Text 37
śrī-nārada uvāca
dṛṣṭā māyā te bahuśo duratyayā
māyā vibho viśva-sṛjaś ca māyinaḥ
bhūteṣu bhūmaṁś carataḥ sva-śaktibhir
vahner iva cchanna-ruco na me ’dbhutam
śrī-nāradaḥ uvāca — Śrī Nārada said; dṛṣṭā — seen; mayā — by me; te — Your; bahuśaḥ — many times; duratyayā — insurmountable; māyā — power of illusion; vibho — O almighty one; viśva — of the universe; sṛjaḥ — of the creator (Lord Brahmā); ca — and; māyinaḥ — of the bewilderer (You); bhūteṣu — among the created beings; bhūman — O all-encompassing one; carataḥ — (of You) who move; sva — Your own; śaktibhiḥ — by energies; vahneḥ — of fire; iva — as; channa — covered; rucaḥ — whose light; na — not; me — for me; adbhutam — amazing.
Śrī Nārada said: I have seen many times the insurmountable power of Your Māyā, O almighty one, by which You bewilder even the creator of the universe, Brahmā. O all-encompassing Lord, it does not surprise me that You disguise Yourself by Your own energies while moving among the created beings, as a fire covers its own light with smoke.
When Lord Kṛṣṇa questioned Nārada Muni about the intentions of the Pāṇḍavas, the sage replied that the Lord is Himself all-powerful and all-knowing, even to the extent that He can bewilder the creator of the universe, Brahmā. Nārada understood that Lord Kṛṣṇa desired to kill Jarāsandha and was thus beginning to arrange for this pastime by inquiring from Nārada about the Pāṇḍavas’ intentions. Understanding the Lord’s own intention, Nārada was not astonished when Lord Kṛṣṇa humbly requested information from him.