Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 28
Mārkaṇḍeya’s Request to See Māyā and the Vision of the Cosmic Deluge
खं रोदसी भागणानद्रिसागरान् द्वीपान् सवर्षान् ककुभ: सुरासुरान् । वनानि देशान् सरित: पुराकरान् खेटान् व्रजानाश्रमवर्णवृत्तय: ॥ २८ ॥ महान्ति भूतान्यथ भौतिकान्यसौ कालं च नानायुगकल्पकल्पनम् । यत् किञ्चिदन्यद् व्यवहारकारणं ददर्श विश्वं सदिवावभासितम् ॥ २९ ॥
khaṁ rodasī bhā-gaṇān adri-sāgarān dvīpān sa-varṣān kakubhaḥ surāsurān vanāni deśān saritaḥ purākarān kheṭān vrajān āśrama-varṇa-vṛttayaḥ
Sang resi melihat seluruh alam semesta: langit, surga dan bumi, gugus bintang, gunung dan samudra, pulau-pulau besar dan benua, berbagai wilayah, hamparan ke segala arah, para dewa dan asura. Ia melihat hutan, negeri-negeri, sungai, kota dan tambang, desa pertanian dan padang gembala, serta kegiatan dan tata hidup varṇa-āśrama. Ia juga melihat unsur-unsur besar beserta segala turunannya, dan waktu itu sendiri yang mengatur putaran tak terhitung yuga dan kalpa dalam hari-hari Brahmā. Bahkan segala sesuatu lain yang diciptakan bagi keperluan hidup duniawi pun tampak olehnya—semuanya seakan nyata terpampang di hadapannya.
FAQs
This verse describes a comprehensive vision of the cosmos—worlds, directions, gods and demons, lands and societies—indicating that the Lord’s māyā can reveal the entire manifested order as an object of perception.
Śukadeva explains Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi’s extraordinary experience to show how the Supreme Lord’s energy can display the full universe and its social-religious structures, emphasizing the Lord’s supremacy over creation and perception.
By recognizing that worldly arrangements—nature, society, and status—are part of a vast, temporary manifestation, one can cultivate detachment and redirect attention toward devotion to the Supreme Lord, the controller of māyā.