Devanagari
दृष्ट्वा स्त्रीणां भगवति कृष्णे भक्तिमलौकिकीम् ।
आत्मानं च तया हीनमनुतप्ता व्यगर्हयन् ॥ ३९ ॥
Verse text
dṛṣṭvā strīṇāṁ bhagavati
kṛṣṇe bhaktim alaukikīm
ātmānaṁ ca tayā hīnam
anutaptā vyagarhayan
Synonyms
dṛṣṭvā
—
observing
;
strīṇām
—
of their wives
;
bhagavati
—
for the Supreme Personality of Godhead
;
kṛṣṇe
—
Śrī Kṛṣṇa
;
bhaktim
—
the pure devotion
;
alaukikīm
—
transcendental to this world
;
ātmānam
—
themselves
;
ca
—
and
;
tayā
—
of that
;
hīnam
—
devoid
;
anutaptāḥ
—
lamenting
;
vyagarhayan
—
they condemned .
Translation
Taking note of their wives’ pure, transcendental devotion for Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and seeing their own lack of devotion, the brāhmaṇas felt most sorrowful and began to condemn themselves.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Taking note of their wives' pure, transcendental devotion for Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and seeing their own lack of devotion, the brāhmaṇas felt most sorrowful and began to condemn themselves.
KB 10.23.39
They began to condemn themselves after seeing the faith and devotion of their wives. They regretted very much that, although their wives were elevated to the platform of pure devotional service, they themselves could not understand even a little bit of how to love and offer transcendental loving service to the Supreme Soul.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Our triple birth—from the womb, by gayatri and by initiation into the sacrifice—are all useless. Our vrata of celibacy is useless. Our expertise in daily and occasional duties (nitya and nimittika kriya) are all useless, because we have been inimical to Krsna (adhoksaja).
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
They saw that their wives had extraordinary devotion to the Supreme Lord (bhagavati), who attracts everyone’s heart by manifestation of his powers. Not only did they repent but, giving up their pride, they condemned themselves. Their devotion is called alaukikīm (unworldly) since it did not depend on hopes in this world or Svarga, and made them give up their bodies immediately on not attaining Kṛṣṇa.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
The husbands saw their wives bhakti of the supreme lord (bhagavati) who was moreover the attractor of all hearts, by revealing all his unlimited powers (kṛṣne). They condemned themselves with rejection of their pride (vi—garhayan). Or not only did they lament (last verse), they criticized themselves.
The wives’ bhakti was extraordinary because it rejected this world and Svarga and because by it they could give up their bodies and immediately attain Kṛṣṇa. Or they developed extraordinary symptoms of prema such as laughing and crying illustrated in verses like SB 11.2.40:
evaṁ-vrataḥ sva-priya-nāma-kīrtyā
jātānurāgo druta-citta uccaiḥ
hasaty atho roditi rauti gāyaty
unmāda-van nṛtyati loka-bāhyaḥ
Regulated with such devotion, chanting the name of his dear Kṛṣṇa, he develops prema. His heart melts and he laughs loudly, weeps, wails and sings. He dances like a madman without regard for the public.