Shloka 43
Bhagavān’s Avatāras, Their Protections (Poṣaṇa), and the Limits of Knowing Him
वेदाहमङ्ग परमस्य हि योगमायां यूयं भवश्च भगवानथ दैत्यवर्य: । पत्नी मनो: स च मनुश्च तदात्मजाश्च प्राचीनबर्हिर्ऋभुरङ्ग उत ध्रुवश्च ॥ ४३ ॥ इक्ष्वाकुरैलमुचुकुन्दविदेहगाधि- रघ्वम्बरीषसगरा गयनाहुषाद्या: । मान्धात्रलर्कशतधन्वनुरन्तिदेवा देवव्रतो बलिरमूर्त्तरयो दिलीप: ॥ ४४ ॥ सौभर्युतङ्कशिबिदेवलपिप्पलाद- सारस्वतोद्धवपराशरभूरिषेणा: । येऽन्ये विभीषणहनूमदुपेन्द्रदत्त- पार्थार्ष्टिषेणविदुरश्रुतदेववर्या: ॥ ४५ ॥
vedāham aṅga paramasya hi yoga-māyāṁ yūyaṁ bhavaś ca bhagavān atha daitya-varyaḥ patnī manoḥ sa ca manuś ca tad-ātmajāś ca prācīnabarhir ṛbhur aṅga uta dhruvaś ca
ഓ നാരദാ, പ്രഭുവിന്റെ ശക്തികൾ അചിന്ത്യവും അളവറ്റതുമാണെങ്കിലും, ഞങ്ങൾ ശരണാഗതരായതിനാൽ യോഗമായയിലൂടെ അവൻ പ്രവർത്തിക്കുന്ന വിധം അറിയുന്നു. അതുപോലെ സർവ്വശക്തനായ ശിവൻ, ദൈത്യകുലശ്രേഷ്ഠൻ പ്രഹ്ലാദൻ, സ്വായംഭുവ മനു, അവന്റെ ഭാര്യ ശതരൂപാ, അവരുടെ മക്കൾ (പ്രിയവ്രത, ഉത്താനപാദ, ആകൂതി, ദേവഹൂതി, പ്രസൂതി മുതലായവർ), പ്രാചീനബർഹി, ഋഭു, അംഗ, ധ്രുവൻ, ഇക്ഷ്വാകു, ഐല, മുചുകുന്ദ, വിദേഹ (ജനക), ഗാധി, രഘു, അംബരീഷ, സഗര, ഗയ, നഹുഷ, മാൻധാതാ, അലർക്ക, ശതധന്വ, അനു, രന്തിദേവ, ഭീഷ്മ, ബലി, അമൂർത്ത്തരയ, ദിലീപ, സൗഭരി, ഉതങ്ക, ശിബി, ദേവല, പിപ്പലാദ, സാരസ്വത, ഉദ്ധവ, പരാശര, ഭൂരിഷേണ, വിഭീഷണ, ഹനുമാൻ, ശുകദേവ, അർജുന, ആർഷ്ടിഷേണ, വിദുര, ശ്രുതദേവ മുതലായവരും അവന്റെ ശക്തികളെ അറിയുന്നു.
All the great devotees of the Lord, as mentioned above, who flourished in the past or present, and all the devotees of the Lord who will come in the future, are aware of the different potencies of the Lord along with the potency of His name, quality, pastimes, entourage, personality, etc. And how do they know? Certainly it is not by mental speculation, nor by any attempt by dint of limited instruments of knowledge. By the limited instruments of knowledge (either the senses or the material instruments like microscopes and telescopes) one cannot even fully know the Lord’s material potencies, which are manifested before our eyes. For example there are many millions and billions of planets far, far beyond the scientist’s calculation. But these are only the manifestations of the Lord’s material energy. What can the scientist hope to know of the spiritual potency of the Lord by such material efforts? Mental speculations, by adding some dozens of “if’s” and “maybe’s,” cannot aid the advancement of knowledge — on the contrary, such mental speculations will only end in despair by dismissing the case abruptly and declaring the nonexistence of God. The sane person, therefore, ceases to speculate on subjects beyond the jurisdiction of his tiny brain, and as a matter of course he tries to learn to surrender unto the Supreme Lord, who alone can lead one to the platform of real knowledge. In the Upaniṣads it is clearly said that the Supreme Personality of Godhead can never be known simply by working very hard and taxing the good brain, nor can He be known simply by mental speculation and jugglery of words. The Lord is knowable only by one who is a surrendered soul. Herein Brahmājī, the greatest of all material living beings, acknowledges this truth. Therefore, the fruitless spoiling of energy by pursuing the path of experimental knowledge must be given up. One should gain knowledge by surrendering unto the Lord and by acknowledging the authority of the persons mentioned herein. The Lord is unlimited and, by the grace of the yoga-māyā, helps the surrendered soul to know Him proportionately with the advance of one’s surrender.
FAQs
This verse states that the Supreme Lord’s Yogamāyā—His divine internal potency—is known to exalted beings and devotees, including Śiva and other highly realized personalities.
He is emphasizing that understanding the Lord’s Yogamāyā is not ordinary scholarship; it is recognized by great, spiritually empowered personalities across different lineages and roles in creation.
It encourages humility and devotion: rather than reducing God’s actions to mere logic, one approaches the Divine with reverence, seeking realization through bhakti and guidance from realized teachers.