Shloka 45
Adhyaya 81 — Suratha and Samadhi Seek Sage Medhas; Introduction to Mahamaya and the Madhukaitabha Origin Account
राजोवाच भगवन् ! का हि सा देवी महामायेति यां भवान् । ब्रवीति कथमुत्पन्ना सा कर्मास्याश्च किं द्विज ॥
rājovāca bhagavan! kā hi sā devī mahāmāyeti yāṃ bhavān | bravīti katham utpannā sā karmāsyāś ca kiṃ dvija ||
王は言った。「尊き師よ、あなたがマハーマーヤーと呼ぶその女神とは、まことにいかなる御方なのですか。いかにして現れ、その働き（カルマ）は何であるのですか、ああ、両生（再生）なる方よ。」
{ "primaryRasa": "bhakti", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
Legitimate spiritual progress begins with precise questioning: identity (who), origin/manifestation (how), and function (what role). The king’s inquiry models śraddhā guided by viveka—devotion coupled with clarity.
This is a framing interrogative that leads into Pratisarga-like narration (how the Devī ‘manifests’ for cosmic purposes), though it is primarily part of the Devī Māhātmya’s didactic narrative.
Asking ‘how the eternal arises’ points to the distinction between Devī’s nitya-svarūpa (ever-present reality) and her āvirbhāva (periodic manifestation). The question opens the teaching that manifestation is not birth but self-disclosure.