Shloka 11

Lord Śiva Bewildered by Mohinī

Viṣṇu’s Yoga-māyā and the Limits of Ascetic Power

Devanagari script

स त्वं समीहितमद: स्थितिजन्मनाशंभूतेहितं च जगतो भवबन्धमोक्षौ । वायुर्यथा विशति खं च चराचराख्यंसर्वं तदात्मकतयावगमोऽवरुन्‍त्से ॥ ११ ॥

Transliteration

sa tvaṁ samīhitam adaḥ sthiti-janma-nāśaṁ bhūtehitaṁ ca jagato bhava-bandha-mokṣau vāyur yathā viśati khaṁ ca carācarākhyaṁ sarvaṁ tad-ātmakatayāvagamo ’varuntse

Translation

హే ప్రభూ, నీవే జ్ఞానస్వరూపమైన సర్వజ్ఞుడు; సృష్టి యొక్క జననం‑స్థితి‑నాశం, అలాగే జీవుల అన్ని ప్రయత్నాలు—వాటివల్ల వారు భవబంధంలో పడతారో లేదా మోక్షం పొందుతారో—అన్నీ నీకు తెలిసినవే. వాయువు ఆకాశంలోనూ, చరాచర సమస్త దేహాలలోనూ ప్రవేశించినట్లే, నీవు సర్వత్ర వ్యాపించి ఆత్మరూపంగా అన్నిటినీ తెలిసికొంటావు।

Synonyms

• saḥ: he/that (same one)
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• samīhitam: the intended/desired (thing)
• samīhitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sam-√īh (धातु) + ta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as predicate: ‘desired/ordained’

• adaḥ: that (there)
• adaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• sthiti-janma-nāśam: maintenance, creation, and destruction
• sthiti-janma-nāśam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthiti (प्रातिपदिक) + janman (प्रातिपदिक) + nāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (copulative): ‘स्थिति-जन्म-नाश’ (maintenance, birth, destruction); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• bhūta-hitām: the welfare of beings
• bhūta-hitām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhūta (प्रातिपदिक) + hita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘भूतानां हितम्’ (welfare of beings); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• jagataḥ: of the world
• jagataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• bhava-bandha-mokṣau: bondage in saṁsāra and liberation
• bhava-bandha-mokṣau: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhava (प्रातिपदिक) + bandha (प्रातिपदिक) + mokṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास: ‘भवबन्धः’ and ‘मोक्षः’; पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Dual)

• vāyuḥ: wind
• vāyuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान-अव्यय (comparative adverb)

• viśati: enters
• viśati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √viś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• kham: space/sky
• kham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात

• cara-acara-ākhyam: called the moving and the nonmoving
• cara-acara-ākhyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cara (प्रातिपदिक) + acara (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘चराचर इति आख्यं’ (called moving and non-moving); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• sarvam: everything
• sarvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• tad-ātmakatayā: by (its) identity with you/that
• tad-ātmakatayā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक) + tā (प्रत्यय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘तदात्मका-ता’ (the state of being of that nature/identity); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• avagamaḥ: understanding/realization
• avagamaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ava√gam (धातु) + a (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भाववाचक (action noun): ‘understanding/realization’

• avaruntse: you encompass/contain/cover
• avaruntse: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava√rudh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

Purport

As stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā:

Characters & Entities

• Lord Śiva
• The Supreme Lord (Viṣṇu/Mohinī-mūrti)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about God being both the cause of bondage and liberation?

This verse says the Lord is the source of both material bondage (bhava-bandha) and liberation (mokṣa), because He governs the entire cosmic process and grants results according to one’s consciousness and surrender.

Why did Lord Shiva say this to Vishnu (Mohini-murti) in Canto 8 Chapter 12?

In the Mohinī-mūrti episode, Lord Śiva offers prayers recognizing Viṣṇu’s supreme position—creator, maintainer, and dissolver—and admits that although the Lord pervades everything, His full nature is difficult to comprehend.

How can I apply the teaching of this shloka in modern life?

See life’s changes—creation, maintenance, and loss—as governed by the Lord, and seek freedom by aligning your will with His through devotion, humility, and steady spiritual practice rather than trying to control outcomes.