SB 5.13.23

SB 5.13.23

Devanagari

नमो महद्‍भ्योऽस्तु नम: शिशुभ्यो नमो युवभ्यो नम आवटुभ्य: । ये ब्राह्मणा गामवधूतलिङ्गा- श्चरन्ति तेभ्य: शिवमस्तु राज्ञाम् ॥ २३ ॥

Verse text

namo mahadbhyo ’stu namaḥ śiśubhyo namo yuvabhyo nama āvaṭubhyaḥ ye brāhmaṇā gām avadhūta-liṅgāś caranti tebhyaḥ śivam astu rājṣām

Synonyms

namaḥ all obeisances ; mahadbhyaḥ unto the great personalities ; astu let there be ; namaḥ my obeisances ; śiśubhyaḥ unto those great personalities who appear as boys ; namaḥ respectful obeisances ; yuvabhyaḥ unto those who appear as young men ; namaḥ respectful obeisances ; ā vaṭubhyaḥ — unto those who appear as children ; ye all those who ; brāhmaṇāḥ self-realized in transcendental knowledge ; gām the earth ; avadhūta liṅgāḥ — who remain hidden under different bodily guises ; caranti they traverse ; tebhyaḥ from them ; śivam astu let there be all good fortune ; rājṣām unto the royal dynasties or kings (who are always very puffed up) .

Translation

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the great personalities, whether they walk on the earth’s surface as children, young boys, avadhūtas or great brāhmaṇas. Even if they are hidden under different guises, I offer my respects to all of them. By their mercy, may there be good fortune in the royal dynasties that are always offending them.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

I offer respects to the great devotees, to the babies, to the youths, to the young boys. I offer respects to the brāhmaṇas who wander the earth in the dress of avadhūtas. May there be auspiciousness for the kings! “If you, carrying the palanquin, had not enlightened me, what destination would such an offender attain?” In fear, the King offers respects. I offer respects even unto the small brāhmaṇa boys. Since such children are inclined to play, their greatness is not evident. However, to even such persons he offers respects. By requesting good fortune for kings, he indicates that possibly other kings have offended the devotees.

Purport

King Rahūgaṇa was very repentant because he had forced Jaḍa Bharata to carry his palanquin. He therefore began offering prayers to all kinds of brāhmaṇas and self-realized persons, even though they might be playing like children or hiding in some guises. The four Kumāras walked everywhere in the guise of five-year-old boys, and similarly there are many brāhmaṇas, knowers of Brahman, who traverse the globe either as young men, children or avadhūtas. Being puffed up due to their position, the royal dynasties generally offend these great personalities. Therefore King Rahūgaṇa began to offer his respectful obeisances unto them so that the offensive royal dynasties might not glide down into a hellish condition. If one offends a great personality, the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not excuse one, although the great personalities themselves might not take offense. Mahārāja Ambarīṣa was offended by Durvāsā, who even approached Lord Viṣṇu for pardon. Lord Viṣṇu would not grant him pardon; therefore he had to fall down at the lotus feet of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, even though Mahārāja Ambarīṣa was a kṣatriya-gṛhastha. One should be very careful not to offend the lotus feet of Vaiṣṇavas and brāhmaṇas.