Devanagari
पुंसां श्लाघ्यतमं मन्ये दण्डमर्हत्तमार्पितम् ।
यं न माता पिता भ्राता सुहृदश्चादिशन्ति हि ॥ ४ ॥
Verse text
puṁsāṁ ślāghyatamaṁ manye
daṇḍam arhattamārpitam
yaṁ na mātā pitā bhrātā
suhṛdaś cādiśanti hi
Synonyms
puṁsām
—
of men
;
ślāghya
—
tamam — the most exalted
;
manye
—
I consider
;
daṇḍam
—
punishment
;
arhattama
—
arpitam — given by You, the supreme worshipable Lord
;
yam
—
which
;
na
—
neither
;
mātā
—
mother
;
pitā
—
father
;
bhrātā
—
brother
;
suhṛdaḥ
—
friends
;
ca
—
also
;
ādiśanti
—
offer
;
hi
—
indeed .
Translation
Although a father, mother, brother or friend may sometimes punish one as a well-wisher, they never punish their subordinate like this. But because You are the most worshipable Lord, I regard the punishment You have given me as most exalted.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
A father, mother, brother or friend does not punish his subordinate in a thoroughly correct manner. I regard the punishment given by you, the most praiseworthy, as most exalted punishment, since it gives the best results.
“But your defamation will come from being bound up by me.” Though mothers and others punish a person for a person’s benefit, they do not punish completely (na ādiśanti). Though mothers and others are praiseworthy for being benefactors in this world, those who punish to give spiritual benefit are millions of times more affectionate to a person.
Purport
Punishment meted out by the Supreme Personality of Godhead is accepted by the devotee as the greatest mercy.
tat te ’nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇo
bhuṣjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam
hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk
“One who seeks Your compassion and thus tolerates all kinds of adverse conditions due to the
karma
of his past deeds, who engages always in Your devotional service with his mind, words and body, and who always offers obeisances to You is certainly a bona fide candidate for liberation.” (
Bhāg.
10.14.8
) A devotee knows that so-called punishment by the Supreme Personality of Godhead is only His favor to correct His devotee and bring him to the right path. Therefore the punishment awarded by the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be compared to even the greatest benefit awarded by one’s material father, mother, brother or friend.