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
恐惧源于对“第二者”（非主之物）的执著；众生背离自在主时，便生颠倒与遗忘本分，此皆由主之幻力摩耶所致。故智者当在真实上师的引导下，以纯一不杂的奉爱事奉唯一的主，并将上师视为所礼敬的神明，亦为自己的生命与灵魂。
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.”