SB 10.64.33 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

नाहं हालाहलं मन्ये विषं यस्य प्रतिक्रिया । ब्रह्मस्वं हि विषं प्रोक्तं नास्य प्रतिविधिर्भुवि ॥ ३३ ॥

Verse text

nāhaṁ hālāhalaṁ manye viṣaṁ yasya pratikriyā brahma-svaṁ hi viṣaṁ proktaṁ nāsya pratividhir bhuvi

Synonyms

na — not ; aham — I ; hālāhalam — the poison named hālāhala, which Lord Śiva is famous for having drunk without toxic effects ; manye — I consider ; viṣam — poison ; yasya — of which ; pratikriyā — counteraction ; brahma — svam — a brāhmaṇa’s property ; hi — indeed ; viṣam — poison ; proktam — called ; na — not ; asya — for it ; pratividhiḥ — antidote ; bhuvi — in the world .

Translation

I do not consider hālāhala to be real poison, because it has an antidote. But a brāhmaṇa’s property, when stolen, can truly be called poison, for it has no antidote in this world.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

I do not consider hālāhala to be real poison, because it has an antidote. But a brāhmaṇa's property, when stolen, can truly be called poison, for it has no antidote in this world. KB 10.64.33 “I do not think that taking poison is as dangerous as taking a brāhmaṇa’s property. For ordinary poison there is treatment—one can be relieved from its effects—but if one drinks the poison of taking a brāhmaṇa’s property, there is no remedy for the mistake. The perfect example is King Nṛga. He was very powerful and very pious, but due to the small mistake of unknowingly usurping a brāhmaṇa’s cow, he was condemned to the abominable life of a lizard.

Purport

One who takes a brāhmaṇa’s property, thinking to enjoy it, has actually taken the most deadly poison.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

"If it is like indigestible food, it is not so bad as poison is it?" " Siva could digest the halahal poison so it is not real poison. But there is no antidote for taking from the brahmana."

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

The brāhmaṇa’s property is more poisonous than poison. The poison effect is described with increasing intensity in two verses. Poison refers to a nature of continuous violence. A brāhmaṇa’s property is said to be poison, using examples and logic (pra—uktam). There is no remedy like using gems or mantras, anywhere, by any intelligent person (bhuvi).