ॥
ātmāṁśa-bhūtāṁ tāṁ māyāṁ bhavānīṁ bhagavān bhavaḥ sammatām ṛṣi-mukhyānāṁ prītyācaṣṭātha bhārata
Ô descendant de Bharata, alors le Seigneur Bhava (Śiva), dans la jubilation, s’adressa avec affection à son épouse Bhavānī, reconnue par les plus grands ṛṣi comme la puissance (māyā) du Seigneur Viṣṇu.
FAQs
This verse states that Bhavānī is identified with Māyā and is understood as an expansion of the Supreme Lord’s own potency.
In the Mohinī-mūrti narrative, Śiva’s experience and explanation highlight how even great beings acknowledge the Lord’s energies and their workings, reinforcing the Bhagavatam’s theology of divine potency.
It encourages humility and devotion: instead of blaming the world alone, one learns to seek the Lord’s shelter and use discernment, recognizing illusion as a divine power that can be transcended through bhakti.