Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 6
Mārkaṇḍeya’s Request to See Māyā and the Vision of the Cosmic Deluge
अथाप्यम्बुजपत्राक्ष पुण्यश्लोकशिखामणे । द्रक्ष्ये मायां यया लोक: सपालो वेद सद्भिदाम् ॥ ६ ॥
athāpy ambuja-patrākṣa puṇya-śloka-śikhāmaṇe drakṣye māyāṁ yayā lokaḥ sa-pālo veda sad-bhidām
O Panginoong may matang tulad ng talulot ng lotus, O hiyas na korona ng mga dakilang pinupuri! Bagama’t sapat na sa akin ang iyong darśana, nais ko ring masilayan ang iyong kapangyarihang māyā, na sa impluwensiya nito ang buong daigdig, kasama ang mga namumunong diyos, ay inaakalang ang katotohanan ay sari-saring anyong materyal.
A conditioned soul sees the material world to be constituted of independent, separate entities. Actually, all things are united, being potencies of the Supreme Lord. Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi is curious to witness the exact process by which māyā, the Lord’s bewildering potency, casts living beings into illusion.
FAQs
This verse acknowledges Krishna’s Māyā as the divine potency by which the world—even its rulers—perceives distinctions and separateness, though Krishna remains the supreme reality beyond illusion.
Śukadeva uses an intimate devotional epithet to glorify Krishna’s beauty and divinity while introducing the profound topic of His Māyā and the extraordinary events surrounding His departure.
Remember that appearances and social labels can be misleading; cultivate devotion and discernment (satsaṅga, śravaṇa) to see beyond temporary distinctions and stay aligned with spiritual truth.