Shloka 10
Nārada’s Questions and Brahmā’s Reply: Vāsudeva as the Source; Sarga–Visarga; Virāṭ-rūpa Mapping
नानृतं तव तच्चापि यथा मां प्रब्रवीषि भो: । अविज्ञाय परं मत्त एतावत्त्वं यतो हि मे ॥ १० ॥
nānṛtaṁ tava tac cāpi yathā māṁ prabravīṣi bhoḥ avijñāya paraṁ matta etāvat tvaṁ yato hi me
O Freund, was du über mich gesagt hast, ist nicht unwahr; denn wer die höchste Wahrheit jenseits von mir—den Bhagavān—nicht erkennt, wird beim Anblick meiner machtvollen Taten gewiss von Täuschung ergriffen.
“The frog in the well” logic illustrates that a frog residing in the atmosphere and boundary of a well cannot imagine the length and breadth of the gigantic ocean. Such a frog, when informed of the gigantic length and breadth of the ocean, first of all does not believe that there is such an ocean, and if someone assures him that factually there is such a thing, the frog then begins to measure it by imagination by means of pumping its belly as far as possible, with the result that the tiny abdomen of the frog bursts and the poor frog dies without any experience of the actual ocean. Similarly, the material scientists also want to challenge the inconceivable potency of the Lord by measuring Him with their froglike brains and their scientific achievements, but at the end they simply die unsuccessfully, like the frog.
FAQs
This verse shows Brahmā acknowledging that there is a Supreme Truth beyond him, and that without realizing that higher Reality, one can only describe Brahmā’s position partially.
In the instruction to Nārada about creation and ultimate causes, Brahmā clarifies that Nārada’s understanding is not wrong, but incomplete unless the Supreme beyond Brahmā is known.
It encourages humility in knowledge—recognizing that even great learning can be partial, and that spiritual inquiry should aim beyond secondary authorities toward the ultimate source.