Devanagari
श्रीब्रह्मोवाच
अहो बत सुरश्रेष्ठा ह्यभद्रं व: कृतं महत् ।
ब्रह्मिष्ठं ब्राह्मणं दान्तमैश्वर्यान्नाभ्यनन्दत ॥ २१ ॥
Verse text
śrī-brahmovāca
aho bata sura-śreṣṭhā
hy abhadraṁ vaḥ kṛtaṁ mahat
brahmiṣṭhaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ dāntam
aiśvaryān nābhyanandata
Synonyms
śrī
—
brahmā uvāca — Lord Brahmā said
;
aho
—
alas
;
bata
—
it is very astonishing
;
sura
—
śreṣṭhāḥ — O best of the demigods
;
hi
—
indeed
;
abhadram
—
injustice
;
vaḥ
—
by you
;
kṛtam
—
done
;
mahat
—
great
;
brahmiṣṭham
—
a person fully obedient to the Supreme Brahman
;
brāhmaṇam
—
a brāhmaṇa
;
dāntam
—
who has fully controlled the mind and senses
;
aiśvaryāt
—
because of your material opulence
;
na
—
not
;
abhyanandata
—
welcomed properly .
Translation
Lord Brahmā said: O best of the demigods, unfortunately, because of madness resulting from your material opulence, you failed to receive Bṛhaspati properly when he came to your assembly. Because he is aware of the Supreme Brahman and fully in control of his senses, he is the best of the brāhmaṇas. Therefore it is very astonishing that you have acted impudently toward him.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Brahma said: O best of the devatās! You have committed a great wrong. You did not welcome the brāhmaṇa fixed in Brahman and having a controlled mind because of your wealth and power.
Purport
Lord Brahmā recognized the brahminical qualifications of Bṛhaspati, who was the spiritual master of the demigods because of his awareness of the Supreme Brahman. Bṛhaspati was very much in control of his senses and mind, and therefore he was a most qualified
brāhmaṇa.
Lord Brahmā chastised the demigods for not properly respecting this
brāhmaṇa,
who was their
guru.
Lord Brahmā wanted to impress upon the demigods that one’s
guru
should not be disrespected under any circumstances. When Bṛhaspati entered the assembly of the demigods, they and their king, Indra, took him for granted. Since he came every day, they thought, they did not need to show him special respect. As it is said, familiarity breeds contempt. Being very much displeased, Bṛhaspati immediately left Indra’s palace. Thus all the demigods, headed by Indra, became offenders at the lotus feet of Bṛhaspati, and Lord Brahmā, being aware of this, condemned their neglect. In a song we sing every day, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says,
cakṣu-dāna dila yei, janme janme prabhu sei:
the
guru
gives spiritual insight to the disciple, and therefore the
guru
should be considered his master, life after life. Under no circumstances should the
guru
be disrespected, but the demigods, being puffed up by their material possessions, were disrespectful to their
guru.
Therefore
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
(11.17.27)
advises,
ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit/ na martya-buddhyāsūyeta:
the
ācārya
should always be offered respectful obeisances; one should never envy the
ācārya,
considering him an ordinary human being.