SB 4.15.24 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

महद्गुणानात्मनि कर्तुमीश: क: स्तावकै: स्तावयतेऽसतोऽपि । तेऽस्याभविष्यन्निति विप्रलब्धो जनावहासं कुमतिर्न वेद ॥ २४ ॥

Verse text

mahad-guṇān ātmani kartum īśaḥ kaḥ stāvakaiḥ stāvayate ’sato ’pi te ’syābhaviṣyann iti vipralabdho janāvahāsaṁ kumatir na veda

Synonyms

mahat — exalted ; guṇān — the qualities ; ātmani — in himself ; kartum — to manifest ; īśaḥ — competent ; kaḥ — who ; stāvakaiḥ — by followers ; stāvayate — causes to be praised ; asataḥ — not existing ; api — although ; te — they ; asya — of him ; abhaviṣyan — might have been ; iti — thus ; vipralabdhaḥ — cheated ; jana — of people ; avahāsam — insult ; kumatiḥ — a fool ; na — does not ; veda — know .

Translation

How could an intelligent man competent enough to possess such exalted qualities allow his followers to praise him if he did not actually have them? Praising a man by saying that if he were educated he might have become a great scholar or great personality is nothing but a process of cheating. A foolish person who agrees to accept such praise does not know that such words simply insult him.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

What person who has the qualities of the Lord would have others praise him? What to speak of a person who does not have the qualities! The fool does not understand that he is the butt of a joke, mocked by the promise of having such qualities in the future. “But you are the Supreme Lord, worthy of praise.” Though it is possible for the best person to manifest in himself qualities of the Lord, what wise person would make others glorify him? No one would do that, even if he has the qualities. If he does not have the qualities, and cannot manifest such qualities, only a fool would have others praise him. That fool does not know it is an insult. How? By words like “If he had studies arts and scripture he would have been a great scholar” he is mocked by others.

Purport

Pṛthu Mahārāja was an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as Lord Brahmā and other demigods had already testified when they had presented the King with many heavenly gifts. Because he had just been coronated, however, he could not manifest his godly qualities in action. Therefore he was not willing to accept the praise of the devotees. So-called incarnations of Godhead should therefore take lessons from the behavior of King Pṛthu. Demons without godly qualities should not accept false praise from their followers.