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
バーラタの子孫よ、歓喜に満ちた主バヴァ(シヴァ)は、その妻バヴァーニーに愛をこめて語りかけた。彼女は諸賢者により、ヴィシュヌの力、すなわちマーヤーとして認められている。
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.