In plain words
It teaches the principle of Kālī's power, She who is the embodiment of all the deities. On that day we worship even inert things as God, not regarding them as inert. In Bhārata this principle of worship is something everyone knows. Even a big lorry, inert as it is: before driving it, the driver salutes the steering wheel and only then begins his driving. So too the instruments that serve music. If he wants to play a violin, he first salutes that violin and only then begins it. A dancer, before tying her anklet bells on her feet, salutes those bells and only then winds them round her feet. And the mason who works with a trowel salutes the trowel before starting his work, and then begins it. When we reflect in this way, there is no thing in the world without God. So the special greatness of this Śarannavarātri is to regard everything as a form of God and worship it.
This is the meaning of the words ‘Viśvaṃ viṣṇu svarūpam.’ This is not unreal. It is real indeed. But because we regard this reality as unreal, we lead nothing but an unreal life. ‘Yadbhāvaṃ tadbhavati’: this world goes on moving only in keeping with our feelings.
Plant flowering plants, and flowers will bloom; plant thorny plants, and thorns will prick; good and bad are like this on earth.
In whatever feeling, whatever thought, just such a fruit we go on receiving. We must foster good thoughts and try to gain good fruits. To keep fostering only bad thoughts and lead a bad life is not man's chief duty. It is a path that wipes out humanness itself. So we must honour all. We must love all. It is with Prema that we must fill the world. So we must keep that very Prema in the chief place.
Embodiments of the Divine Ātma! Do not fill your head with worldly matters; try to fill your heart. We go on trying to fill our head with all kinds of matters. Our head was not given to us for that. All our thoughts must turn into thoughts of God. All the work we do must take shape as service to God. All the words we speak must take shape as mantras of the Paramātma. Such is human life. That is why the Śruti teaches that human birth is supreme. Jantūnāṃ narajanma durlabham.