SB 10.74.37 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

ब्रह्मर्षिसेवितान् देशान् हित्वैतेऽब्रह्मवर्चसम् । समुद्रं दुर्गमाश्रित्य बाधन्ते दस्यव: प्रजा: ॥ ३७ ॥

Verse text

brahmarṣi-sevitān deśān hitvaite ’brahma-varcasam samudraṁ durgam āśritya bādhante dasyavaḥ prajāḥ

Synonyms

brahma — ṛṣi — by great brāhmaṇa sages ; sevitān — graced ; deśān — lands (like Mathurā) ; hitvā — abandoning ; ete — these (Yādavas) ; abrahma — varcasam — where brahminical principles are not observed ; samudram — the ocean ; durgam — a fortress ; āśritya — taking shelter of ; bādhante — they cause trouble ; dasyavaḥ — thieves ; prajāḥ — to their subjects .

Translation

These Yādavas have abandoned the holy lands inhabited by saintly sages and have instead taken shelter of a fortress in the sea, a place where no brahminical principles are observed. There, just like thieves, they harass their subjects.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

These Yādavas have abandoned the holy lands inhabited by saintly sages and have instead taken shelter of a fortress in the sea, a place where no brahminical principles are observed. There, just like thieves, they harass their subjects. KB 10.74.37 “Kṛṣṇa is so foolish that He has left Mathurā, which is inhabited by highly elevated persons following the Vedic culture, and has taken shelter in the ocean, where there is not even talk of the Vedas. Instead of living openly, He has constructed a fort within the water and is living in a place where there is no discussion of Vedic knowledge. And whenever He comes out of the fort, He simply harasses the citizens like a dacoit, thief or rogue.”

Purport

The words brahmarṣi-sevitān deśān (“holy lands inhabited by saintly sages”) allude to the district of Mathurā. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes: “Śiśupāla went crazy because of Kṛṣṇa’s being elected the supreme, first worshiped person in that meeting, and he spoke so irresponsibly that it appeared that he had lost all his good fortune.”

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

These dacoit Yadavas without the luster of Brahman, have taken shelter of Dvaraka, a fort in the ocean and imprisoned the citizens there. The other meaning is : Leaving the land of Mathura, served by the brahmarsis, because it did not have protection, they took shelter of Dvaraka in the ocean which is effulgent with Brahman, with a fort, and they surpress the unlawful persons, such as Sisupala who have been born (ja) with great power ( pra).

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

The Yādavas have taken shelter in the sea, devoid of the Vedas and act like thieves, plundering all properties. The real meaning is as follows. Someone may say, “Taking shelter of the sea, they are like Rāvaṇa.” In response the verse says that Rāvaṇa and others, not having come from Manu’s line, are thieving descendants (dasyavaḥ prajāḥ). Giving up lands served by brahmarṣis, taking shelter of the sea, Rāvaṇa and his descendents stop actions of the brāhmaṇas or the Vedas (brahma-varcasam). But why would the Yādavas stop the actions? They protect such activities.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

“By being attached to enjoyment, Yayati cursed Yadu though Yadu was without offense. But then he was given mercy by the Lord in the form of Dattatreya (the avadhūta brāhmaṇa instructs Yadu SB 11.7) and is most worthy of worship. His dynasty is similar.” To counteract this, he criticizes in another way. The Yadus gave up a holy place, Mathurā, most excellent because it was in the middle of Āryāvarta. They have taken shelter of a place devoid of the Vedas, the ocean. They loot life itself (dasyavaḥ).