Shloka 37
Viśvarūpa’s Death, Vṛtrāsura’s Manifestation, and the Devas’ Surrender to Nārāyaṇa
समविषममतीनां मतमनुसरसि यथा रज्जुखण्डः सर्पादिधियाम् ॥ ३७ ॥
sama-viṣama-matīnāṁ matam anusarasi yathā rajju-khaṇḍaḥ sarpādi-dhiyām.
Seperti seutas tali menimbulkan takut bagi orang yang menyangkanya ular, namun tidak bagi orang yang tahu itu hanya tali, demikian juga Engkau sebagai Paramātmā di hati semua makhluk menimbulkan rasa takut atau tanpa takut menurut kecerdasan mereka; tetapi dalam diri-Mu sendiri tiada dualitas.
In Bhagavad-gītā (4.11) the Lord says, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham: “As one surrenders unto Me, I reward him accordingly.” The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the reservoir of everything, including all knowledge, all truth and all contradictions. The example cited herein is very appropriate. A rope is one truth, but some mistake it for a snake, whereas others know it to be a rope. Similarly, devotees who know the Supreme Personality of Godhead do not see contradictions in Him, but nondevotees regard Him as the snakelike source of all fear. For example, when Nṛsiṁhadeva appeared, Prahlāda Mahārāja saw the Lord as the supreme solace, whereas his father, a demon, saw Him as the ultimate death. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.2.37) , bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syāt: fear results from being absorbed in duality. When one is in knowledge of duality, one knows both fear and bliss. The same Supreme Lord is a source of bliss to devotees and fear to nondevotees who have a poor fund of knowledge. God is one, but people understand the Absolute Truth from different angles of vision. The unintelligent see contradictions in Him, but sober devotees find no contradictions.
FAQs
This verse uses the classic rope–snake analogy to show how mistaken perception leads to wrong conclusions; similarly, spiritual misunderstanding arises when one follows mixed or confused viewpoints instead of clear truth.
In his teachings within Canto 6, Chapter 9, Vṛtrāsura critiques confused judgment and highlights how misperception (māyā) can make one accept false conclusions—like seeing a snake where there is only a rope.
Before reacting in fear or judgment, verify reality with calm inquiry—especially in spiritual matters—so that assumptions and hearsay do not become ‘snake-like’ fears created from a ‘rope-like’ misunderstanding.