940 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 4, Ch. 22
one; there is no difference. They proclaim that there is no separate exis-
tence outside the impersonal Brahman and that the feeling of separation is
maya or an illusion by which one considers a rope to be a snake. The rope
and the snake argument is generally offered by the Mayavadi philosophers.
Therefore these words, which represent vivarta-vada, are specifically men-
tioned herein. Actually Paramatma, the Supersoul, is the Supreme Person-
ality of Godhead, and He is eternally liberated. In other words, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead is living within this body along with the
individual soul, and this is confirmed in the Vedas. They are likened to
two friends sitting on the same tree. Yet Paramatma is above the illusory
energy. The illusory energy is called bahiranga sakfi or external energy,
and the living entity is called tatastha sakti or marginal potency. As stated
in Bhagavad-gita, the material energy, represented as earth, water, air, fire,
sky, etc., and the spiritual energy, the living entity, are both energies of
the Supreme Lord. Even though the energies and the energetic are identical,
the living entity, individual soul, being prone to be influenced by the
external energy, considers the Supreme Personality of Godhead as one with
himself.

The word prapadye is also significant in this verse, for it refers to the
conclusion of the Bhagavad-gita: sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam
Saranam vraja (Bg. 18.66). In another place the Lord says: bahunam
Janmanam ante jiianavan mam prapadyate (Bg. 7.19). This prapadye or
Saranam vraja refers to the individual’s surrender to the Supersoul. The
individual soul, when surrendered, can understand that the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, although situated within the heart of the individual
soul, is superior to the individual soul. The Lord is always transcendental
to the material manifestation, even though it appears that the Lord and
the material manifestation are one and the same. According to the Vaisnava
philosophy, He is one and different simultaneously. The material energy
is a manifestation of His external potency, and since the potency is identi-
cal with the potent, it appears that the Lord and individual soul are one,
but actually the individual soul is under the influence of material energy,
and the Lord is always transcendental to it. Unless the Lord is superior to
the individual soul, there is no question of prapadye or surrender unto Him.
This word prapadye refers to the process of devotional service. Simply by
nondevotional speculation on the rope and the snake, one cannot approach
the Absolute Truth. Therefore devotional service is stressed as more im-
portant than deliberation or mental speculation to understand the Abso-
lute Truth.
