Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 28
Sāṅkhya Enumeration of Tattvas, Distinction of Puruṣa–Prakṛti, and the Mechanics of Birth and Death
त्वत्तो ज्ञानं हि जीवानां प्रमोषस्तेऽत्र शक्तित: । त्वमेव ह्यात्ममायाया गतिं वेत्थ न चापर: ॥ २८ ॥
tvatto jñānaṁ hi jīvānāṁ pramoṣas te ’tra śaktitaḥ tvam eva hy ātma-māyāyā gatiṁ vettha na cāparaḥ
De Toi seul naît la connaissance des êtres vivants, et par Ta puissance cette connaissance est aussi dérobée ici-bas. En vérité, nul autre que Toi ne peut comprendre la nature réelle de Ton ātmamāyā, Ton pouvoir illusoire.
As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: “From Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness.” By the Lord’s causeless mercy one is enlightened with knowledge, and by the Lord’s illusory potency that knowledge vanishes and one is merged into ignorance. Those bewildered by māyā cannot understand the difference between the material body and the spirit soul and thus should hear from the Lord Himself to remove this illusory covering.
FAQs
This verse states that knowledge comes from the Lord, and by His power knowledge can also be withdrawn—showing that both illumination and forgetfulness are ultimately under His control.
Uddhava acknowledges that the Lord’s internal potency operates beyond the full grasp of conditioned beings; only Bhagavān completely understands how His māyā and energies act in the world.
Cultivate humility in learning, pray for right understanding, and avoid pride in intellect—recognizing that clarity and confusion can both arise by higher arrangement, guiding one toward surrender and steady devotion.