Krsna said, "Out of fear of the kings I took shelter in the ocean, building a house (saranam) there." "That is true, o most powerful one (urukrama). You actually have no fear. You seem to have fear of the sense objects such as sound (gunebhyah), which are kings because they control, since the devotees have fear of these sense objects, and you are dependent on your devotee. Out of that fear, you reside within the devotee hearts which are deep like the sea." "What is the proof that I reside there?" "You, paramatma (atma) are perceived there through your form, taste, fragrance, sound and touch (upalambhana matra). Your beauty, and other qualities are perceived by your devotees through meditation." This is understood from statements of Brahma and the Navayogendras. "O my Lord, persons who smell the aroma of Your lotus feet, carried by the air of Vedic sound through the holes of the ears, accept Your devotional service. For them You are never separated from the lotus of their hearts." (napaisi natha...) "The devotees bind your lotus feet in their hearts with ropes of love." (pranayarasanaya dhrta) (11.2.5). Krsna said, "I made enemies of many strong warriors." Rukmini replies, "You battle with the senses of your devotees, which are longing for material enjoyment, in order to deliver them from the sorrow of material life. In the beginning the sadhaka realizes a little of your sweetness through meditation, but does not see you directly. It appears that you enter their hearts and go to sleep as if out of fear of the sense objects. When the devotee’s devotion increases, and he conquers the enemy senses, he loses his attachment for the sense objects. Then it appears that you wake up and rise, make yourself visible to the devotee and give him your full sweetness." "I have given up the throne." "Yes, that is quite proper. Your servants also give up royal positions because it gives rise to complete loss of discrimination.. If they do so, what to speak of you?" By the reference to the servants here, it can be understood that the previous statements of this verse are in relation to the Lord’s devotees, not the Lord (the lord does not fear, or battle with the senses but does so in relation to the devotee.)

She cannot avoid replying to the Lord’s statements. He said that out of fear he took shelter of the ocean. She replies “That is true.” But this must be taken in a secondary sense. It is not actually true. You manifest yourself, merged (śete) in the fort of Dvārakā within (aṇtaḥ) the ocean as if afraid of the kings (guṇebhyaḥ), but not actually afraid of them, just as you rest as antaryāmī in the ocean of the antaḥkaraṇa as if afraid of the guṇas but you are not afraid of the guṇas. This fear is only an appearance. You have made enemies with the strong (verse 12). That is directly true. You are continually opposed to the jīvas endowed inferior material senses. Now, it is suitable to oppose the kings with their material senses. As a pun there is another meaning. Though you are the antaryāmī you have taken a form (kṛta-vigrahaḥ) as the inferior senses. Since your spiritual forms do not manifest to the fallen jīvas and their senses, it is suitable for you to be engaged in pleasures contrary to those of the materialists. Since there is no word iva in this statement there is no comparison made. O Urukrama! Just as the pure jīva (ātmā) lives absorbed in the space within the heart which is like an unfathomable ocean, as if in fear of the material senses made of the guṇas, you live eternally (śete) in your abode of Dvārakā in the ocean, similar to Śvetadvīpa, as if in fear of the kings who are always dominated by the guṇas. yam antas samudre kavayo vayanti yad akṣare pare prajāḥ yataḥ prasūtā jagataḥ prasūtī toyena jīvan vyasasarja bhūmyām The wise know the Lord residing in the ocean. He resides in his supreme indestructible abode. From him arise the universe and the jīvas along with water. He created beings of the earth. Mahā-nārayaṇa Upaniṣad tad eva brahma paramaṁ kavīnām He alone is the supreme Brahman for the wise. Mahā-nārayaṇa Upaniṣad Māhalakṣmī says: yaṁ kāmaye tam ugraṁ kṛṇomi taṁ brahmāṇaṁ tam ṛṣim taṁ sumedhām samayo niścalarantaḥ I make the man whom I love exceeding mighty; I make him a wise man, a sage, a Brahmā. Time does not pass there. Ṛg Veda 10.125.5 nityaṁ sannihitas tatra bhagavān madhusūdanaḥ smṛtyāśeṣāśubha-haraṁ sarva-maṅgala-maṅgalam Kṛṣṇa is eternally present in Dvārakā. It is the most auspicious of all auspicious places, and merely remembering it destroys all contamination. SB 11.31.24 The two levels of meaning of the verse are ultimately the same. This can only happen in the Lord, because the Lord has a form of eternity, knowledge and bliss.

It is true. You rest internally. Why? Because of fear of the guṇas. Why? You fear being touched by the faults of matter, situated outside. But this is only apparent (iva). Actually you are not afraid of being touched by the guṇas. You have great prowess (urukrama). Guṇebhyaḥ also refers to kings, since the kings use six guṇas or strategies in ruling. You oppose the material senses which are strong. Thus you (ātmā) situate yourself internally as the perceiver only, the form of pure knowledge (upalambhana-mātrah). Ātmā is used to show respect. Or bhavān can be implied from the previous verse. In this case ātmā means yourself or the antaryāmī. The word satyam (it is true) is understood the later statements as well. You oppose with the material senses or persons like Narakāsura, absorbed in sense enjoyments since they cause suffering. Or they oppose you, since they do not respect you. In verse 12 Kṛṣṇa mentioned that he made enemies with the strong. Kingdoms are rejected by your servants, those engaged in serving you with devotion, since they also are situated internally and oppose the material senses, because great evil arises by lack of internal vision, with focus on external enjoyment. They reject kingdoms because the kingdoms create enjoyment for the senses.