SB 10.78.23 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

अप्रत्युत्थायिनं सूतमकृतप्रह्वणाञ्जलिम् । अध्यासीनं च तान् विप्रांश्चुकोपोद्वीक्ष्य माधव: ॥ २३ ॥

Verse text

apratyutthāyinaṁ sūtam akṛta-prahvaṇāṣjalim adhyāsīnaṁ ca tān viprāṁś cukopodvīkṣya mādhavaḥ

Synonyms

apratyutthāyinam — who had failed to stand up ; sūtam — the son of a mixed marriage between a kṣatriya father and brāhmaṇa mother ; akṛta — who had not done ; prahvaṇa — bowing down ; aṣjalim — and joining of palms ; adhyāsīnam — sitting higher ; ca — and ; tān — than those ; viprān — learned brāhmaṇas ; cukopa — became angry ; udvīkṣya — seeing ; mādhavaḥ — Lord Balarāma .

Translation

Lord Balarāma became extremely angry upon seeing how this member of the sūta caste had failed to stand up, bow down or join his palms, and also how he was sitting above all the learned brāhmaṇas.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Lord Balarāma became extremely angry upon seeing how this member of the sūta caste had failed to stand up, bow down or join his palms, and also how he was sitting above all the learned brāhmaṇas. KB 10.78.23 He had neither gotten up from his seat nor offered Him respects. Because he was seated on the vyāsāsana, he foolishly thought himself greater than the Lord; therefore he did not get down from his seat or bow down before the Lord. Lord Balarāma then considered the history of Romaharṣaṇa: he was born in a sūta family, or a mixed family, born of a brāhmaṇa woman and a kṣatriya man. Therefore although Romaharṣaṇa considered Balarāma a kṣatriya, he should not have remained sitting on a higher seat; according to his position by birth he should not even have accepted the higher sitting position, because many learned brāhmaṇas and sages were present. Lord Balarāma also observed that Romaharṣaṇa not only refused to come down from his exalted seat but did not even stand up and offer his respects when Balarāmajī entered the assembly. Lord Balarāma did not like the audacity of Romaharṣaṇa and, becoming very angry at him, declared from His seat,

Purport

Romaharṣaṇa had failed to greet Lord Balarāma in any of the standard ways for welcoming a superior personality. Also, despite being of a lower caste, he sat in a seat above the assembly of exalted brāhmaṇas.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

He was sitting higher than the Brahmanas present because he was the speaker.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

First Romaharṣaṇa did not rise. Then he did not offer respects or fold his hands. Then he remained seated. Moreover he was of sūta class. With each of these items, Balarāma became more and more astonished. Balarāma saw him by looking upwards (ud—vīkṣya) since Romaharṣānā was sitting high above.