Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.12.42
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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mahā-yogin
—
great yogī (Śukadeva)
Compound: mahā + yogin. Śuka is addressed as mahā-yogī — the supreme practitioner of bhakti-yoga. Gauḍīyas: Śuka is paramahaṁsa, the highest order; he is also the model śravaṇa-transmitter, the channel for Bhāgavatam to reach the world.
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kautūhalam
—
curiosity
From kutūhala. A particular eager curiosity. Gauḍīyas: kautūhala about Kṛṣṇa-līlā is itself a positive bhāva — it draws the heart in. Parīkṣit's curiosity is not idle; it is rasa-driven.
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māyā
—
(the Lord's) māyā
Parīkṣit pairs māyā with hareḥ earlier in the verse: hareḥ … eva māyā — 'this is Hari's māyā alone.' Gauḍīyas distinguish Kṛṣṇa's two energies: yoga-māyā (internal, līlā-arranging) and mahā-māyā (external, world-deluding). The time-displacement here is yoga-māyā's work, not deluding māyā.
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na anyathā
—
not otherwise
Compound: na (not) + anyathā (otherwise). 'It cannot be otherwise.' Parīkṣit reasons from cause to effect: only Hari's māyā could produce such time-distortion. Gauḍīyas: the king is doing tarka in service of bhakti — reason humbled under devotion.
Kṛṣṇa has many potencies: parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate ( Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8). The description of Aghāsura was disclosed after one year. Some act of Kṛṣṇa’s potency must have been involved. Therefore Mahārāja Parīkṣit was very curious to know about this, and he requested Śukadeva Gosvāmī to explain it.
Maya here means the Lord’s sakti which is expert at making the unexpected happen. Because it is here called the Lord’s maya (harer maya), it cannot mean anything else except yogamaya. The eternal associates of the Lord can fall into illusion by this energy alone.
This causes great curiosity, O Śukadeva, endowed with the greatest bhakti (mahā-yogin)! Nothing about the Lord is unknown to you! “But this is very confidential knowledge.” O guru! Nothing should be kept secret from the disciple. He then tries to guess the truth. It was an appearance for the boys. It was created by the inconceivable power of the Lord (hareḥ). The other māyā (not his personal energy) takes away all discriminating ability. It could not be otherwise. Without his māyā it is not possible since it is not possible for the cowherd boys to be bewildered by anything else.
How is this possible? Tell me how this happened (tat). I am eager to hear or have doubt (paraṁ kautūhalam). Or please explain this astonishing event. O master endowed with the highest bhakti (mahāyogin)! You know everything about the Lord’s actions. “This is most secret.” O instructor (guro)! You should not hide anything from the disciple. Or describe the words of the boys a year later (kautūhalam). Nūnam indicates conjecture or certainty. The word māyā hareḥ indicates that this is not the māyā which takes away all discrimination. Without your māyā this situation could not take place, for it is impossible that the cowherd boys would be put in illusion.
Picture a student asking the teacher to please explain the trick, because the student suspects — correctly — that the trick is the entire point. Parīkṣit names yoga-māyā by another name (māyā). His humility is exemplary: he assumes he is missing something and asks. Gauḍīya śravaṇa is built on this posture.
My note
Source: vedabase.io