Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 37
Nārada’s Arrival, the Nine Yogendras, and the Foundations of Bhāgavata-dharma
भयं द्वितीयाभिनिवेशत: स्या- दीशादपेतस्य विपर्ययोऽस्मृति: । तन्माययातो बुध आभजेत्तं भक्त्यैकयेशं गुरुदेवतात्मा ॥ ३७ ॥
bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syād īśād apetasya viparyayo ’smṛtiḥ tan-māyayāto budha ābhajet taṁ bhaktyaikayeśaṁ guru-devatātmā
O medo surge da absorção no “segundo”, naquilo que é diferente do Senhor; ao afastar-se de Īśa, o ser cai em inversão e esquecimento de sua posição original—tudo isso pela potência de māyā. Portanto, o sábio deve engajar-se firmemente na bhakti pura ao único Senhor, sob a orientação de um mestre espiritual autêntico, a quem deve aceitar como sua deidade adorável e como sua própria vida e alma.
According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī the objection may be raised that since fear is caused by ignorance, it can be dispelled by knowledge and there is no need to worship the Supreme Lord. The living entity falsely identifies with his material body, family, society and so on, and he simply has to give up this false identification. Then what will māyā be able to do?
FAQs
This verse says fear begins when consciousness clings to “the second” (duality)—seeing something separate from the Lord—and turns away from Him, which leads to illusion and forgetfulness.
In Nimi’s inquiry about the highest good and the path of devotion, Kavi explains the psychological-spiritual cause of bondage: forgetting the Lord and identifying with separateness, and he points to exclusive bhakti as the remedy.
Reduce anxiety by re-centering identity in the Lord: practice single-pointed devotion (japa, prayer, seva), and consciously replace “I am alone and threatened” with “I am sheltered by the Supreme as my guide, worship, and inner Self.”