Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 42
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
ਹੇ ਭਾਰਤ-ਵੰਸ਼ਜ! ਤਦ ਖੁਸ਼ੀ ਨਾਲ ਭਰਪੂਰ ਭਗਵਾਨ ਭਵ (ਸ਼ਿਵ) ਨੇ ਆਪਣੀ ਪਤਨੀ ਭਵਾਨੀ ਨੂੰ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਨਾਲ ਸੰਬੋਧਨ ਕੀਤਾ, ਜਿਸ ਨੂੰ ਸਭ ਪ੍ਰਮਾਣਿਕ ਰਿਸ਼ੀ ਵਿਸ਼ਨੂ ਦੀ ਸ਼ਕਤੀ-ਰੂਪ ਮਾਇਆ ਮੰਨਦੇ ਹਨ।
FAQs
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.