He has come a long way with the cowherd boys and Lord Balarāma, tending the cows. Now He is hungry, so some food should be given for Him and His companions.

TRANSLATION

The cowherd boys said: O Rāma, Rāma, mighty-armed one! O Kṛṣṇa, chastiser of the wicked ! We are being harassed by hunger, and You should do something about it.

COMMENTARY

This chapter describes how the cowherd boys were disrespected when begging food from some brāhmaṇas performing a sacrifice, how Kṛṣṇa showed mercy to the brāhmaṇas’ wives, and how their husbands felt remorse. The cowherd boys said, “The Vedas say that hunger is man’s worst enemy. If you can destroy our hunger now, then you will be successful in conquering this enemy.” This is the boys’ logic.

 

|| 10.23.2 ||

śrī-śuka uvāca

iti vijñāpito gopair bhagavān devakī-sutaḥ

bhaktāyā vipra-bhāryāyāḥ prasīdann idam abravīt

TRANSLATION

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Thus entreated by the cowherd boys, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the son of Devakī, replied as follows, desiring to please certain of His devotees who were brāhmaṇas’ wives.

COMMENTARY

In the phrase vipra-bhāryāyaḥ (brāhmaṇas’ wives) the word for wife (bhāryāyah) is in the singular form signifying a class. Kṛṣṇa spoke in order to give mercy (prasīdann) to the wives of the brāhmaṇas. Some say that the singular form is used to indicate one particular wife who attained the tenth stage of prema. Out of compassion, Kṛṣṇa wanted to show her mercy. Prasīdann has two meanings: giving mercy and lamenting.

 

|| 10.23.3 ||

prayāta deva-yajanaṁ brāhmaṇā brahmā-vādinaḥ

satram āṅgirāsaṁ nāma hy āsate svarga-kāmyayā

TRANSLATION

[Lord Kṛṣṇa said:] Please go to the sacrificial arena where a group of brāhmaṇas, learned in the Vedic injunctions, are now performing the Āṅgirāsa sacrifice to gain promotion to heaven.

COMMENTARY

Kṛṣṇa sent the boys to the brāhmaṇas to teach them that He does not bestow mercy upon those devoid of bhakti, even though they are endowed with austerity, knowledge and religious principles. On the other hand, Kṛṣṇa showed that He does give mercy to those having bhakti, like the brāhmaṇas’ wives, even though they lacked knowledge and austerity.

 

|| 10.23.4 ||

tatra gatvaudanaṁ gopā yācatāsmad-visarjitāḥ

kīrtayanto bhagavata āryasya mama cābhidhām

TRANSLATION

When you go there, My dear cowherd boys, simply request some food. Declare to them the name of My elder brother, the Supreme Lord Balarāma, and also My name, and explain that you have been sent by Us.

COMMENTARY

Kṛṣṇa said, “You should ask (yācata) for rice, calling out Our names. Though those brāhmaṇas are supposed to be intelligent, they must be woken from their deep slumber of forgetfulness by calling out Our names. You should call out Baladeva’s name first because those materialistic brāhmaṇas will think that Balarāma, being a kṣatriya, is a worthy recipient of charity, whereas I, being a mere vaiśya, am certainly unworthy. Even if they give a little, it is acceptable.”

 

|| 10.23.5 ||

ity ādiṣṭā bhagavatā gatvā yācanta te tathā

kṛtāñjali-puṭā viprān daṇḍa-vat patitā bhuvi

TRANSLATION

Thus instructed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cowherd boys went there and submitted their request. They stood before the brāhmaṇas with palms joined in supplication and then fell flat on the ground to offer respect.

COMMENTARY

The cowherd boys approached with folded hands to show their humble attitude. Though they fell on the ground, the cowherd boys appeared more effulgent than the brāhmaṇas who were standing upon the land of Vṛndāvana.

 

|| 10.23.6 ||

he bhūmi-devāḥ śṛṇuta kṛṣṇasyādeśa-kāriṇaḥ

prāptāñ jānīta bhadraṁ vo gopān no rāma-coditān

TRANSLATION

[The cowherd boys said:] O earthly gods, please hear us. We cowherd boys are executing the orders of Kṛṣṇa, and we have been sent here by Balarāma. We wish all good for you. Please acknowledge our arrival.

COMMENTARY

The cowherd boys said, “We are executing the order of Kṛṣṇa, who is mere powerful than Balarāma because He the son of King Nanda. Since we have been sent by Baladeva, we will give Him the first rice that we receive.”

 

|| 10.23.7 ||

gāś cārayantāv avidūra odanaṁ rāmācyutau vo laṣato bubhukṣitau

tayor dvijā odanam arthinor yadi śraddhā ca vo yacchata dharma-vittamāḥ

TRANSLATION

Lord Rāma and Lord Acyuta are tending Their cows not far from here. They are hungry and want you to give Them some of your food. Therefore, O brāhmaṇas, O best of the knowers of religion, if you have faith please give some food to Them.

COMMENTARY

The cowherd boys said, “Please give us some rice?”

 

The brāhmaṇas replied, “Because Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma are not brāhmaṇas, we cannot give you until after the brāhmaṇas have eaten.”

 

The cowherd boys said, “But Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma are hungry. Of course, you know the Vedic injunction, annasya kṣuditam pātram (food should be given to those who are hungry).”

 

Seeing the brāhmaṇas unfavorably inclined and not saying anything, they continued: “O brāhmaṇas! If you have faith in Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, then give, and if you do not, then say “No” and we will go back. Seeing you remaining silent upon hearing our request to feed Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, the sound of whose names causes the entire universe to melt with love, we can understand that your being “twice born” (dvijā) merely means born from two parents (dvi-two, ja-born).”

 

When the brāhmaṇas did not respond to the cowherd boys’ initial request, the boys addressed them with a touch of sarcasm: “Of course you know the highest principles of religion (dharma-vittamāḥ), so what can we tell you about dharma and adharma?”

 

The phrase dharma-vittamāḥ (best knowers of dharma) can also be taken as dharma-vi-tamaḥ, which means the ritualistic brāhmaṇas were actually totally ignorant of religious principles.

 

|| 10.23.8 ||

dīkṣāyāḥ paśu-saṁsthāyāḥ sautrāmaṇyāś ca sattamāḥ

anyatra dīkṣitasyāpi nānnam aśnan hi duṣyati

TRANSLATION

Except during the interval between the initiation of the performer of a sacrifice and the actual sacrifice of the animal, O most pure brāhmaṇas, it is not contaminating for even the initiated to partake of food, at least in sacrifices other than the Sautrāmaṇi.

COMMENTARY

The cowherd boys anticipated the possible objection from the brāhmaṇas that they couldn’t give the boys any food because they themselves had not yet eaten, and that a priest initiated to perform a sacrifice should not eat. Therefore the boys humbly informed the brāhmaṇas about various technicalities of ritualistic sacrifice.

 

The cowherd boys said, “This rule applies from the beginning of the sacrifice until the animal is killed. But after that there is no fault in taking food. This applies to all sacrifices other than the Sautrāmaṇī, in which none of the food can be eaten.” It is understood from this verse that the animal was already killed.

 

|| 10.23.9 ||

iti te bhagavad-yācñāṁ śṛṇvanto ’pi na śuśruvuḥ

kṣudrāśā bhūri-karmāṇo bāliśā vṛddha-māninaḥ

TRANSLATION

The brāhmaṇas heard this supplication from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, yet they refused to pay heed. Indeed, they were full of petty desires and entangled in elaborate rituals. Though presuming themselves advanced in Vedic learning, they were actually inexperienced fools.

COMMENTARY

Though the brāhmaṇas were knowledgeable of scripture, why didn’t they respect Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma? This verse answers the question. Actually the brāhmaṇas did not know scripture; rather they were ignorant in realizing and imparting scripture. Therefore, for two and a half verses [9-11] Śukadeva Gosvāmī ridicules them for being full of petty desires, such as aspiring for the heavenly planets. The brāhmaṇas thought themselves advanced in knowledge (vṛddha-māninaḥ), but actually they were only advanced in age (vṛddha). The word vṛddha means wisdom and old age.

 

|| 10.23.10-11 ||

deśaḥ kālaḥ pṛthag dravyaṁ mantra-tantrartvijo ’gnayaḥ

devatā yajamānaś ca kratur dharmaś ca yan-mayaḥ

taṁ brahma paramaṁ sākṣād bhagavantam adhokṣajam

manuṣya-dṛṣṭyā duṣprajñā martyātmāno na menire

TRANSLATION

Although the ingredients of sacrificial performance—the place, time, particular paraphernalia, mantras, rituals, priests, fires, demigods, performer, offering and the as yet unseen beneficial results—are all simply aspects of His opulences, the brāhmaṇas saw Lord Kṛṣṇa as an ordinary human because of their perverted intelligence. They failed to recognize that He is the Supreme Absolute Truth, the directly manifest Personality of Godhead, whom the material senses cannot ordinarily perceive. Thus bewildered by their false identification with the mortal body, they did not show Him proper respect.

COMMENTARY

When should a person overlook the rules outlined in scriptures for suitability of place, time and person and give his acquired goods to another person? This verse answers the question. Due to their material vision (martyātmānaḥ) the brāhmaṇas thought of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Absolute Truth, as an ordinary human. Although Kṛṣṇa cannot be perceived by the material senses (adhokṣaja), He can be realized by mercy.

 

Time, place, the sacrificial offerings such as cooked rice (pṛthak dravyaṁ), the rituals (tantra), mantras, the priests, fires, demigods, sponsors, the sacrifice and religious principles are all simply aspects of Kṛṣṇa’s opulence.

 

|| 10.23.12 ||

na te yad om iti procur na neti ca parantapa

gopā nirāśāḥ pratyetya tathocuḥ kṛṣṇa-rāmayoḥ

TRANSLATION

When the brāhmaṇas failed to reply even with a simple yes or no, O chastiser of the enemy [Parīkṣit], the cowherd boys returned disappointed to Kṛṣṇa and Rāma and reported this to Them.

COMMENTARY

Thinking, “How can we give to the cowherds before we have eaten?” the brāhmaṇas did not say “yes”. And they did not reject the proposal to give their remnants after the yajña by saying “No.” Seeing that Parīkṣit Mahārāja was becoming angry on hearing this, Śukadeva Gosvāmī said, “O subduer of enemies (parantapa)! If you had been there, even though they were the best of brāhmaṇas, you would have punished them like enemies.”

 

|| 10.23.13 ||

tad upākarṇya bhagavān prahasya jagad-īśvaraḥ

vyājahāra punar gopān darśayan laukikīṁ gatim

TRANSLATION

Hearing what had happened, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord of the universe, simply laughed. Then He again addressed the cowherd boys, showing them the way men act in this world.

COMMENTARY

Kṛṣṇa laughed because it was not proper to show anger towards the ignorant brāhmaṇas. Furthermore, Kṛṣṇa wanted to teach that a beggar should not become despondent, because it is nature of begging (laukikim gatim) that one is often refused.

 

|| 10.23.14 ||

māṁ jñāpayata patnībhyaḥ sa-saṅkarṣaṇam āgatam

dāsyanti kāmam annaṁ vaḥ snigdhā mayy uṣitā dhiyā

TRANSLATION

[Lord Kṛṣṇa said:] Tell the wives of the brāhmaṇas that I have come here with Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa. They will certainly give you all the food you want, for they are most affectionate toward Me and, indeed, with their intelligence reside in Me alone.

COMMENTARY

Kṛṣṇa said, “Just tell the wives of the brāhmaṇas that Balarāma and I have come. But don’t tell them I am hungry, for if they hear that these devoted ladies will become severely distressed.”

 

Cowherd boys: “But how will they give us food, if we do not tell them You are hungry?”

 

Kṛṣṇa: “Seeing that you are hungry, they will give food for Us.”

 

Cowherd boys: “But their husbands will prevent them.”

 

Kṛṣṇa: “The brāhmaṇas’ wives have great affection for Me. They will not heed their husbands’ prohibitions. Since their minds dwell in Me (mayi uṣitā dhiyā), it is only their bodies that are residing in their husbands’ houses.”

 

|| 10.23.15 ||

gatvātha patnī-śālāyāṁ dṛṣṭvāsīnāḥ sv-alaṅkṛtāḥ

natvā dvija-satīr gopāḥ praśritā idam abruvan

TRANSLATION

The cowherd boys then went to the house where the brāhmaṇas’ wives were staying. There the boys saw those chaste ladies sitting, nicely decorated with fine ornaments. Bowing down to the brāhmaṇa ladies, the boys addressed them in all humility.

COMMENTARY

The cowherd boys said, “We have been sent here by Kṛṣṇa (iṣitā).”

 

|| 10.23.16 ||

namo vo vipra-patnībhyo nibodhata vacāṁsi naḥ

ito ’vidūre caratā kṛṣṇeneheṣitā vayam

TRANSLATION

[The cowherd boys said:] Obeisances unto you, O wives of the learned brāhmaṇas. Kindly hear our words. We have been sent here by Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is passing by not far from here.

 

|| 10.23.17 ||

gāś cārayan sa gopālaiḥ sa-rāmo dūram āgataḥ

bubhukṣitasya tasyānnaṁ sānugasya pradīyatām

TRANSLATION