SB 4.15.25 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

प्रभवो ह्यात्मन: स्तोत्रं जुगुप्सन्त्यपि विश्रुता: । ह्रीमन्त: परमोदारा: पौरुषं वा विगर्हितम् ॥ २५ ॥

Verse text

prabhavo hy ātmanaḥ stotraṁ jugupsanty api viśrutāḥ hrīmantaḥ paramodārāḥ pauruṣaṁ vā vigarhitam

Synonyms

prabhavaḥ — very powerful persons ; hi — certainly ; ātmanaḥ — of themselves ; stotram — praise ; jugupsanti — do not like ; api — although ; viśrutāḥ — very famous ; hrī — mantaḥ — modest ; parama — udārāḥ — very magnanimous persons ; pauruṣam — powerful actions ; vā — also ; vigarhitam — abominable .

Translation

As a person with a sense of honor and magnanimity does not like to hear about his abominable actions, a person who is very famous and powerful does not like to hear himself praised.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Persons famous for good qualities, who are modest and generous, detest praise of themselves as if it were criticism of their abilities. People who have good qualities, and who enjoy being praised are not seen. Vā means “like.” Praise like “This person is so qualified he doesn’t have to follow the rules of dharma” is rejected as censoring their abilities (vigarhitam pauruṣam).