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
噢，婆罗多的后裔啊！湿婆主（婆伐）欢喜踊跃，便以爱意对其妻婆伐尼说道；她为诸大圣贤所公认，是毗湿奴的能量、即其幻力（māyā）。
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.