Devanagari
अथानुस्मृत्य विप्रास्ते अन्वतप्यन्कृतागस: ।
यद् विश्वेश्वरयोर्याच्ञामहन्म नृविडम्बयो: ॥ ३८ ॥
Verse text
athānusmṛtya viprās te
anvatapyan kṛtāgasaḥ
yad viśveśvarayor yācṣām
ahanma nṛ-viḍambayoḥ
Synonyms
atha
—
then
;
anusmṛtya
—
coming to their senses
;
viprāḥ
—
the brāhmaṇas
;
te
—
they
;
anvatapyan
—
felt great remorse
;
kṛta
—
agasaḥ — having committed sinful offenses
;
yat
—
because
;
viśva
—
īśvarayoḥ — of the two Lords of the universe, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma
;
yācṣām
—
the humble supplication
;
ahanma
—
we transgressed
;
nr
—
viḍambayoḥ — of those who were deceptively appearing as human beings .
Translation
The brāhmaṇas then came to their senses and began to feel great remorse. They thought, “We have sinned, for we have denied the request of the two Lords of the universe, who deceptively appeared as ordinary human beings.”
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The brāhmaṇas then came to their senses and began to feel great remorse. They thought, "We have sinned, for we have denied the request of the two Lords of the universe, who deceptively appeared as ordinary human beings."
KB 10.23.38
After the return of their wives from Kṛṣṇa, the brāhmaṇas engaged in the performance of sacrifices began to regret their sinful activities in refusing food to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They could finally understand their mistake; engaged in the performance of Vedic rituals, they had neglected the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who had appeared just like an ordinary human being and asked for some food.
Purport
Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma did not try to deceive the
brāhmaṇas:
They straightforwardly requested food from them. Rather, the
brāhmaṇas
deceived themselves, as indicated by the Sanskrit word
nṛ-viḍambayoḥ,
which means that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma are bewildering for an ordinary human being who considers Them also to be human. Still, because the wives of the brāhmaṇas were great devotees of the Lord, the foolish
brāhmaṇas
received spiritual benefit and finally came to their senses.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Though the women were their wives, they regarded them as their gurus, and they criticized themselves since they had no devotion. The bhakti of their wives was impossible to see in ordinary society (alaukikam).
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
By the power of association with their wives who attained the mercy of the Lord who had said, “Your husbands will not find fault in you” their husbands came to their senses. This verse and the rest of the chapter glorify their wives. After this incident, the husbands, though having pride, became repentant. How could the two Lords beg? They were engaged in spreading human-like pastimes (nṛ-viḍambayoḥ). Or, they laughed at men like us who have no devotion. The brāhmaṇas’ use of the first person (We have ignored their request for food) shows that a trace of false identity remained, or it shows their shame.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
By the power of association with their wives who attained the mercy of Lord, their husbands came to their senses. This verse and the rest of the chapter glorify their wives. After this incident (atha) they repented, because the husbands’ crooked attitude was destroyed. Of after the sacrifice was concluded (ata) with accepting the Lord’s remnants, the spiritual effect manifested and they became purified.
Or after the Lord had eaten (ataḥ), by his accepting the food they manifested bhakti. Or after the wives came to the sacrifice, by the potency of seeing their wives’, they repented. Examining closely (anusmṛtya) that they had been afflicted with pride, they began to lament (anvatapyan). We have refused the request of not only the avatāra of the Lord but of the avatarī, Kṛṣṇa, (viśveśayoḥ). If they are lords of the universe why did they request food? They spread pastimes which are human-like.
Or, they laughed at men like us who have no devotion. The brāhmaṇas’ use of aham (We have ignored their request for food) shows that a trace of false identity remained, or it shows their shame. Or giving up identity as brāhmaṇaṣ they saw themselves as ordinary humans.