Devanagari
विप्रौ विवदमानौ मामूचतु: स्वार्थसाधकौ ।
भवान् दातापहर्तेति तच्छ्रुत्वा मेऽभवद् भ्रम: ॥ १८ ॥
Verse text
viprau vivadamānau mām
ūcatuḥ svārtha-sādhakau
bhavān dātāpaharteti
tac chrutvā me ’bhavad bhramaḥ
Synonyms
viprau
—
the two brāhmaṇas
;
vivadamānau
—
arguing
;
mām
—
to me
;
ūcatuḥ
—
said
;
sva
—
their own
;
artha
—
interest
;
sādhakau
—
fulfilling
;
bhavān
—
you, sir
;
dātā
—
giver
;
apahartā
—
taker
;
iti
—
thus
;
tat
—
this
;
śrutvā
—
hearing
;
me
—
my
;
abhavat
—
there arose
;
bhramaḥ
—
consternation .
Translation
As the two brāhmaṇas argued, each trying to fulfill his own purpose, they came to me. One of them said, “You gave me this cow,” and the other said, “But you stole her from me.” Hearing this, I was bewildered.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
As the two brāhmaṇas argued, each trying to fulfill his own purpose, they came to me. One of them said, "You gave me this cow," and the other said, "But you stole her from me." Hearing this, I was bewildered.
KB 10.64.18
“Thus there was arguing and fighting between the two brāhmaṇas, and they came before me and charged that I had taken back a cow I had previously given in charity.” To give something to someone and then to take it back is considered a great sin, especially in dealing with a brāhmaṇa. When both brāhmaṇas charged the King with the same complaint, he was simply puzzled as to how it had happened.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The second receiver said, "You have the cow to me." The first owner said, "You took her away from me."
Hearing that, I was put in extreme perplexity (bhramah).
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
The two spoke to preserve their senses of pride (svārtha-sādhakau).
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
The two spoke, being attached to the same cow (svārtha-sādhakau).