SB 10.23.7 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

गाश्चारयन्तावविदूर ओदनं रामाच्युतौ वो लषतो बुभुक्षितौ । तयोर्द्विजा ओदनमर्थिनोर्यदि श्रद्धा च वो यच्छत धर्मवित्तमा: ॥ ७ ॥

Verse text

gāś cārayantāv avidūra odanaṁ rāmācyutau vo laṣato bubhukṣitau tayor dvijā odanam arthinor yadi śraddhā ca vo yacchata dharma-vittamāḥ

Synonyms

gāḥ — Their cows ; cārayantau — grazing ; avidūre — not far away ; odanam — food ; rāma — acyutau — Lord Rāma and Lord Acyuta ; vaḥ — from you ; laṣataḥ — are desiring ; bubhukṣitau — being hungry ; tayoḥ — for Them ; dvijāḥ — O brāhmaṇas ; odanam — food ; arthinoḥ — begging ; yadi — if ; śraddhā — any faith ; ca — and ; vaḥ — on your part ; yacchata — please give ; dharma — vit — tamāḥ — O best knowers of the principles of religion .

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.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

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. KB 10.23.7 “Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma are tending cows nearby, and we have accompanied Them. We have come to ask for some food from you. You are all brāhmaṇas and knowers of religious principles, and if you think that you should give us charity, then give us some food, and we shall all eat along with Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. You are the most respectable brāhmaṇas within the human society, and you are expected to know all the principles of religious procedure.” Although the boys were village boys and were not expected to be learned in all the Vedic principles of religious ritual, they hinted that because of their association with Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, they knew all those principles. By addressing the brāhmaṇas as “knowers of all religious principles,” the boys expressed the point of view that when the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, were asking for food, the brāhmaṇas should immediately deliver some without hesitation because, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, one should perform yajṣa (sacrifices) only for the satisfaction of Viṣṇu. The boys continued: “Lord Viṣṇu as Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma is standing waiting, and you should immediately deliver whatever food you have in your stock.”

Purport

The cowherd boys doubted the generosity of the brāhmaṇas, and thus they used the word bubhukṣitau, meaning that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were hungry. The boys expected the brāhmaṇas to know the Vedic injunction annasya kṣuditaṁ pātram : “Anyone who is hungry is a fit candidate for receiving food in charity.” But if the brāhmaṇas would not recognize the authority of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, their title dvija would be taken to mean merely “born from two parents” ( dvi — from two, ja — born) rather than “twice-born.” When the brāhmaṇas did not respond to the cowherd boys’ initial request, the boys addressed the brāhmaṇas, with a slight trace of sarcasm, as dharma-vit-tamāḥ, “O best of the knowers of religion.”

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

"We are asking from you some rice." "But since Krsna and Balarama are not brahmanas, can we give before the brahmanas have eaten?" "But they are hungry. There is a saying that those that are hungry should be given food." Seeing the brahmanas unfavorably inclined and not saying anything, they said, "O brahmanas, if you have faith in Krsna and Balarama, then give, and if you do not, then say "no", and we will go back. You are the knowers of the highest dharma (dharma vittamah), so what can we say about dharma and adharma to you. Because you remain silent on hearing that Krsna and Balarama are hungry and asking for food, when the whole universe melts with love on hearing their names, we can understand that you are twice born (dvija), just born from two parents." Calling them best of knowers of dharma actually means they are completely ignorant of dharma.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

“Why have you come here? Why have you come so far?” We were herding the cows. They avoid saying they have come for food, in order to protect their respect. Śrīdhara uses the version with annam but most take the version with odanam. The meaning is the same. Bhissā, bhakta, anna, ondana and dīdivi mean boiled rice according to the Amara-koṣa. Or, why are they hungry? They have been herding the cows. They are tired because of going far in herding the cows. Their hunger indicates that they should get some rice. Or, “Why did the two of them not come personally?” The cows cannot be protected without the two boys. “Where are they now?” They are not far away. They attempt to make the brāhmaṇas believe them and try to bring the brāhmaṇas under their control by saying this. Out of fear of the brāhmaṇas they mention the elder brother first. Rāma means “he who gives pleasure to all people.” Acyuta means “he who never lacks any good qualities.” In this way they glorify the two boys in order to get the rice. They desire your rice and not any other rice. “But it is not possible to stop the sacrifice and go to them.” Give us the rice if you have faith. They say this out of humility. It is adharma for those of good conduct not to give to the needy. You are the best knowers of dharma. This is praise not made with conviction, since they actually did not know dharma. In the same way they call the brāhmaṇas the purest in the next verse.