SB 9.22.17 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

एवमुक्तो द्विजैर्ज्येष्ठं छन्दयामास सोऽब्रवीत् । तन्मन्त्रिप्रहितैर्विप्रैर्वेदाद् विभ्रंशितो गिरा ॥ १६ ॥ वेदवादातिवादान् वै तदा देवो ववर्ष ह । देवापिर्योगमास्थाय कलापग्राममाश्रित: ॥ १७ ॥

Verse text

evam ukto dvijair jyeṣṭhaṁ chandayām āsa so ’bravīt tan-mantri-prahitair viprair vedād vibhraṁśito girā veda-vādātivādān vai tadā devo vavarṣa ha devāpir yogam āsthāya kalāpa-grāmam āśritaḥ

Synonyms

evam — thus (as above mentioned) ; uktaḥ — being advised ; dvijaiḥ — by the brāhmaṇas ; jyeṣṭham — unto his eldest brother, Devāpi ; chandayām āsa — requested to take charge of the kingdom ; saḥ — he (Devāpi) ; abravīt — said ; tat — mantri — by Śāntanu’s minister ; prahitaiḥ — instigated ; vipraiḥ — by the brāhmaṇas ; vedāt — from the principles of the Vedas ; vibhraṁśitaḥ — fallen ; girā — by such words ; veda — vāda — ativādān — words blaspheming the Vedic injunctions ; vai — indeed ; tadā — at that time ; devaḥ — the demigod ; vavarṣa — showered rains ; ha — in the past ; devāpiḥ — Devāpi ; yogam āsthāya — accepting the process of mystic yoga ; kalāpa — grāmam — the village known as Kalāpa ; āśritaḥ — took shelter of (and is living in even now) .

Translation

When the brāhmaṇas said this, Mahārāja Śāntanu went to the forest and requested his elder brother Devāpi to take charge of the kingdom, for it is the duty of a king to maintain his subjects. Previously, however, Śāntanu’s minister Aśvavāra had instigated some brāhmaṇas to induce Devāpi to transgress the injunctions of the Vedas and thus make himself unfit for the post of ruler. The brāhmaṇas deviated Devāpi from the path of the Vedic principles, and therefore when asked by Śāntanu he did not agree to accept the post of ruler. On the contrary, he blasphemed the Vedic principles and therefore became fallen. Under the circumstances, Śāntanu again became the king, and Indra, being pleased, showered rains. Devāpi later took to the path of mystic yoga to control his mind and senses and went to the village named Kalāpagrāma, where he is still living.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

When the brāhmaṇas said this, Mahārāja Śāntanu requested his elder brother Devāpi to take charge of the kingdom. Previously, however, Śāntanu's minister Aśvavāra instigated some brāhmaṇas to induce Devāpi to transgress the injunctions of the Vedas. He thus blasphemed the Vedic principles. Under the circumstances, Śāntanu again became the king, and Indra, being pleased, showered rains. Devāpi later took to the path of mystic yoga in a village named Kalāpagrāma. He requested Devāpi to rule the kingdom. Devāpi made statements criticizing the Vedas. The cause is explained. Before Śāntanu made his request, Śāntanu’s minister Aśvavāra made Devāpi a heretic in order to make him unsuitable to rule. Unknown to Śāntanu, he sent brāhmaṇas who made him deviate from the Vedas by uttering heretical words. Since Devāpi was unsuitable to rule because of his degradation, there was no fault in Śāntanu ruling. Indra then supplied rain.