Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvitiya Skandha, 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
噢那罗陀，主的诸般能量虽不可思议、不可度量，然因我们皆已归依，故能知他以瑜伽幻力（yoga-māyā）如何运作。同样，全能的湿婆、阿修罗族之冠冕普罗诃罗陀、自在生摩奴及其妻舍多卢帕与诸子女（如普利耶弗拉塔、乌塔那帕达、阿库蒂、提婆呼提、普拉苏蒂等），以及普拉钦那巴尔希、里布、安伽、德鲁瓦、伊克什瓦库、艾拉、穆楚昆达、毗提诃（阇那迦）、伽提、罗伽、安婆利沙、萨伽罗、伽耶、那胡沙、曼陀哈塔、阿拉尔迦、舍多丹瓦、阿努、兰提提婆、毗湿摩、婆利、阿穆尔塔拉耶、迪利帕、骚婆利、乌坦迦、尸毗、提婆罗、毗婆罗陀、萨拉斯瓦塔、乌达婆、帕拉沙罗、布里舍那、毗毗沙那、哈奴曼、舒迦提婆、阿周那、阿尔什提舍那、毗度罗、舒鲁提提婆等，也都知晓主的威能。
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.